Who Knows What Either Of Them Really Thought

pn487

One half of my mind feels sympathy for Pio Tikoduadua who I think honestly saw no reason to apologise for what he said. He was misunderstood or misrepresented. But the other half wonders why he reached so high for the moral ground when he could have followed Bainimarama's example and made a qualified apology.

PM Bainimarama Allegedly Assaulted NFP President, Pio Tikoduadu. UPDATED.

Pio Tikoduadua (L), PM (R). pn475

UPDATED Sunday 11 August. The incident was well covered in the Fiji media.  My summary is that the Speaker refused to comment on the incident when asked to do so by MP Pio Tikoduadua, saying he can only comment on what he sees or hears. The Attorney-General, speaking in defence of PM Bainimarama, said the MP had made personal remarks about the PM, telling him he should get his own house in order before criticising others. There is some doubt whether "house" referred to Bainimarama's family or the parliamentary House. My reading is the latter was clearly intended, but Bainimarama may not have taken it this way.  This, however, is a poor excuse for a physical attack by a prime miniser on another member of parliament. As the matter is now with the police, further comment would seem improper, unless there are new developments.  My thanks to those who sent me copied pages from The Fiji Times. -- ACW

AUTHORISED BY: - Pio Tikoduadua President   Friday, August 9, 2019

NFP President assaulted by Prime Minister

Friday August 9, 2019 will go down in the history of our nation as a shameful day when the Prime Minister of our nation, surrounded by his bodyguards,   twice assaulted a honourable Member of Parliament.  The incident happened around 11.40am when I was walking out of Parliament after moving and  replying to my Motion caling for a Special Parliamentary Committee to be established to look at the national problem of drugs in Fiji.

Party based on Race Attracts Some who are Racists: SODELPA should condemn these remarks

pn473

A lawyer and member of parliament who thinks Indo-Fijian women adulterous and Indo-Fijian men stab their women — and Taukei women and men do not, or have copied this behaviour from Indo-Fijians— claims he is not a racist.

SODELPA MP Mosese Bulitavu says he does not see his comments that he made that the stabbing of a partner is a ‘vulagi’ or foreign way of doing things for the iTaukei and have been brought in by the descendants of indentured labourers from British India or that Indo Fijian women having extra-marital affairs is rife, as racist and degrading comments.

Take Global Warming Seriously, or Else -- a String of Biting Comments

Sir David Attenborough speaking at the conference.
Listen to video. See link  below. pn198

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a dramatic appeal to world leaders Monday to take the threat of global warming seriously and to act boldly to avert a catastrophic rise in temperatures before the end of the century.
Guterres, who spoke at the opening of the UN climate conference in Poland, called climate change "the most important issue we face."

"Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption," Guterres told delegates from almost 200 countries who gathered in the city of Katowice.

Famed British naturalist Sir David Attenborough echoed his warnings, telling the gathering that the "collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizons" if no urgent action is taking against global warming. Listen to the video.

“This is not the Voreqe Bainimarama that I have known for many, many years" -- Pio Tikoduadua

In happier days. May they return.  pn198

Pio Tikoduadua (Lt.Col. retired) was the FijiFirst Minister of Infrastructure and Transport in  2014 and a close friend and colleague of PM Voqere Bainimarama. He resigned a year later when he disagreed with the expulsion of colleague Dr Neil Sharma who had voted with the Opposition on a health matter. He joined the National Federation Party in 2017 and was recently elected to Parliament.  

Please note that is it my emphasis on sections of his speech reported in The Fiji Times. 
Note also my previous posting pn197  "What the FijiFirst Government can do, starting now,  to win the next election " that covers some of the same ground,

What the FijiFirst Government Can Do, Starting Now, to Win the Next Election

An image to foster. pn269 (Renumbered from pn179)

In a curious way, the opposing visions of Sitiveni Rabuka and Voqere Bainimarama that we discussed in an earlier posting (pn182) are examples of what the famous English writer George Orwell* called "doublethink", the ability to hold two completely contradictory thoughts simultaneously while believing both of them to be true. Rabuka wants Taukei supremacy, Bainimarama restrains public debate to ensure equality, and they both think they are being democratic.

The question now is how to reduce the doublethink to improve their party's chances in the 2022 election, and put an end to Fiji's coup culture.

Watch Bai and ASK Body Language at PM Swearing in

Body language often tells us more about human relationships than words.  Watch the body language in this video (at the beginning between Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Mere Bainimara and between  them and Voqere Bainimarama 3 minutes in) at the PM's swearing in ceremony. And then tell me again that Bainimarama is Khaiyum's puppet! pn191

Fiji Elections: Two Men, Two Parties, Two Visions

PARLIAMENT UPDATE.  At  its first sitting, Dr Jiko Luweni was re-elected Speaker, Veena Bhatnagar Deputy, and  Sikiveni Rabuka Leader of the Opposition. He rejected the Standing Orders which decides parliamentary procedures, saying they removed the bipartisan approach, the right of the public to petition, and the right of the Opposition to chair the Public Accounts Committee.The orders were passed. FijiFirst has 27 seats and SODELPA-NFP 24. There are ten women MP's, the highest ever.

pn182

In many Western democracies the major political parties that once represented a left and right wing have moved towards the centre. Not so in Fiji, on the country's most critical political issue, race, the centre is empty, although the emergence of two of the minor parties, Unity Fiji and HOPE, appear to have been steps in a centre direction. Unsurprisingly, despite their moderate policies and well known leaders, they failed to attract more than a handful of votes, and will probably not contest the next election.

