GCC Goes But Chiefs Remain Crucial to Development

Lemeki Delainukunawa, an ethnic Fijian, please note,  wrote this on March 14th in Facebook's Fiji Economic Forum after the announcement that the Great Council of Chiefs was abolished.

IMHO (In my honest opinion), de-establishing the GCC doesn't mean the chiefs themselves are being removed. The GCC was just a body formed during colonial times for a certain purpose. It has gone past its use by date.

Chiefs themselves will be crucial to Fiji's future development. For example, on issues such as conservation, fight against drugs, crimes, rape, violence against women, etc, etc, chiefs are being engaged by government to lead the fight from the frontline.

A Most Curious Letter: Ro Teimumu to "I Voreqe", Part II

Some readers may think I am giving unnecessary attention to Ro Teimumu's letter and so it might be but I do think it important to understand where she is coming from.  There are so many historical inaccuracies and assumptions presented as facts in her letter that one must conclude she is either deliberately lying or that she actually believes what she is saying. Neither conclusion does her credit but I think she is an honest woman and actually believes what she has written.  This is the way some chiefs must think. Either way, her statements should not remain unanswered.

In Part II we will examine paragraphs 1 to 10 of the 18 paragraphs in Ro Teimumu's letter to the PM. Paragraphs 11 to 18 will be discussed on Wednesday, and ten "major decisions" taken by the GCC of Thursday.

In P1 Ro Teimumu makes three claims: (1) the GCC has always had "a voice in the governance of the nation", (2) chiefs are a "stabilising factor (who have helped) control ethno-nationalism", (3) chiefs have helped "reconciliation in ethnic relations."
Comment. (1) The GCC was established by Sir Arthur Gordon in 1876, two years after Cession, to enable him to rule ethnic Fijians indirectly through the chiefs. They had no say in the governance of "the nation", and the GCC did not exist at the time of Cession. (2) There is evidence to support —and deny— this claim for chiefs and the GCC. It is a mixed record.  (3) The same may be said for this claim.

Ratu Aisea Begs to Differ

This short piece was published before Ro Teimumu's letter to the PM

The Tui Macuata Ratu Aisea Katonivere

"Macuata’s paramount chief, Ratu Aisea Katonivere ... welcomed the abolition [of the Great Council of Chiefs] because it "would see a fair distribution of the vanua’s resources [and] "the return of the chiefs to their genuine roles as protectors of their people. The flow-on effect of this one move, if embraced genuinely and honestly by everyone, would not only save the chiefly system but would reignite the original “mana” that people under these chiefs enjoyed.”

Ratu Aisea recognized the earlier importance of the GCC and "upholds without compromise the traditional roles into which every iTaukei is born and the traditional network of kinship and links they have with the other provinces" but he warned that "these links and traditional roles should never influence universal suffrage of the Fijians."(Fiji News, 17.3.12)

A Most Curious Letter: Ro Teimumu to "I Voreqe", Part I

Ro Teimumu Kepa

                                        Opinion by Crosbie Walsh

Prior to reading Ro Temumu's letter to the Prime Minister on the Great Council of Chiefs I scribbled some question to assist my analysis: What does she want? What are her claims?  What did she not say that should have been said?  What could she have said that might help favourable outcomes?

Briefly, she wants the Great Council of Chiefs restored with its previous powers. She claims the support of the GCC is essential for any viable changes, and for peace and harmony in Fiji. She makes a number of  claims about the past contributions of the GCC. She makes no mention of any GCC shortcomings or need for reform. She offers no new ideas to produce favourable outcomes. And she makes this appeal as Fiji is about the consider a new constitution in which she could be involved and which conceivably could recommend the reinstatement of a modified GCC. Why then did she write this letter? And why now?

Lockington's Everyday Fiji ... Life Goes On

Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.

Hospital Reception Desk

I was at the Lautoka Hospital and saw that many people came in and asked nurses, cleaners and other staff about relatives or friends who had been admitted. Unfortunately, they have no way of telling the visitor about new or old admissions. The people then wander all over the hospital looking and asking and disturbing staff. Why I say disturbing is that they start to insist that the person call the wards and then an employee has to leave his or her work and make a call.

If the hospital had a reception/help desk, everyone coming to the hospital could be directed there to facilitate/inform  visitors about patients or any other thing that they may want to ask.

I have seen people looking distressed because they have come a long way only to find they would not  locate the person they look for. And as for going into the wards, they need to wait till visiting time or plead with the security guards to go in and if the guard is sympathetic, the person wanders from ward to ward looking.

This can be very frustrating to the person and patients and nurses.

