Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Wednesday 1 September 2021

pn787. Fiji Snippets: Claims SODELPA in disarray, Law Society attacks Sayed-Khaiyum, Covid Update

 

SODELPA  IN  'DISARRAY'  

Mosese Bulitavu, the opposition SODELPA MP who has supported government on the 2021/2022 National Budget and the Bill to Amend the iTaukei Land Trust Act, says the party is in disarray, with a minority supporting party leader Viliami Gadovi and a majority supporting Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.  He claims there are about 60 complaints before the SODELPA Board, the party has no general election or budget plan, and the minority and unelected are trying to control the party. Bulitavu's statement has been denied by General Secretary Lenaitasi Duru.  

Meanwhile, Viliame Gavoka has filed an application in the Court of Disputed Returns that Bulitavu's seat in Parliament be deemed vacant after he went against the party’s directives. Earlier he had asked the Speaker of Parliament, Ratu Epeli  to declare Bulitavu's seat in Parliament vacant.  

FIJI LAW SOCIETY CONDEMNS ARREST AND DETENTION

Police took Dr Jone Hawea from his Lautoka home during curfew (7pm-4am) last Tuesday and detained for 48 hours. He was questioned by police over comments he made about Covid-19 and the government's response. The Fiji Law Society says people cannot be arrested and detained just because of their dissenting opinion. The Society laid the blame on  Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum who they said  has a special duty to uphold and defend the legal profession and the judiciary, says the Fiji Law Society. He should "take a more considered and professional public stance on court decisions with which he disagrees". Sayed-Khaiyum, said arrests, detentions and charging of people are made independently by police. Click here for the full article.

Maybe, but ...  the police only act when a complaint is made.  There are two unanswered questions: 1)  what comments did Dr Hawea make on the government's Covid response and why were they misleading? 2) Did the A-G make the complaint? 

COVID UPDATE

Fiji currently has 19,151 active cases, Of yesterday's cases, 343 of them are from the Western Division division (Nadi-Lautoka-Ba), 105 from the Central Division (Suva-Lami-Nausori) and 57 cases are from the Eastern Division, and 496 deaths. Some 95.6% (559,650) of the target population have been vaccinated once, and 46.7% (27,329) have received a second dose. 

Fiji may soon vaccinate 12-17-year-olds.  This comes amid concerns raised by the Health Ministry and the public at the rate of children dying from the virus in Fiji. So far about 10 young people have succumbed to the Delta variant, with the latest victims a six-month-old boy and an 11-year-old girl among the dead reported last weekend.  Click here for further details.


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