Mid-Week News and Comments

ROSHIKA DEO PROTESTS TERMINATION OF A STUDENT'S SCHOLARSHIP. Independent candidate Roshika Deo claims one of her volunteers, a student, had his tertiary scholarship terminated last week for "associating himself in a political agenda." There is nothing, says Deo, in the scholarship scheme that prevents a student from engaging in politics. The volunteer is a high achieving student who did not misuse the scholarship scheme in any way.

Comment. I support Roshika and the student. If his volunteering did not interfere with his studies, the termination is an infringement of his rights and an abuse of the scholarship scheme.

Roshika Deo is a 31-year old lawyer, human rights activist and government opponent who intends to stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming elections. The Fiji Sun once again defied Opposition claims it is Bainimarama's lapdog by publishing a warm profiles of her this month.

BEDDOES HAS ANOTHER ATTACK. In a recent opinion piece entitled "Malice and Deceit

or Love and Affection?" Mick Beddoes says "Bainimarama’s image-makers from the Qorvis PR Company have been busy redefining the coup leader’s image. They are trying hard to portray him as a kind and gentle father figure, thinking only of the well being of the people." Bedddoes then details a number of well publicised and well known past actions by the Bainimarama governmentn, not Bainimarama, that portray the opposite. 

Comment.  Mick, I remember the days, years ago, when you spoke up on policies, leaving personal attacks to others. I liked the old Mick, even when I disagreed with him.

THAILAND COUP AND FIJI. A former colleague writes from her home in Thailand that "more

than 75% of the population supports ... the military ... coup. The international media makes a big deal of this when it is a routine event every 1-5 years.

The minority will not accept the vote of the majority here and protests can disrupt the functioning of the government. Then the military takes over for a year or two to control protests, calm things down, have talks with all involved parties to attempt reconciliation and carry out safe free elections for a new civilian govt."

Comment. Not quite the same as in Fiji where the Government does not seek reconciliation with the old politicians and it will be eight years before elections are held. Circumstances are never identical but it does serve to illustrate than some coups could be necessary.

A NEW POLL. The Fiji Times has commissioned Tebbutt Reseach to conduct political polls until the elections. The first result, from a sample of 1,036 in the Western and Central Divisions showed Bainimarama was preferred PM for 66% across all ethnicities, and Fiji First the preferred party of 56% of those sampled. Ro Teimumu and SODELPA came second with 8%, the strongest support coming from Taukei (14%) but only 1% from other ethnicities. Nearly one in five people were unsure about their preferred PM or refused to answer, and one-third their preferred party.

Comment. The poll results showed less support for Bainimarama and Fiji First than the Sun-Razor polls but they were still firmly in the box seat. The difference could be due to differences in the samples. Razor samples people at bus stops in the Western, Central and Northern Divisions; Tebutt samples urban and peri-urban areas in the Western and Central Divisions. I shall comment more on these polls as trends become more apparent and as I learn more about their sampling methods.

IT'S 'UN-FIJIAN'. HUH! "It is un-Fijian (for political parties) to publicly state the support of the chiefs." This comment from a SODELPA leader came after Bainimarama revealed that many chiefs had signed their support for his Fiji First Party.

THE QUALITY OF COMMENTS. Do readers think I should leave or delete comments like these? The case for leaving them is that they show the sort of people they are. The case for deleting them is that they are deeply offensive and libelous.

Mark Manning posted this on c4.5: Is it just me or has anyone else ever noticed that it's only ugly fat old menopausal woman who complain about other women exposing their flesh?

Does this farkwit Luvenui actually have a pulse? Is this the best that khaiyum's little puppy Bhaini can do?

God Croz advising on sex. And women. Heard everything now from the old freeloading NZ tax super collector.

Did the deviant from horowhenua declare the free trip to Fiji paid for by the illegal human rights abusing regime for he and his bludging missus to the NZ taxation department?