A reception desk is the answer.

Paramount Chief Deals the Race Card

NOTE. My piece on Ro Teimumu's letter will be published later in the weekend.  Croz
 

By Graham Davis in Grubsheet

A titanic struggle looms between the old and new orders in Fiji for the hearts and minds of the indigenous majority – the i’taukei. It’s a struggle that will determine the future for all Fiji citizens and on present indications, the portents don’t look good. Because the old order – the i’taukei chiefs – seem determined to make race the centerpiece of their campaign, to mine all the old prejudices that have retarded independent Fiji’s development right from the start.

The evidence for this is an astonishing letter to the self-proclaimed leader of the “New Order” – Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama – from one of the country’s paramount chiefs –Ro Teimumu Kepa – in which she raises the spectre of “racial calamity” in Fiji. The phrase has sent a chill through the ranks of non-indigenous Fijians, which comprise 40 per cent of the population. Because however much Bainimarama assures them of a bright multiracial future, the old racial skeletons are being rattled at the apex of indigenous society.
 

A Simplistic Reduction of MFAT Will Solve Nothing

By Gerald McGhie

Gerald McGhie (r) with Rev Akuila Yabaki

Gerald McGhie is a former career diplomat who served as ambassador to Moscow and Seoul, High Commissioner to Port Moresby and Commissioner in Hong Kong. Now retired, he is a past director of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs and was chairman of the New Zealand chapter of Transparency International.

Background. NZ Foreign Minister Murray McCully has signalled the closure of several overseas posts and other measures as a means of saving money. In this letter to the NZ Herald Gerald McGhie questions the proposal.

A Personal Profile of Professor Wadan Narsey

Crosbie Walsh

7:46pm Apr 9

Rishab, This is an excellent piece on Wadan, if only to dispel the racist notion that all Indo-Fijians are born with spoons in their mouths. It also told me many things about Wadan (and Joan) I did not know. If it is okay with you, I’d like to publish with my Weekend Readings this coming Saturday.
I no longer have Wadan’s email address. If you have it, please pass it on.


Best wishes. You are doing a fine job on Facebook.


Croz

Weekend Reading

• Allen Lockington Column • A Simplictic Reduction of MFAT Will Produce Nothing by Gerald McGhie • Profile of Wadan Narsey • Paramount Chief Deals the Race Card by Graham Davis  • Ro Teimumu's Latest Letter to the PM by Crosbie Walsh

News and Comments Thursday 12 April 2012

FLOOD UPDATE. Some 30 to 40,000 people are still receiving rations and 1800 are still in evacuations centres. Approximately 12,000 have now gone home. Overseas Fjians have formed an organisation, Yaadein Vision International, that has collected around 15,000 tonnes of food rations for flood victims that will be distributed today.

Professor Murray

ELECTIONS: South African Professor of Constitutional and Human Rights Law Christina Murray is the second international member of the five-member Constitutional Commission. The first, who will chair the Commission, was constitutional scholar Professor Yash Ghai.Two Fijian members are Taufa Vakatale, the first female deputy Prime Minister in Fiji, and Dr Satendra Nandan, an academic, writer and former MP. The final Fijian member will be announced shortly.

ELECTIONS: A UN NEEDS ASSESSMENT TEAM arrived in Nadi over the weekend to work on a technical needs assessment for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The team was invited by government.

ELECTIONS: VOTER REGISTRATION  to start next month.

FORMER FNPF HEAD IN COURT. Former general manager and CEO of the Fiji National Provident Fund, Olota Rokovunisei was in court yesterday charged with one count of extortion by Public Servant, Alternative count of abuse of office and one count of abuse of office.

BUA CHIP MILL'S first exports will commence in June. The Wairiki mill has been 15 years in preparation, most delays caused by corruption and false promises by the previous Tropik Woods management. In his opening speech, the PM said the opening of the Wairiki Saw Mill is part of Government’s Look north policy, targeted towards boosting economic growth in the Northern Division and at the same time ensuring that local people are assisted through employment, instead of transporting resources to the Lautoka Chipping Mill in Viti Levu. The mill will employ 150 people.

BUA BAUXITE.The first shipment, to China,  is expected in June.

BUA'S NEW NURSING STATION, on land donated by anonymous "an Indo-Fijian woman," will serve 2000 people.The project will cost around $230,000.

ANONYMOUS has sent a comment (and a reminder) that I have not published that questions my criticism of the Fiji Times. I see no reason to publish his comments when he has not even bothered to read the results on Thakur Ranjit Singh's research on the Fiji Times. When he has done so, I may reconsider my decision. Use "search" and write "Thakur" to read a summary of this research.