Fiji is a deeply divided country whose leaders have two very different visions. Sixty years after Independence some colonial legacies remain and do not mix well with notions of "true" democracy.

Bainimarama: Three Under One Banner a Celebration of Unity:

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama at the launch of the iTaukei Ministry and iTaukei Affairs Board Strategic Development Plans 2018 – 2022 on October 5, 2018. pn119

Three Under One Banner A Celebration Of Unity: PM

Fiji: Tough Media Laws and the Election Contenders

 The latest FijiSun/Razor polll showed 69% were in favour of tough social media laws, 21% were opposed, and 19% were undecided.  One thousand people were interviewed face-to-face at major urban bus stops. The merits and demerits of this type of interviewing was considered in an earlier post. See note at the end of this posting.

pn47

The result looks clear enough except for three things: 1) the methodology used (see note at the end of this posting) is questionable. 2) The poll came immediately after people posted photos of a gruesome multi-car crash on their mobile phones. A week earlier or three weeks later the result could have been quite different, and 3) 19% were undecided.

However, the result will please government which recently passed the Online Safety Act that will set up a commission to look into "combating abusive, hateful and illegal behaviour online."

Poll accuracy could also have been affected by having too many questions: one on tougher laws, the others on who those polled will be voting for in the forthcoming elections and who is their preferred prime minister after the elections.

The election answers

The election answers are interesting.  Bainimarama's governing party Fiji First were a clear first on 69%, the current main opposition party SODELPA came second on 13% but the National Federation Party, the only other party in the present parliament, obtained only 1%. 

The NFP is Fiji's oldest party and the major party once supported by Indo-Fiji.    One wonders whether there were fewer of them at the bus stops or whether Razor weighted the results to achieve a demography balance with Fiji's total population? My earlier email to the Sun for an explanation on the methodology used by Razor was not answered. 

This part of  the poll is also interesting because there were no "undecided" unlike the 19% "undecided" on the tougher laws question.

What we appear to have is a partial collapse of the "old" opposition parties, SODELPA to some extent, the  NFP and the Fiji Labour Party almost totally, and the rise of two parties until recently unheard of, Unity Fiji on 11% and Hope on 6%.

In the preferred prime minister poll Bainimarama had 69% of the vote (the same as his Fiji First), SODELPA's Sitiveni Rabuka had 15% and Ro Teimumu 9% (that combined far exceeded their party's 13%) and NFP's Dr Biman Prasad had 2% compared his party's 1%.

Attar Singh scored 1% compared with FLP's 3%, and Tupou Draunidalu scored 6% compared with Hope's 6%.  Nothing much to read into these figures.  

The real surprise is the Unity party preferred leader. His party polled 11% but Savenaca Narube scored only 1%.

My prediction is that Bainimarama and Fiji First will win the election, but if it's close they may need a coalition with Unity or Hope.  If SODELPA could resolve its internal troubles it could win  more than its polled 13%, which is down from 26% in an earlier poll. 

Its drop from favour, however,  is probably as much due to the rise of Unity and Hope -- which may also have taken some support away from FijiFirst. 

The same could be said for the NFP.  I would expect its election vote to be higher than the polled 1%, but this will depend on how many of its potential voters choose Unity, Hope and FLP.

Watch this space. 
ACW.

 NOTE
The three polls postings are 
#1. Why are polls so inaccurate? Pn24
#2.Comparing three sample polling methods Pn25
#3. Poll results and their commentators. Pn26
Write their Posting note (Pn) number in "Search this blog" near the top of the sidebar to read or make a note of the Pn to read later.

Worst Cyclone on Record in Southern Hemisphere Lashes Fiji

Pn9.
STATEMENT FROM THE PRIME MINISTER (21/2/16)

My fellow Fijians,

Yesterday, Tropical Cyclone Winston – the most devastating storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere -- reached our shores. The damage has been widespread. Homes have been destroyed, many low-lying areas have flooded and many people have been left stunned and confused about what to do.

In the aftermath of this great tragedy, many are without power and full access to water, and are cut off from communication. My Government is working overtime to repair the damage that has been caused and restore these essential services to our people. In the task of recovery and rebuilding, our public utilities, Government agencies and the private sector are working to re-establish our communications, and bring back access to power and water throughout our islands. Particular emphasis will be placed on re-connecting our Eastern Division to our national grid so we can urgently assess and address the damage in our maritime regions.

We are also working hard to keep the Fijian people as updated as possible on the restoration process. In some cases, the electric power has been intentionally cut off in order to prevent more severe damage. When we are able, we will provide timelines for the return of water and power so that people can plan in the short-term for how best to care for themselves. 

While this work is being completed, the curfew will remain in effect until 5:30 am today (tomorrow). The curfew has been imposed to protect lives and property, and it is vital that everyone respect the curfew—for your safety and the safety of your loved ones. Please disregard any reports that the curfew has been lifted. The Department of Information is the only authorized and reliable source of information for updates on the curfew.

It is also vital that everyone remain in their homes while Government carries out the important work of repairing and restoring our critical infrastructure. There is still a great deal of debris on our roads and in our communities: Power lines have gone down all over the country, and roofing iron, glass, live electrical wires and other hazardous materials pose serious threats to public safety.

We are working hard to make your streets and communities secure once again, but that will take time, so I ask you for your patience during this time of crisis – especially for those of you in rural and maritime regions.

Fijians who have lost their homes and property have been sheltered in evacuation sites while Government explores how to best care for you over the long term. As was recently announced, schools will be closed for the next week, so many of these buildings can continue to be used as safe havens.

