(-) Sydney Fijians March Against Bainimarama Government

Sunday's march in Sydney against the Interim Government, organized by the Fiji Democracy and Freedom Movement, attracted a crowd of between "more than 150" (Sydney Morning Herald) and "up to 500" (the FFDM website, under the heading Fiji Democracy Marchers Bring Sydney Traffic to a Standstill.)

Marchers were addressed by Ballu Khan, NZ-resident businessman, Pramod Rae, National Federation Party, and Ted Young, a former minister in the Qarase Government. Marchers urged Australia to put more pressure on Fiji so that it will "return to democracy."

(oB) To-morrow 9th April : Too Many Big Question Marks

Matters seem to be coming to a head  in Fiji, and tomorrow may tell us which way they are heading. 

First, former USP and current ANU academic, Dr Jon Fraenkel, has caste doubts about whether the Interim Government is genuine about holding elections, a view shared by others in and out of Fiji. Events tomorrow may provide an answer to this question.

Second, Bainimarama has put four conditions on the attendance of the SDL, UPP, NFP and the NVTP parties at tomorrow's meeting of political leaders. The Fiji Times says that two of the conditions include "reform of the communal system of voting and not dealing with 'partisan media'." The exclusion of these parties would make the meeting totally unrepresentative.

Third, National Federation Party's Pramod Rae has reminded the Interim Government it has only until May 1 to set the date for an election that must be held by the end of the year, or face "targetted measures" by the PI Forum.  

Fourth, January's PI Forum meeting in Port Moresby* recognized "long-term issues that need to be addressed in Fiji, including ...  independent and inclusive political dialogue; but that such dialogue must be primarily focused on the holding of elections. The dialogue process should not be the cause for further delay in holding elections." 

Fifth, the IG has made it repeatedly clear that it will proceed with the processes leading up to the President's Political Dialogue Forum (which include tomorrow's meeting) and will not be coerced to hold elections before the electoral system has been changed.

So, what do we have?  An IG that insists on political reforms (to abolish race-based electorates) before holding elections; an opposition that stands to lose by those reforms (although some timed compromise may be possible);  a meeting to set the stage for the discussion of these issues (to which the opposition may be excluded); and the PI Forum and several western governments insisting on agreement by all political stakeholders and early elections before reforms -- or else. 

The situation may be further aggravated (the timing could not be worse!) by the decision of the Fiji Court of Appeal on the legitimacy or otherwise of the President's action appointing the Interim Government. The Court's decision, which must anger one or the other party,  is expected tomorrow. If the IG is deemed illegal, and former PM Qarase carries out his promise to advise the President to formally dissolve (the old) Parliament and convene early elections, "all hell could break loose."  Neither party, whatever it may now say, is likely to accept a contrary decision without protest. And this is putting it mildly.

The situation seems headed towards a meeting of the proverbial immovable force with an irresistable object.   We can only (once again) hope, pray and cross our hearts and fingers, that wise heads will prevail and the collision is averted.   -- Crosbie Walsh.

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* Click on "Background Material" in the lefthand column to read the PI Forum Port Moresby communique, and the Biketawa Declaration to which it refers. In part,  the communique  "Called on the Interim Government to take the following actions to demonstrate its commitment to the restoration of parliamentary democracy in Fiji: (i) provide to Forum Leaders a new timetable agreed with all key political stakeholders, specifying in detail the agreed steps to elections and a return to democracy, and the timing for completing them, reflecting a consensus reached through a genuine, open, inclusive dialogue without threats, preconditions, ultimatums or predetermined outcomes; (ii) make a clear commitment that any reforms agreed through political dialogue will be implemented in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Fiji; (iii) undertake and sustain serious and credible election preparations, including allocation of necessary resources to the Office of the Supervisor of Elections, and the prompt preparation of the electoral roll; and (iv) make a renewed commitment that the military will withdraw from civilian politics following such an election, return to barracks, and submit to the authority of the elected civilian government in accordance with the Constitution." 

(G) Statement on Pramod Rae "Leak" by Jone Dakuvula

See my earlier posting "How to Stir the Pot by Pramod Rae"

"The person that has provided information to Fiji Live of the names of those recommended by the Commonwealth and United Nations has dishonoured the specific request from the United Nations Secretary General and the Commonwealth Secretary General (so stated in their letter) that confidentiality must be respected by political parties and stakeholders in the political dialogue process.

It was the National Federation Party spokesman Pramod Rae who first leaked the letter of the United Nations and Commonwealth Secretary General to the media last week claiming he was legally obliged to do so and that it was in the interest of the media to know.

If this type of leakage to the news media of confidential information provided by the United Nations and Commonwealth continues, then political parties should not be surprised if the UN and Commonwealth decide to withdraw as independent mediators.

The person or political party responsible for this will then be responsible for undermining the political dialogue they have been calling for. This concern has been expressed in a letter to Political parties from the Secretariat.

Jone Dakuvula, Co-Ordinator.

POSTSCRIPT. I note the Fiji Times in reporting Mr Dakuvula's comments added the "confidential" names of the nominees. Click here

(o+) How to Stir the Pot by Pramod Rae

Wednesday 11th March. The Fiji Times (11 March 2009) reported ("Police Search Two News Media Offices for Letters") that police have searched FijiTV and FijiTimes offices for letters addressed to the Interim PM. Police wanted to obtain copies of the letters and know how they had been obtained. Earlier the PM said he had not yet received one of the letters. If this were true, someone was tampering with the mail, and passing it on to others to whom it is not addressed, who then made the letters' contents public. Police must respond to accusations of theft or the publication of letters to which an individual or the media has no legal right.

The very same day, Wednesday, relying entirely on what they had been told from Fiji, the International Federation of Journalists condemned police (and by inference Government) action as "harassment of Fiji media". "The search warrants and questioning of Rika appear to be part of a systematic campaign of intimidation against Fiji's media," said IFJ Asia-Pacific director Jacqueline Park in Sydney.

Deeper things may be afoot than the IFJ knows. The whole situation may have been staged. For the IFJ to "cry wolf" every time an office is searched could mean they will not be listened to when it really matters.

Thursday 12th March. The Fiji Times editorial ("Intimidation Tactics") wrote of "a new level of intimidation" and police "heavy-handed tactics [that] do little to repair relationships strained by events of the past two years." They said the "copy seized by police was an unaddressed facsimile signed by representatives of the UN and the Commonwealth" and sent to all parties involved in the UN/Commonwealth discussions , not just the PM.

Also on Thursday. NGO Coalition on Human Rights chairperson, Virisila Buadromo (and the Fiji Women's Rights Movement), complained about "repeated attacks against the freedom of the media".

Friday 13th March ... And the Truth is Revealed. "Yes, We Released Letter, Says NFP" in the Fiji Times. National Federation Party GenSec Pramod Rae announced he was the person who gave the media the UN/Commonwealth letters which led, as he must have known it would, to the police questioning, the condemnation of police action -- and the Interim Government -- by the International Federation of Journalists, further condemnation of assaults on media freedom by the NGO Coalition on Human Rights, and others.

The Fiji Times reports: "He said the NFP felt obligated to identify itself as the source of information that the regime was raving and ranting about for no reason." After allowing the situation to grow and fester for two days? When he could have made an immediate statement and prevented the subsequent sequence of events?

His point that the letter was not a personal letter addressed exclusively to the PM may well be true (and the action of the police, acting properly on a complaint, may therefore have been unwarranted and excessive). But -- and my wording is generous -- his actions (in the use of the media and today's late revelation) were transparently "mischievous". He had achieved his purpose. A less generous person might wish it to come back and bite him!