FijiToday Still the Most Moderate. Vinaka, Peter

New post on Fiji Today FijiTodays Open Forum Blog Praise where it is due. by fijitoday Praise where it is due. Commissioner Western Commander Joeli Cawaki deserves praise for his actions in the response to the recent floods. I had the privilege to be present when he lost his temper with a collection of government officials that were causing the normal bureaucratic holdup in the aid. He told them to ignore all the rules and concentrate on getting the aid to those who they served. He told them that anyone he found causing an obstruction to the aid would be dealt with severely. While in normal times this might seem overly authoritarian he is operating under a declared emergency so has full control. He has been working long hard hours and looks very ragged  and tired. He is the right man in the right job and deserves our praise and support. Peter Firkin fijitoday | April 9, 2012 at 12:20 pm | Tags: Fiji, flood | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/pp6qP-2wl Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://fijitoday.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/praise-where-it-is-due/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

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PM's Easter Message

EASTER MESSAGE  BY COMMODORE JOSAIA VOREQE BAINIMARAMA

My Fellow Fijians

Easter is a celebration of renewal, manifested by love and compassion for others, which makes this holiday especially meaningful for Fiji this year. Fijians have shown great unity during this past week--just as we did in January--to care for and look after our families, our friends our neighbors - our fellow Fijians.

Our collective unity in the face of national adversity will uphold the meaning of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for humanity as an individual. Our lives too will return, and we shall strive to practice daily the tenets of love and harmony that he espoused.

Indeed, it is also important to acknowledge that Easter is a time to give thanks to those who have sacrificed for us. To those selfless individuals, business houses and non-government organisations that have shown great support for Fiji and flood-affected Fijians, we thank you.

During Easter we pause to celebrate; however, our work continues to rebuild. Our children will soon return to school. Our businesses will all reopen. And all Fijians will work to restore our nation through sharing, compassion and understanding--just as Jesus Christ did.

I extend to all Fijians my deepest prayers for a very blessed Easter.

Lockington's Everyday Fiji ... Life Goes On

Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.

               Illegal Operators

There is a report that says that there is some concern about illegal operators along Valley Road. That question can be answered with another question, Why, are they operating?

We have lots of illegal vans in Lautoka, but we are benefiting. If you took all of them of the road, the travelling public will suffer. The authorities know this but are booking them because they are illegal. And that is the unfortunate part of things. We have to come to some compromise about illegal vans because many of them have been operating for so long that their drivers have become the wage earners for hundreds of families.

If I had my way I would find a way to assist the van drivers so that they can have a licence to carry passengers. There are so many ways to solve the problem.

 Anyway, I love it when the authorities say they are looking into it. How long have they been looking into it?  Watch out for the looking glass syndrome!


Another issue are those “video outlets” – are they illegal or not? If they're illegal then are why are they still operating?When illegal activities are allowed to occur unimpeded, it shows there's is a market and the enforcement of the law is weak.

Disinformation #3. Bainimarama "Fiddles while Rome Burns"

Disinformation #3

FijiToday's stories about helicopters, drunken parties and a hopeless police force. FijiToday stoops to lows more usually associated with Coup4.5.

Disinformation is intentionally false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. It should not be confused with misinformation, information that is unintentionally false.

My first two Disinformation exposures were from Coup4.5. In  #1 a trio of the Chief Justice and the Shameem sisters had met secretly on New Year's Day at the Macau Hotel in Nadi to plan their draft Constitution and the Dialogue procedures.  All three deny the meeting and one sister was overseas at the the time of the alleged meeting. My exposure was published on March 23rd.

PINA Moves On with 'Eakalafi Moala's "Go Forward"

'Eakalafi Moala

This posting comprises Prof David Robie's analysis of the recent Pacific Islands News Association meeting in Fiji and a selection of hyperlinks to papers delivered at the meeting.

Background
PINA is a log established grouping of Pacific journalists. Following the Abrogation of the 1997 Constitution in Fiji, PINA resolved to keep the doors open to the Fiji Government in the hope of maintaining some degree of media freedom. They also accepted the Government's position that freedom does not come without responsibilities, and that part of the Fiji media had abused its freedoms.

Several prominent members disagreed with this position, considering it a sell out on the issue of media freedom. They sought unsuccessfully to have the PINA  office transferred to Samoa and soon afterwards formed PasiMA, the rival Apia-based Pacific Islands Media Association based in Samoa. PasiMA boycotted the PINA meeting.