Our roads have, for the most part, not suffered severe damage, and many have already been cleared. However, there is still much work to be done clearing substantial debris from the rest of our roadways, and the Fiji Roads Authority is working with other agencies and volunteers to get all of our roads operational.

Our armed forces and Fiji Police force have also been engaged to assist with rehabilitation, rescue operations and clean-up. They will work alongside other agencies to make sure this work is completed efficiently so that Fijians can return to their normal lives as soon as possible.

In the meantime, I urge every Fijian to stay mindful of your surroundings and stay indoors. There is no telling whether this cyclone is gone for good – so we need to act accordingly. That is why it is important that you adhere to instructions from Government and avoid dangerous situations. 

This is a time of sorrow, but it will also be a time of action. We will stand united in the face of this disaster. Please, if see your neighbor struggling, help if you are able. If you see a dangerous situation, report it. And keep your fellow Fijians in your prayers as we, together, overcome this tragedy.

I know that for those of you who have lost your homes, your livelihoods or are cut-off from essential services, it is hard to imagine a brighter future. But that future will come. We will reclaim what we have lost. I call once again for every Fijian to remain committed to work together during our recovery efforts, follow instructions from Government carefully, and do what you can to keep yourselves out of harm’s way.

Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you. 

PM's New Year Message

Pn7. Bula Vinaka and a very Happy New Year to you all.

As we end the past year and celebrate the coming of 2016, I hope you are all able to take the time to reflect on what we have been able to achieve and focus on the path ahead of us–a path that will take Fiji and all Fijians to even greater levels of success and prosperity.

In 2015, we completed our first full year as a true democracy, and the Fijian people had the opportunity to see their votes and their voices become actions.

2015 was indeed a year of action. It was a year of achievement and it was a year in which Fiji truly came into its own as a model Pacific Island country. 

We witnessed how successful a Government can be when it remains untainted by ethnic considerations and division. How effective it can be when it awards on the basis of merit. How fair it can be when it embraces common and equal citizenry for all Fijians. And how successful the country can be when we focus on growing the economy for the well-being and prosperity for all. These values have led us to become a more unified country, and the world has taken notice.

This year, I had the opportunity to visit the Fijian diaspora around the globe and tell them what we have been able to accomplish as a new Fiji. I let them know that Fiji is back, better than ever before, and that we are open for business.  

The changes that we have implemented were long-awaited by many of our Fijian brothers and sisters overseas -- and it was an emotional time, as we reconciled with many people who were told that Fiji was no longer home for them. They recognised the progress we’ve made, and many committed themselves to walk side by side with us towards an even more prosperous and united future for our country.

As we recapture what we lost, and rebuild relationships with many Fijians who were driven away, we will strengthen our global presence. And with their knowledge and investment, and together with our home-grown talent, we will take our economy to even greater heights. That is why reconnecting with our people living abroad is so important.

My fellow Fijians,

Last year I asked you all to capitalise on our transition into democracy, and I am proud to say we are meeting that challenge every day. In 2015, we built upon our education revolution, we continued to improve and modernise our infrastructure – connecting more and more Fijians to roads, water and electricity - and we logged our sixth consecutive year of economic growth.

Our schools continue to equip our children with new technology in the classroom that will keep our students, and future workforce, competitive on the regional and global stage. Our infrastructure continues to develop, bringing essential services to every corner of the country. Our economy is improving every day, and my Government will remain committed to making sure that the benefits reach every level of our society. All of this was made possible because the vast majority of Fijians are focused on the future, they don’t live in the past, and they don’t want to go back to the politics and ways of the old. They have stood as one people, together, to confront the obstacles that came our way and now step into the future confidently. 

My fellow Fijians,

To strengthen our stand as one modern nation, free from its colonial past and to give ample opportunity to Fijians of all ages, and in particular our youth, to further contribute and consider what symbols most rightly represent our wonderful nation; my Government has decided to further extend the feedback period for designs for the new national flag to 29 February, 2016. The Government has received a number of new submissions since the 23 designs were published earlier this year.

The new time frame will be as follows: From 1^st to the 19^th of March 2016, 5 designs will be chosen, through the PM’s Office, for you all to vote on. Members of the public will have 3 months to vote on the 5 designs through public consultations, social media and text messaging. It is expected that the design with the most votes will be announced on 1 July to be our new national flag. The new national flag will be raised on Constitution Day which is on September 7.

I urge you all to join our pursuit for a flag that represents who we are today, rather than our past and one we can fly proudly into the future.

With that said, my fellow Fijians, our work can’t stop here. There is much that is left to be done, not only to reach our potential in the short-term, but also to pass on better opportunities to our future generations. That means leaving our children and grandchildren a world, and environment, that we can be proud of. 

Recently, I was in Paris at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change advocating a strong deal that addressed the threat climate change poses to our region and demanded real action on the part of developed countries.

At the start of this month, the UN laid out the Paris Agreement. It’s not everything we asked for, but it is still a step in the right direction. But now, more than ever, our commitment will be tested as we continue to fight to make sure the strong words printed on the agreement take the form of real, binding cuts on emissions through the developed world.

I am counting on other small island Leaders to stand fast, as we have in the months leading up to the Conference, and on our development partners to continue collaborating with us as we push forward in mitigating the effects of climate change. By having a national co-ordinated approach, we will mainstream climate change issues to all the Government Ministries and ensure that we are able to source the right levels of financial support and allocations.

