Lockington's Everyday Fiji ... Life Goes On

 SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL THE WEEKEND READINGS

♦ Allen Lockington's column

♦ A Stock Take on Fiji October 2010

♦ White Media, Brown Aotearoa 

♦ Fiji 'Regional Telecommunications Hub'

♦ Remittances and Island Economies

♦ Australian Parl. Sec, on Pacific Islands Affairs  

♦ Ambassador Thomson's Fiji Day Address at UN Luncheon

— and the long posting on Friday 

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.

Did We Miss Anything?

The Commonwealth Games are progressing  well in New Delhi despite media predicitions. It is sad that the world media pounced on the negatives instead of telling the world all that was good about how the Indian government had prepared for the games. They could have shown some of the stadiums and what was in store for the athletes. Somehow “good news” doesn’t usually sell. The sordid and macabre make better news. However, after all the negative news about facilities not completed and photos of dirty toilets, the games are progressing well.

Beyond the Gibberish, Possible Crusher Sabotage

Commonwealth Gibberish
Opinion
Crosbie Walsh

I don't really know why the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group¹ needed to meet in New York to discuss Fiji over the weekend. It said little and achieved nothing. The CMAG expressed its concern about the "lack of progress made toward the restoration of civilian constitutional democracy in Fiji[and hoped Fiji would take]the necessary steps to enable the restoration of its full participation in the Commonwealth as soon as possible."

Photo: See footnote 3, below.

But Fiji has made it abundantly clear -- for over a year now -- that elections would not be held until 2014, and it has given its reasons. The most that can be hoped for is the lifting of the Public Emergency Regulations, increased civilian involvement in government and more dialogue, with political dialogue starting before 2012. Why didn't CMAG push for this approach?

The CMAG "reaffirmed their solidarity with the people of Fiji." They said they were ready "to assist Fiji in appropriate ways on its path back to constitutional democracy, consistent with Commonwealth values and principles.”  And they reaffirmed the Commonwealth's "continued efforts to engage in constructive dialogue with the Fiji government and other stakeholders, particularly through the Secretary-General’s Special Representative [Sir Paul Reeves], and encouraged such engagement in good faith to continue." Sounds reasonable but there was no moderation of positions since the last time they met.

What does this gobbledygook² mean?
The CMAG thinks the situation in Fiji before the 2006 Coup was an unimpaired democracy. They do not recognize any of the worthwhile policies and actions of the Fiji Government. I do not know what they mean by "solidarity with the people of Fiji." It could mean anything, or nothing. They think an early election is the way to resolve Fiji's deep-seated problems. They will only assist when elections loom. They will not relax sanctions or urge others to do so, even though they are hurting ordinary people in Fiji and making economic recovery more difficult. They will continue to follow the lead of Forum countries,led by Australia and New Zealand. There is absolutely nothing new in their statement. But to assume, as some readers have, that this was a statement separate from that of the EU that also continued its sanctions last week, is, I think, a little naive. All such statements are clearly taking their lead from the Pacific Forum that is taking its lead from Australia and New Zealand. Hear one and you have heard them all.  The only country slightly out of step is the US where Hillary Clinton has signalled she wants fresh engagement with Fiji.³

Beyond Gibberish: What could have been said? 
After acknowledging the "positive" legislation passed in recent months and logistical work being done by the Elections Office, CMAG could have defined more precisely what they mean by "progress" with a proposed timetable (and inducements) for each major step. For example, the immediate lifting of PER, a larger and more representative Strategic Framework for Change office, more civilian representation in Government at all levels, the commencement and conclusion of dialogue on the Constitution and electoral reform, more open discussion in the media about these issues, and finally the elections.

And what could Fiji have done? Fiji could have provided the Roadmap timetable and said that with overseas legal, advisory and  financial assistance --and the lifting or progressive easing of sanctions-- Fiji should be able to bring everything forward six months (and electoral dialogue 12 months).  This would result in  major political dialogue starting late next year -- with public informal discussions earlier -- and the elections being held in late 2013 or early 2014. 

The art of diplomacy is compromise but it takes two to tango.

¹The CMAG comprises Australia, Bangladesh, Ghana (chair), Jamaica, Maldives, Namibia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu.
² Gobbledygook=bureaucratese, a kind of doublespeak. Doublespeak=meaningless speech that consists of nonsense syllables mixed with intelligible words; gibberish.
³ United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told Fiji's Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola that the US wants dialogue and partnership with Fiji.

CRUSH SABOTAGE? With mill boilers at Rarawai, Labasa and Lautoka sugar mills all breaking down within the span of only a few weeks, Permanent Secretary for Sugar Manasa Vaniqi is wondering whether sabotage is involved. He thinks the breakdowns are too common to be a consequence of old machinery.

“We are not blaming anyone but based on the reports that we have been receiving there seems to be a consistent breakdown on that particular area of the boiler. And people are not fixing it. And we are going down to the bottom of that one, the investigation is ongoing and we are waiting for the report.” The mill engineering upgrade programmes are achieving nothing.

Rumours, PER, Commonwealth Games, Chinese & Thai Help, Afforable Housing, Wages

WANT TO COMMENT ON THIS POSTING? THEN PLEASE TYPE A NAME, PSEUDO OR REAL, AT 'NAME/URL.' I'M SORRY BUT ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.

Commentators on NZ Sanctions and Wesleyans please resend, using a name.

See new QUOTE FOR THE WEEK in right sidebar.  Also new link to Fijianatimes.  