I now find myself with two former students, Cook Islander Lisa Williams Lahari and veteran media freedom advocate Tongan 'Eakalafi Moala, in the PaciMA camp. I respect, but disagree with, the positions they have taken on Fiji but was pleased that 'Eakalafi, Deputy Chairman of PaciMA,  decided to attend the PINA meeting in a personal capacity, where he called on all Pacific journalists to ""heal and move forward"  thus  demonstrating to me, on a personal level, that he had not forgotten our old school motto Ki he lelei taha, If you read this, 'Eakalafi, vinaka and malo 'aupito. One can best  help shape the future by working on the clay that is in our hands.

It's Time to Build a Stronger State

By Sundarsan  Kant

The story is told, most likely apocryphal of a British Officer who stumbles upon a sati ceremony in a remote Indian village. He hastily descends from his horse and authoritatively warns the group and the widow from proceeding with the act of self immolation. Annoyed at the intrusion of the foreign interloper, the village headman angrily proclaims that in his country the sacrifice of a wife on her husbands pyre is a time honored custom, to which the British Officer replies that in his country it is also a time honored custom to hang any man who burns widows.

This is one of those stories that provide an inexhaustible supply of hermeneutical possibilities, from the civilizing justifications of the imperial project to the layered critiques of European hubris and racism.

One could argue about the problem of selection bias in narratives like these where rare acts such as sati were generalized in order to condemn entire societies as barbaric and primitive. The underlying theme nonetheless seems to suggest a profound clash of cultures, between the traditions of the villagers and the sensibility of the British Officer. The constructivist explanation of the narrative while reasonable is nonetheless inadequate and fails to illuminate the real clash that still reverberates across societies today, including our own in Fiji. The story I argue for the duration of this essay should be understood as an example of competing institutions, as a clash between State and Society or between formal and informal structures of governance.

Happy Easter Everyone

Christianity's most important festival

A dog's best friend: Nadi Floods

WEEKEND READING

Easter Saturday April  7 2012

• Allen Lockington column

•  Bainimarama Fiddles while 'Rome Burns'  

 -- Croz Walsh

• PINA and Moala's 'Go Forward'

 -- David  Robie

• It's Time to Build a Strong State  

 -- Sundarsan Kant

Man-made Elements in Fiji Floods?

From Graham Davis on his blog Grubsheet.

VAT Exemptions Not Good Enough

The announcement (see below) that the PM has lifted duties and VAT on overseas flood relief donations so long as they are channelled thought Government is not good enough.

Duties and VAT should not be charged on ANY donations, local or overseas, for ANY registered charity, not just a one-off for flood relief. Government  claims VAT was imposed on all donations because some people were abusing the system.  The way out is to register all acceptable charity organizations, and businesses and individuals making donations,   and insist on them submitting an annual account of income and expenditure. This is the practice in NZ and, I understand, in many other countries. If this is still not considered secure enough, duties and VAT could be initially charged and then refunded when the necessary documentation is submitted to Customs and the Tax Department. 

Many donors, including Australia and NZ,  would prefer to target their donations to institutions such as St Johns, and NGOs involved in charity work.  This is the way most aid is targeted to Pacific Island nations so they are not making a special case of Fiji.  Why can't they  target their flood donations in the same way?

Government's failure to eliminate all duties and VAT  will inevitably make the pool of money available for flood relief far less than it would otherwise be.

p.s. To clarify matters, VAT was not introduced by the Bainimarama government, only the VAT on donations.

PRIME MINISTER ELIMINATES DUTIES ON OVERSEAS RELIEF SUPPLIES

To facilitate flood relief for Fijians, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama today eliminated duties and VAT on any relief supplies sent from abroad. To qualify, donors will need to channel the relief supplies through the Prime Minister’s Office or the Permanent Secretary for Provincial Development.

For more information, please contact:

 -Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister's Office: 3211273 / (mobile) 9905303, and

 - Permanent Secretary, Provincial Development: 3313400 / (mobile) 9905224

 -ENDS-

News and Comments Monday 2 April 2012

CYCLONE ALERT issued.

THE FLOODS RAISE ISSUES. Three major floods within almost as many months requires a rethink of Fiji's emergency preparedness.  El Nina will come again and global warming will not go away. The short and longer term costs to the economy and, of course, to people's livelihoods, defy description.  In the short term, Fiji's idyllic tourist image will suffer  as Australian and NZ television show returning tourists pleased to have

A bucket, a grog bowl, a smile even in the floods

escaped alive. The sugar industry has again been badly hit and major roads, some recently completed with loan money,  could be severely damaged.