My fellow Fijians,

I hope that you have been able to spend quality time with your families and loved ones this holiday season. Families are the backbone of our country, and we must do what we can to protect the sacred bonds of trust that hold our families together. That is why I have committed to using every available opportunity I have to condemn domestic violence and sexual assault that plague our society.

The law punishes these crimes severely, but we need to create a culture that disgraces anyone who even thinks about abusing or assaulting our women and children. And people who commit these atrocities should be mortified to show their faces in our communities and in our society.

When we allow violence to persist in our most private settings, when we have such a fundamental breach of trust, it creates an epidemic of destructive and immoral behaviour that spreads throughout our society, and it is our collective responsibility to prevent that from happening. As Fijians, we should be able to look at ourselves in the mirror and know that we are doing our utmost to protect those who cannot always protect themselves. So, I call on all of you to join me in this mission to ensure that every Fijian woman and child lives a fulfilling life that is free from violence and abuse. 

As we close out 2015, let us, above all, thank God for the many blessings, and let’s resolve to do our best to keep building a better Fiji.

Wherever you are on this New Year’s Day, I wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2016.

Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.

_________________

Fiji's New Diplomacy

Time to Rethink When 'Bad Guy' is King of Pacific
By Graham Davis*

Source: The Australian/PacNews

Australia’s impotence in influencing events in its own back yard is being demonstrated in dramatic fashion this week as Fijian leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama fulfils his long-held ambition to assume the chairmanship of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

All the other Melanesian leaders - from Papua New Guinea, the Solomons, Vanuatu plus the Kanak FLNKS from New Caledonia - are joining him for the group's summit in Suva tomorrow. It's also being attended by representatives from Indonesia, East Timor and - strangely - the European Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The humiliation for Australia and New Zealand comes with the authority Bainimarama will now wield as the leader of a virile regional grouping - backed by the Chinese - that's increasingly regarded as more important than the long-established Pacific Islands Forum.

Sugar and Water, Loan Okay But No More, Inflation Up, Policeman Jailed, PM in Jakarta, Supermarkets Fined

N0306. SUGAR AND WATER. What with the meteoric rise in the price of sugar, due to it being imported from Thailand, and Lautoka and parts of the West being without water for 37 hours,  it's not been good news from Fiji this week. The worst part, for those without water, seems to have been that the Water Authority did not keep them informed of what was happening once their announced original 14 hours shutdown for repairs went on and on. Engineers have been working round the clock to fix the problem.  With luck, water should be back on by now.  The shutdown was to allow work on the upgrade of the Kashmir Reservoir to ensure sufficient pressure to supply areas that had received intermittent supply over the past few years. Eight schools were closed and angry parents, inconvenienced by the shutdown, said the Water Authority should have ensured schools were not affected.

N0307.  USP ECONOMIST ON THE $500m BOND LOAN. The Fiji Times has published another short piece on USP's last week's panel discussion the bond issue. Economist Dr Tiru Jayaraman  thought Fiji wise not to have accepted the IMF terms for a loan because this would have meant the too-early closure of non-viable public enterprises, having a balanced budget, reducing debt levels and operational costs. The global global bond issue had spared Government and the IMF of all these. But the need for reforms is still there, he said, with Fiji needing self-regulation and self-control.

Fiji's total debt is 75.9% of the gross domestic product (as of 2010). Government's expenditure is about 28.5% of the GDP with capital expenses only making up 5.9%. The trade imbalance is about $726million.

The economist advised the country to draw a timeline on the implementation of the reforms, analyze the effectiveness of the first (Qarase) global bond issue, and  independently analyse the Asian Development Bank and IMF loans once projects were completed. He also recommended the strengthening of external debt recording management system.

He said the repayment of the $500m second global bond issue in 2016 should be from Fiji's own foreign exchange reserves and not by another bond issue or an IMF loan. "The second bond should put an end to all bonds," he said. "Second bond should be the mother of all bonds."

N0308. INFLATION ROSE in February to 7.6%, mainly due to the increase in fuel and wheat products and the higher Value Added Tax rate.

N0309. COP JAILED FOR TWO YEARS. A Labasa police officer has  been jailed for two years four months for corrupt conduct, having been found guilty of seven counts of obtaining corrupt benefits in the sum of $307 from a Labasa businessman.

He is the fourth officer to be sacked in the Northern Division over the past week. The other officers were dismissed following convictions for assault.

N0310. PM IN JAKARTA. The PM will open the new Fiji Embassy in Jakarta today. The initiative is part of Government's Look North policy which is intended to reduce it dependence on traditional sources of aid, investment and co-operation such as Australia and New Zealand.

N0311. DIRTY TRICKS.  Three Suva supermarkets, taking advantage of the shortage of sugar, have been fined for forcing customers to buy groceries if they wanted to buy sugar from their shops.

April Fools, the Roadmap and Bainimarama's Speech to the Nation July 1 2009

CHECK OUT WEEKEND READINGS, FRIDAY'S POSTINGS AND THE NEW QUOTE FOR THE WEEK.

N0297. APRIL FOOL.  My April Fool's Day joke on Friday "Breaking News!!!!!!! Bainimarama Regime Toppled" produced opposing responses from readers depending on their sense of humour and political standpoint. They ranged from "Good one, Croz" and "You caught me" to "Not a very funny joke Croz. Nor was it very funny when the elected government was toppled by men with guns in 2006. Please be careful in picking up the ill intentions of other sites to not lose focus.There are plenty of other reports that have proved un true - for example the promise of elections in 2009. The promise of the PER being lifted."  It would seem Anon was disappointed the news was false. But, for the record, the "  promises"  were not rumours. They were announced by Government. Both events have been fully covered in this blog.

