Robin Nair Thinks Bainimarama Can Still Retrieve the Democracy Promised

Ministerial Reshuffle, January 2018: An Opinion by Robin Nair

Nair and the PM in happier times/ pn255

Speaker's Corner, Suva

Robin Nair is a lawyer who was Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs in Fiji until April 2017 when he resigned — or was dismissed by Bainimarama. Take your pick., Previously he was a senior diplomat in  Australia and Fiji.He now  advises several governments on good governance, meritocracy and democracy.  

Considering the circumstances of his leaving government, and his overall concern at the state of democracy in Fiji (see his comments on the Public Service) I consider this  a most encouraging article, although I have reservations with his recommendation of a Government of National Unity.  The emphasis in the text is mine.  -- ACW

I note with interest some well-written responses or comments in mainly the social media, on the most recent reshuffle of the Ministerial Portfolios, only two months after the announcement of the Ministerial Appointments after the 2018 Elections. The first set of appointments appeared to me to have been a rushed one and perhaps without good advice.

It is good to see the PM moving quickly to fine tune the line-up of his Ministerial Team in terms of national interest. Some have told me that this is only a cosmetic change or a token change to try and appease the iTaukei sensitivities regarding the original make-up of his Team but we must realise that PM has limited and appropriate depth and talent in the Fiji First Team compared to the talent in SODELPA and NFP. I say this with the greatest of respect to all elected Members of Parliament. Each have their talents, but comparisons can be made when there are alternatives. I hope I am being objective. 

[I think most Taukei voted for Bainimarama and not other Taukei, whereas SODELPA's votes were more evenly distributed among its candidates. This has resulted in FijiFirst having only ten Taukei among its 27 MPs —and therefore a smaller pool of Taukei talent. A closed list voting system like NZ, where parties decide the order of their candidates and not voters, would have permitted a better ethnic, gender and geographic balance. -- ACW]

It is great to see that PM appears, true to himself, to be reasserting himself through the most recent Ministerial reshuffle. This is my subjective assessment. In my view, this is the first sign of him pushing the gate slightly open, the gate to the fence around him which has been built and managed for far too long by clever individuals. The Team as it was originally constituted after the 2018 elections, sent out ambiguous messages, especially appointments like the Assistant Minister for iTaukei Affairs.

Any Prime Minister, in my experience of working with several Prime Ministers in Australia and in Fiji, needs alternative sources of advice depending on issues. He needs to test advice.

Our PM now has the opportunity, perhaps the last opportunity, to build for himself, a more consultative government and not a confrontational and arrogant government that we have now. This only contributes to fragility of our democracy.

I had thought that the PM would pause for reflection and review after the results of the 2018 elections which saw a massive drift away from him, especially by the majority iTaukei community. He may be pausing, reflecting and reviewing now with some clear air, and hence the reshuffle.

My experience with the PM was that he was always open to advice from his PS and hopefully his other political advisers and officials. He always reflected on my advice and he was always generous to me in his comments for good advice. In my case, the problem arose from the constant and successful interference from outside my portfolio and also from some who were even outside any government accountability obligations but appeared to be an influential source of advice to some Ministers. 

There was, from my perspective, the lack of appreciation for professional, honest, fearless and considered advice from our own, from local PSs whose umbilical cords are buried in Fijian soil and whose allegiance, dedication and the love for the country were absolute. Some consultants and expatriates appeared to enjoy greater credibility.

 For myself, I was shocked and most disappointed when I, for myself, realised that the PM could so easily be influenced by very limited advice from one or two sources, and completely succumb to that advice and override other advice that he might have earlier accepted. I felt that some of this advice was given from subjective interests and not objective interests. This contributed to my resignation. This was my experience and perception, but my information is that this dependence on such limited advice has perplexed many, including some close to him but obviously not close enough. It appeared that the PM regarded the such advice as objective and infallible.

I agree with many that PM can retrieve the democracy he promised on undertaking the coup and from his earlier commitment to the Charter process and the acceptance of the State of the Nation Report adopted by NCBBF.

During that time, he also showed great interest in advice to form a Government of National Unity. I was a part of that informal advisory team. He had even signed off on such advice and proposals and it is still on record but each time this decision was interfered with from somewhere. 

Hon PM should move towards more listening from a variety of sources, including Rabuka and Biman, unpalatable as it might feel at the first instance. Both gentlemen are wise men too, elected overwhelmingly by the people and who are committed to a truly democratic Fiji, a Fiji for all Fijians with a government by the people, for the people. He must accept, after such a decisive election result for Rabuka and his Party, that the voice of Rabuka is the voice of, by far, the majority of iTaukeis. 

I most respectfully implore that It is time for Hon Prime Minister to reconsider a Government of National Unity. Again in my opinion, it also so happens that the Parliamentary Team in SODELPA and NFP have much more talent and depth than the amongst the majority of members of the Fiji First Team. In fact, a Government of National Unity led by the PM has become very much more urgent with the fragile democracy we have now.

I know our PM can be persuaded through advice to return to his original message, if I recall him correctly from my experience of him from 2007 to 2009. 

This could only happen when the self-appointed gate-keepers are told by him that he does not want any gate-keepers or such close control, that he does not want the Fijian people to be shut out from him by these gates, and that he is open to broader advice before he makes his own final decisions. 

The impervious fence built around the PM by those with narrow agenda, will not guarantee the PM the high place in our history that he might otherwise achieve. 

May God Bless Fiji