Questions that come to mind involve basic infrastructure, a high priority on Government's Roadmap: Is it sufficient to dredge river beds or are levees also needed? Do some villages need relocation? Should more houses be built on raised foundations? Are road building materials and methods  suitable for the wet tropics? Can emergency services be better coordinated? Why was there such a delay in conveying meteorological warnings? Should all school leavers know the basics of first aid and emergency drills? What should be the role of volunteerism? Should many more army and naval personnel have been involved? Should handling emergencies be the RFMF's main local role?

An emergency like this gives DISMAC and  the military goverment an opportunity to show their talents. How did they measure up?

McCULLY SOUNDS MORE HOPEFUL.From FijiToday and "The Nation". Vinaka, FijiToday but please provide hyperlinks. "New Zealand May Relax Some Sanctions On Fiji. Foreign Minister Murray McCully has set out new terms under which New Zealand might relax some of its sanctions on the Fiji military Government led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama. He said if the Fijians were to request that we should exempt new civilian appointees to the cabinet or to permanent secretary’s roles coming in to replace military people currently occupying those roles,” then we’d certainly consider lifting the sanctions as far as those individuals were concerned.”

Asked what New Zealand’s response would be to Fiji if Commodore Bainimarama restricted politicians like former Prime Minister and indigenous Fijian leader, Laisenia Qarase from standing for election Mr McCully said New Zealand’s repose would be made in collaboration with Australia and other Pacific countries.

“But we certainly would be focused on whether elections are free and fair, can anyone be a candidate?” he said.“Are people going to be able to have freedom of assembly? Is he media going to be free to report what’s going on? All of those factors will determine how we behave and again New Zealand’s tried to be quite constructive and open minded about this. To the extent that positive changes are occurring, we want to encourage them. We want to be part of that process.”

McCully said New Zealand would suspend its judgement on the consultative dialogue taking place within Fiji over the new constitution.“We should be open minded about the possibility that it might be inclusive and that’ll be a good sign.”

MAKE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION A CRIME. TheCitizens' Constitutional Forum has urged the government to make racial discrimination, and vilification on the grounds of religion, a crime. The CCF is also urging government to remove by-laws and institutions which apply to specific sections of the community by ethnicity. It said discriminatory decrees should be substituted with non-discriminatory laws to prevent racial discrimination which is the main cause of political instability in the country. It is also for the removal of race-based voting which criminalises discrimination by ethnicity.

The CCF also urged the government to enshrine a Bill of Rights in the Constitution after consultation with the communities. Yabaki said the engagement with civil society to formulate a plan for community education on the constitution in all ethnic communities is vital. He again urged the government to withdraw the Public Order (Amendment) Decree 2012 and the Media Industry (Development) Decree 2010 to allow for true participation and dialogue during the constitutional review process. -- By Ropate Valemei.

Fiji Live poll to 31.3.12

FIJI REJECTS VOTER REGISTRATION OFFER. The A-G requested aid from Australia and NZ for voter registration.   ANZ said yes and offered $1.8million and now, apparently, the A-G has said "No thanks". This story by ABC was not reported in the Fiji media. Nothing sinister about that  but one would have thought it of interest.  It's not ever day Fiji declines $1.87 million.

WOMEN ARE NOT EQUAL TO MEN. This site is of interest.

WADAN'S LASTEST. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." 

LAND FOR MSG CHANCERIES. Leases for Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and PNG  chanceries were handed over by the PM on Friday. Land has also been allocated to the Frontier de Liberation Nationale Kanaket Socialite of New Caledonia.

OVERSEAS UNIONISTS NEED TO BE BETTER INFORMED. "Global union the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) president Paddy Crumlin has condemned the Fijian military government’s cynical pretence that its seizure of full ownership of the island’s Air Pacific airline is in the national interest." He also expressed concern for the travelling public: "The Bainimarama regime is now waging war on aviation standards. This latest action should be a real concern for the travelling public, ITF aviation workers in the region and airlines generally. The region is now on red alert."

He continued: “The workers of Air Pacific deserve better than to be treated as pawns in Bainimarama’s dangerous games. Neither they nor the wider aviation world are being given any idea of how this will affect either them or the airline itself.”

I don't know who is supplying Mr Crumlin with this information but, for the record, the Government has not seized full ownership (it still owns only 51% of Air Pacific) nor is there any reason to assume the move to reduce Qantas seats on the Air Pacific Board will have any impact on the airline's safety or the workers engaged in the industry.

NEW PACIFIC ANALYSIS  website.

IF YOU'VE MISSED IT, SCROLL DOWN TO WEEKEND READINGS.