And here's  another in similar vein: "If only is was true? What a day of celebration that will be!!"
There's no need to second guess how this person voted in 2001 and 2006 assuming, of course, he lived — and still lives — in Fiji.

N0298. ROADMAP.  Another reader, Enough already, left this comment on the post "Australia's Policy Not Working..."

"I am starting to get a little tired of these constant calls to see the roadmap and repeating the lie that it has not been shared with the Fijian people. Bainimarama went through the broad outlines of the roadmap in a public address to the nation on TV on July 1 2009 in a speech titled "A strategic framework for change". 

"Some may argue that they would like to see more detail, but you cannot say that the roadmap has not been shared with the Fijian people.

N0299. SO HERE IT IS.  Bainimarama's speech on July 9 last year, a few weeks after the Abrogation of the 1997 Constitution, and nothing —absolutely nothing—  about Fiji's intended direction has changed since. Read it here or copy the link below to read it at your leisure. My underlining.

Transcript from Radio Australia.  [My emphases]

Commodore Frank Bainimarama Speech to the Nation  

July 1, 2009 

The following is the full transcript of Fiji's interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama's speech to the nation titled 'A strategic framework for change'

Bula vinaka and a good morning.

My fellow citizens, your Excellencies, members of the diplomatic corp, members of the judiciary, employees, employers, NGOs, ladies and gentlemen.

After the abrogation of the 1997 constitution by his Excellency our president he mandated me and my Government to carry out and continue with the reforms as directed by him in 2007.

The mandate also requires my Government to ensure that true democratic, non-communal, equal suffrage based elections for parliamentary representation are held by September 2014.

From now until September 2014 a number of measures including reforms shall be implemented to give reality to the mandate of His Excellency our President and the Peoples Charter for Peace Change and Progress.

It is also imperative that our citizens, employees, investors, business houses, our trading and development partners, multilateral agencies and the international community at large are fully cognizant of what my Government shall focus on from now until 2014

This morning I appear before you to set out the strategic framework for Fiji and the objectives of my Government until 2014, within the context of the Presidential mandate and the World economy. Today I shall set out the key principles and certain time frames.

McCully's Carrot, Fiji's Response; MSG Meeting Update, Qarase Trial Date

N0275. AUSTRALIA- NZ, WHO'S LEADING WHO?  Hard on the heels of Kevin Rudd's statement that showed there was no change in the Australian government's position on Fiji (that is now even drawing criticism from former supporters such as Jenny Hayward-Jones of the Lowy Institute) comes NZ Foreign Minister McCully's statement that NZ would relax its travel bans against Fiji if the Bainimarama government would give a firm commitment to hold elections in 2014.

It is hard to know whether to take this remark seriously because Fiji has repeatedly said there will be elections in 2014. Their Roadmap, as readers will know because it has been stated often enough on this blog, set 2009-11 aside for physical and institutional infrastructure reforms, followed by constitutional reforms in 2012, electoral reforms in 2013, and elections in 2014, probably in September.

This is the Roadmap that was spelt out to Melanesian leaders at the "Engaging the Pacific" meeting at Natadola last year, and is being updated to Melanesian Spearhead Group officials this week in Suva (see N0277, below).  The Roadmap is based on the eleven pillars of the People's Charter and progress towards achieving the Charter goals is being monitored by the Strategic Framework for Change committee that was the subject of another posting in this blog last week.

There really is no excuse for the Minister not to know that 2014 is a definite date unless he chooses to heed  misleading media reports where Bainimarama has said some villagers are saying his government is so good, they don't want elections. The anti-government blogs and foreign media, bless them all, have put the villagers' words in Bainimarama's mouth and said they are the first signs that the government will renege on the elections. They have also speculated the military will not give up the "cushy" positions they now hold in government. 

The Minister, incredibly, seems to think that being able to attend "the Rugby World Cup would act as a carrot for the Fijian interim government to give a cast-iron assurance in return for lifting the travel ban in time for the Cup." We all know Bainimarama likes his football but it's more than a little condescending and patronising of the Minister to suppose Bainimarama would put a game ahead of what he is trying to do in Fiji.

There does, however, seem to be some change in NZ's position. McCully had previously demanded immediate elections. He now accepts 2014 as the election year. And in accepting this date, he acknowledges that the ban will have to be relaxed soon to allow the Fiji Government to appoint the people it will require to plan for the election. He notes they have "struggled to recruit for senior positions because the ban automatically applied to those people." In doing so, of course, he admits NZ policies have helped to increase the military presence in government, an outcome he presumably did not want.

The Minister said, "There's a point where it's going to be in our (sic!)  interests for them to be able to recruit heads of government departments that are not members of the military; that means at that point you have to look at the sanctions." Note "our" interests. I thought we were acting in Fiji's interests.

As the NZHerald notes "Mr McCully's views on softening sanctions to help Fiji appear at odds with the harder line taken by Australia." The Minister denies his approach is different from Kevin Rudd's. But why not? We are a sovereign nation, capable of our own initiatives. We do not need to follow Australia's lead all the time. And Dr Rudd has been far too preoocupied with Asia to have any firsthand knowledge of what is happening in the Pacific.


For a refreshing Aussie look at Australia and NZ's position, read this link to the Auckland University of Technology's Pacific Media Watch.


N0276. FIJI RESPONDS TO MURRAY McCULLY. Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola says the Fijian government is  committed to holding General Elections in 2014.

“Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has time and again emphasized his commitment to elections timeline in 2014. That timeline remains and nothing has changed as far as government is concerned. Government is committed to ensuring that good and fair election is conducted. What more cast-iron assurance can this be for New Zealand or any other country for that matter.”

“New Zealand just doesn’t want to recognize nor understand that Fiji needs to give its people a fair and just election system that makes up the multiracial country of Fiji.” said Ratu Inoke. He said these things cannot be achieved overnight, and the government has set the time to 2014. -- MOI.

Col. Pio Tikoduadua, permanent secretary to the PM's Office,  echoed Ratu Inoke's remarks by saying
Fiji remains committed to holding elections in 2014 as this is  government’s promise to the people.  Note, to the Fijian people, not to NZ or some other foreign power. He said he found Minister McCully's comments "interesting."

The sticking point, once the date is accepted, will be on how open and inclusive the electoral dialogue will be, and which people and which parties will be allowed to stand for election.  I suspect McCully will want the "old politicans" represented.  I doubt this will be allowed.  They created the conditions that led to the coup.


N0277. MSG FOREIGN MINISTERS WERE BRIEFED on the progress of the implementation of the Strategic Framework for Change this morning. The areas covered were: Good governance (progress on the constitutional, electoral, public service and public sector reforms); Infrastructural developments (progress on land reforms, enhancement of international relations, maintaining macroeconomic stability and raising investment levels); and  socio-cultural programmes (reducing poverty, developing a common national identity, improving health service delivery and social justice). The Strategic Framework is based on the pillars of the People’s Charter to which all Government ministries are working to achieve. PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Don Polye expressed his country’s support for the work being carried out to reform Fiji. -- Based on No.0737/MOI.

N0278.TRADE EXPO AT MSG MEET. Some 24 companies and manufacturers of food products, home furnishing, textiles, footwear, financial services and much more are showing what they can offer the region at the expo that will be open at the Vale Ni Bose complex for the duration of the MSG meeting.Visits by the public are welcome. -- Based on No.0735/MTC.

N0279. QARASE TRIAL. The trial of former PM  Laisenia Qarase and former Fijian Holdings Chairman Sitiveni Weleilakeba for abuse of office  has been set for September 12. They have been charged by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption with ten counts of abuse of office, forgery and issuing forged documents. There will be another pre-trial conference on June 10 when the two men will confirm their availability for the trial.

Fiji 'Playing Politics' at MSG? Pacific Islands Trade, Disabilities, Gays have Human Rights

WEEKEND READING ♦ Allen Lockington Column  ♦ People's Charter  Pillar 4 Public Service Efficiency: for Discussion   ♦ Father Arms Corrects Me on the Charter's Proposed Voting System   
♦ Kevin Rudd Takes His Eye off Pacific Islands

I had hoped to publish " Two Viewpoints on the Alleged Torture of Detainees"   but this will now be deferred for two weeks due to  the Amnesty International NZ CEO being temporarily unavailable. 
 
Photo: A comment on last year's Engaging the Pacific meeting that was held when the MSG meeting was cancelled by then Vanuatu PM Edward Natapei, some say due to Australian pressure.

N0258. SNIPING FROM THE SIDELINES. The  Melanesian Spearhead Group is meeting in Suva this week and next. Last year's meeting was abandoned because the then MSG chairman, Vanuatu PM Edward Natapei, refused to hand over his chairmanship to Fiji whose turn it was to host the meeting. Natapei denies he was influenced by Australia and NZ in his decision. This year, no longer chairman and no longer PM, he tells Radio NZ International that Vanuatu should reconsider its membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group because the MSG is now — and for one brief term only — "chaired by a non-democratically elected government.”

Thank you, RNZI, what would we do without you to keep us informed on what we should think about Fiji? Having obtained Natapei's statement RNZI journalists ferreted out another negative comment on the MSG meeting, this time from Auckland University's (and formerly USP's) Dr Steven Ratuva who is usually not known for negative comments.

Steve warns the MSG not to become "a tool of geopolitics."  He says (or is reported to have said) Fiji's chairmanship of the MSG meeting "consolidates Commodore Bainimarama’s power in his scrap with Australia and New Zealand, and he may feel he’s now the new regional leader to be reckoned with."

“Perhaps in the long run that kind of thinking may be counter productive to the MSG which really needs to be focused more on economics and trade rather than in terms of fighting the political battle. So if [Commodore] Bainimarama uses the MSG as a means by which it can leverage politically then it might not be in the future interests of the MSG.”

But, Steve,  since all politicians play politics (that's what they do), why can't Fiji join the game? Fiji did not kick itself out of the Pacific Islands Forum, or the PACER talks (it wanted to participate). Australia and NZ influenced the Pacific's Forum members to make that political decision. Fiji did not ask the Commonwealth to be excluded from the Delhi Games. Australia and NZ urged the Commonwealth to take that political decision. Fiji did not ask the EU to suspend aid to its sugar industry. Australia and NZ were at it again. And Fiji has not placed travel bans on Australian and NZ sportsmen and women. That's Australia and NZ again. So if Australia and NZ are playing politics, is this also not the "the future interests of the MSG — and the Forum? As the saying goes, "If it's good bad for the goose, it's good bad for the gander."

Perhaps we can now get some worthwhile coverage of the MSG meeting by Radio NZ International — or any other media news source for that matter.  It's not often we get so many Pacific leaders together.  They should merit some mention.


N0259. MSG TRADING PARTNERS. The Director of Trade and Investment at the MSG Secretariat, Mere Falemaka, has told MSG delegates that while there has been an increase in trading among the MSG countries, there's a long way to go before the trade potential is fully realized. She urged all MSG countries to explore areas outside their traditional trading boundaries.

Australia continues to be the Region's biggest trading partner in both imports and exports followed by Asian countries (China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea and others) with whom trade it rapidly increasing. New Zealand comes next.-- based on No:0722/MOI.

N0260. FIRST LADY LAUNCHES DISABILITIES WORKSHOP. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) two-day workshop on empowering the deaf was launched by the First Lady Adi Koila Nailatikau on Thursday. The workshop was by the Fiji Association of the Deaf. The association has received $38,000 funding from the European Union for a one year period. The workshop focused on issues relating to employment and health. -- Based on No:0717/MOI.

N0261. FIJI AGAINST GAY DISCRIMINATION. Fiji joined 84 other countries recently in released a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council in  Geneva on "Ending Acts on Violence and Related Human Rights Violations Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender  Identity." Local NGO, Women's Action for Change director Peni Moore said her organisation was pleased with the action taken by the Government.

"For those of us who've been working in this area for a long time, it gave us great pride to see what the Government has done," said Mrs Moore. She said she was honoured to be a member of one of the first Pacific island countries that was a signatory to the statement.

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said the event stressed a commitment by the US to human rights through dialogue, open discussion and frank conversation, according to a statement yesterday. "Gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights," Mrs Clinton said.

PM on Racism and Elections; Graham Southwick on the EU's 'Never-ending' Story

N247. THE PM ON RACE AND ELECTIONS. Fostering racism should be stamped out so that the country can move forward, the PM told Nakalawaca Villagers in Tailevu last week.

“Na veivakaduiduitaki vakamatatamata e vakadukadukalitaka na noda vanua (Racism corrupts our country).“E kune e loma ni politiki, ka kauta mai na veilecayaki e na noda vanua. E teteva na veimata tamata kei na lotu. E dodonu me vakawabokotaki. E vakataotaka na toso. (It is rife in politics and creates uncertainty among people. Racism is found in religious societies also. It should be stamped out. It affects growth and progress).

He said the People’s Charter was built on removing racial differences.

“This Government wants to remove racial discrimination so that we can live together peacefully. This is the charter — one country and one people. We should learn to love each other and appreciate each other’s race. This is your country and this is your land. No one can take them away from you but what this Government wants is to shape a Fiji every citizen will enjoy living in.We are working on these grounds to pave a way for the 2014 elections.”

He said citizens of this country should elect good politicians for the 2014 elections. “Select politicians who can move the country forward so that we gain prosperity. Don’t just elect anyone. We want a Fiji for everyone.” 

He said the voting age should be dropped to 18 to allow youths to raise their choices and voices in the formation of their government. “Soldiers go to war at the age of 18. They fight and die for our country but they are not given the freedom to have a say in how to run their country.”

“That is why we are working hard to make changes before the elections. This Government is for you the people, but you should also change for the better. Watch what is happening around you; the prices of food you buy, the state of frozen foods in the shops and supermarkets, the cost of hardware prices and so many things. Be alert so that you can also change and move forward."

Bainimarama is the first Prime Minister to visit Nakalawaca and Namara. His next visit will be to Kadavu island to inspect the progress of Government-funded projects and meet the people.

N248. EU'S 'NEVER-ENDING LIST.' Fiji Fish Company head Graham Southwick  says the recent EU audit may pave the way for fish exports to the EU but he wonders whether it’s worth meeting the EU's remaining conditions. The EU still needs to clear fisheries exporters and it’s asked them to fulfill an extensive list of conditions.

“Now they’re talking about having to upgrade not only the factories, they want to upgrade the boats and then they want to upgrade the trucks ... Where is the thing going to end really, upgrading the airport or the aircraft? ...We don’t have any finite list that we can say, ’OK if we do these 10 things that we can go to Europe’. At the moment the list seems to be never-ending.”

Southwick says Fiji exporters have asked for a final list of conditions so that they can work out how much it’ll cost to come up to EU standard.
 
[Sounds a bit like the battle to get Australia to accept NZ apples! All's fair in love and war "free" trade.]

Amnesty Imprecision, Walking Out of Poverty, PM Touring Northern Division, Electronic Voter Registration, Al Jazeera Better

Scroll down for WEEKEND READINGS. See new QUOTE FOR  THE WEEK in the right sidebar.

N0188. THE PROTEST THAT WASN'T. I have no complaint with Amnesty International reporting alleged torture for political reasons.  This is their job, and I support it.  But they should exercise care with what they are told and not inflate the story.

While awaiting their NZ CEO's reply to my enquiry about their sources and steps take to verify what they are told, here is a comment on their latest press release.

Headed "Torture and Detentions in Fiji" (UA:51/11 Index ASA 18/002/2011 Fiji) they report the alleged "detention and torture ... [of] ... seven young men from a settlement outside Suva" and presumed it took place because they were talking about the demonstration (see below) and then went on to say they "feared more people [would] be arrested and subject to torture and ill-treatment in the next few days as the military attempts to prevent plans for a peaceful protest demonstration against the government."

AI tells us "The soldiers warned the young men that they would be killed if they spoke to anyone about their treatment at the camp." Well, they did talk, otherwise we would know nothing about the incident, and the young men are still alive.  No further detentions have followed. And no demonstration took place.

The "peaceful protest demonstration" (AI knew it would be peaceful before it took place!) supposed to have taken place on Saturday was discussed in my blog last week (N0169) under the heading "God, Satan and the Beast."  These were the words of its organizer who also called ethnic Fijians "God's Chosen People." AI said nothing about the rantings of this man.

Apparently, the military were successful in preventing the protest march, no one turned up, not even the seven young men. Last year's attempt by the the Sydney-based organizer to organize a protest march also failed but whether this was a result of intimidation or lack of support, or a bit of both, we do not know.

From the earliest days of the Bainimarama Coup, anti-government elements have been organising phantom marches and protests.  It started with deposed PM Laisenia Qarase who said,  "I believe there will be a peaceful reaction by thousands and thousands in the next few days." That was in December 2006.

AI is right in protesting torture —if it took place— but they should be more precise in their accusations and avoid exaggeration.  They write, "At least ten" [people] have been detained. If they mean they know of ten, they should say so, and not suppose there are others. They mention "at least two politicians" were arrested but they do not even name them. They write of "severe beatings and other forms of torture." What other forms of torture? Only severe beatings were reported by Sam Speight and Apisai Tawake to ABC's Bruce Hill — and Speight denied he'd been beaten with rifle butts.  There was no mention of nail extractions, water boarding, electricity used on genitals.  By leaving the accusation vague, readers are left to ponder what could be worse than a severe beating.

I'd also like to know which " settlement outside Suva." If it was Kalabo, the village was a hotbed of support for the 2000 Speight Coup and a proposed rallying point for Methodists protesting the cancellation of their annual convention. And I wonder whether the youths included —or were influenced by—  Peter Waqavonovono, President of Fiji’s Young People’s Concerned Network, a long-time government opponent. These details are important because they could shed light on why the military took the youth's actions so seriously.

But most of all AI should be more careful of their sources and the dubious cause they unintentionally support.  Otherwise they will be taken as the Mad Hatter holding forth for the March Hare —or, worse still, as the Dormouse. Google Wikipedia if you don't know anything about  these characters in Alice in Wonderland.  The illustration shows the Mad Hatter and the March Hare trying to put the Dormouse in a teapot.

POSTSCRIPT. RadioAustraliaNews reports Australian-based organiser, Suliasi Daunitutu, as saying the demonstration was called off because of a heavy police and military presence at Albert Park. My information is that they were at the nearby Magistrates' Court "because Qaranivalu was being sentenced and his people were assembled there to await the Judge's ruling." Daunitutu numbered the demonstrators  at "about 40 or a little bit over that."

N0189. WORK ON PILLAR 8 OF THE CHARTER. The first of more empowerment workshops organised by Government planned for this year was held at Lami last week. The workshop aimed at enabling people in nearby informal settlements to ‘Stand up and Walk’ and ‘Stand up and Talk’ out of poverty. The five-day workshop was co-sponsored  by the PM's Office Poverty Eradication Unit and the People’s Community Network (PCN).The workshops are aligned to Pillar 8 of the People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress of Reducing Poverty to a Neglible Level by 2015.

One participant said the workshop  "had opened up his mind to social issues that he did not think much about on such as teenage pregnancies, unemployment, glue sniffing and young families who were unemployed." He said he also learnt not to become ‘powerless’ and ‘voiceless’ and to always question ‘why’ things happened in order to get to the root causes of problems. Another said it had helped her to do something about unemployment. -- Based on No.0541/MOI. 

N0190. VANUA LEVU TOUR. The PM will tour the three provinces of Cakaudrove, Bua and Macuata in the Northern Division this week to see progress on Government road and agricultural projects.

N0191. VOTER REGISTRATION will probably be done electronically. Acting Supervisor of Elections, Soro Toutou, said under this system they are confident of having an accurate  database with all the voter information before the 2014 Elections. He said there had been "some shortfalls in the last General Elections which they are addressing."

N0192. CLINTON SAYS AL JAZEERA HAS REAL NEWS  unlike most US media.  I wish they'd take up reporting on Fiji.  Real news in the international media is desperately needed.

Breaking News. Ratu Inoke Sentenced

N0183. Photo: FijiVillage.
Naitasiri high chief Ratu Inoke Takiveikata has just been sentenced to eight years imprisonment by High Court Judge Justice Daniel Goundar after he was convicted of inciting the 2000 mutiny at Queen Elizabeth Barracks. He is not eligible for parole.

Justice Goundar said Ratu Inoke was given the title of Qaranivalu to bring honour upon his people but instead he has brought them nothing but disgrace.  The judge said that by turning the soldiers against their own Commander, eight soldiers were killed, 18 were wounded and two civilians were wounded by stray bullets outside Queen Elizabeth Barracks.

Justice Goundar noted that Ratu Inoke had showed no remorse except for a plea of mercy for hnimself, and that after being released from an earlier successful appeal, he had embarked on another dangerous venture to kill the Commander. He said, “Ratu Inoke, you pose a threat to the public safety and you will continue to be a threat to the safety and welfare of the public at large”.

Concerns about defence evidence
The Judge then raised serious concerns regarding the evidence given by Shane Stevens during the trial.

Justice Goundar said that Stevens who is serving a life sentence for mutiny was obstructive and was in contempt of court while giving evidence. Judge Goundar said that observing Stevens demeanor in court, Stevens expressed anger towards the institution of justice and has shown absolutely no remorse for what he had done.

The Judge has ordered that his ruling in the Ratu Inoke Takiveikata trial and his concerns over Stevens demeanor be handed over to the Commissioner of Prisons for consideration when and if Stevens applies for parole or pardon in the future.

Ratu Inoke will serve his sentence concurrently with the current 7 year term for the charge of conspiracy to assassinate the Commander and others.

All the five assessors and Justice Goundar had earlier found Ratu Inoke guilty of inciting mutiny.