DON'T LISTEN TO RUMOURS. "  Don't listen to rumours. They are dangerous."   This was the slogan heard on Singapore radio and TV in the early 1960s when this small country was not yet free of racial tensions, civic unrest, and unfriendly neighbours --  a country then not too different from Fiji now.


In a weekend posting ABC journalist Bruce Hill wrote a humourous but telling article on his recent visit to Fiji where rumour abounds. He was correct in inferring that PER (The Public Emergency Regulations) leaves the field wide open for rumour.

But what he did not say, which is equally true, is that some rumour is deliberately manufactured to create political instability, just as it was in Singapore. I would advocate lifting PER to lessen the influence of such rumours, and leave other public order laws to deal with the "manufacturers."

FOR AND AGAINST THE PER. The weekend post generated much comment. Some readers agreed with Hill. Others thought rumour was  nothing new in  Fiji. I argued that PER should be lifted despite the risks because it would show good faith and win government much needed support from the uncommitted. I thought other laws would contain crime -- and attempts to destabilise government.  Still other readers wanted the PER retained. Here is what one of them wrote:

"Will Bruce Hill take responsibility should the PER be lifted for those who decide overnight to invade my compound or my neighbours' next door - eight-at-a-time wielding knives and masked by balaclavas wholly intent upon havoc? Does he or anyone like him fully realise the reality of the situation that is being confronted? Rumours distort the climate of prevailing uncertainty but a premature lifting of the PER would most likely be a return to opportunistic crime and rent-a-mob.

"So easy to advocate for the easy way out when you are not here and not prey to 'what happens next'. Not unlike democratic elections now underway in Afghanistan. More than premature, one might think? Who has the right to exhort people to vote if doing so will expose them to marauding Taliban? Afghanistan is a war zone, for heaven's sake. Fiji is a 'rumour-mongering zone'.

"The smart people work out a way to disentangle fact from fiction. The rest just sail along with the tide of the latest fantastic fallacy robed in the garb of veracity. How else is one to pass the time until 2014? "

OUT BUT IN THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES. Isoa Damudamu will be part of the English Rugby Sevens team in Delhi next month; other Fijians are likely to be members of other competing teams and -- with the exclusion of the Fiji team--  medals for England, Australia, Samoa and New Zealand seem more assured. It is likely a Fijian (or two) will help them to victory.

CHINESE TO HELP DEVELOP VANUA LEVU. A Chinese government Chinese government initiative, sparked in part by the PM's recent visit to China, resulted in a visit by a team from the Chinese Embassy to Fiji's second largest island Vanua Levu (5½ thousand square kilometers, and half the size of Viti Levu) last week. The visit is expected to result in more Chinese investment in the island. Speaking of the visit, the PM said: "We need infrastructure. We need water. We need electricity. Australia and New Zealand and  America, none of those nations are going to provide that. We know that now because of their policies towards us, so let's forget about these nations." [It need not be an either/or choice, if only the PM  played his cards  closer to his chest.]

THAILAND HELPS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. Fiji and Thailand  are to sign a memorandum of agreement on housing assistance. The new initiatives will involve NGOs,including the People's Community Network (PCN) and new homes at Lagilagi ('squatter') settlement in the Jittu Estate, Suva. [The original article has been corrected.]

MINIMAL OR MINIMUM WAGES? Wages Council chairman Fr Kevin Barr, reacting to concerns by some business leaders who queried the link between wages and poverty, thinking unemployment a more likely cause, said that while there are other factors that contribute to poverty, the level of wages is the key factor. Many full-time workers, he said,  are poor because their wages are below the poverty line, and close to 40% of Fiji's population live below this line. Over a half of full time workers can't afford to send their children to school, they can't afford proper health care and good nutritious food.

He said a fair wage was not whatever wage the worker was persuaded to accept. A just wage was one that  a worker to enable him or her to support the family in their basic requirements of food, clothing, housing, education and health care.

Reeves, McCully, Howard in Fiji, Link to Afghanistan, La Nina Drought

MORE ANONY-MOUSES. Thoughtful comments of all political persuasions are welcome on this blog unlike almost all the anti-government blogs that talk but do not practise free speech. However, despite constant reminders and appeals, some people still refuse to add their real or pseudo-name to comments. If you are one of these people and wonder why your comment has not been published, the reason is that from now on only "very good" interesting anonymous comments will be published. All other anonynous comments will be rejected. Just click the Name/URL button and write your "name."  It's as easy as that and totally confidential.

REEVES MEETS BAINIMARAMA. The Commonwealth's Special Envoy, Sir Paul Reeves, is currently in Fiji to have further meetings and met with the PM yesterday. No further information is presently available. Photo: Sir Paul (centre) at the PIPSA Conference in Auckland earlier this year. Sitiveni Ratuva, far left.

MCCULLY MET KUBUABOLA in Suva on Monday. The NZ Minister was on the way to attend the Pacific Forum Line Meeting in Nadi. Ratu Inoke said they re-visited some of the matters discussed earlier including the easing of travel sanctions, re-engagement with Fiji, and Fiji's determination to carry out the Roadmap reforms and hold elections in 2014.

HOWARD IN DENARAU. Former Australian PM John Howard was in Nadi on Tuesday as a guest speaker at a business conference for Australian and New Zealand small business operators.

WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS, OR CONSPIRACY THEORY? New Zealand is supporting the [Afghan] war to ensure US backing for its own commercial and strategic interests. Wellington wants to safeguard trade talks with the US and, along with Australia, needs Washington’s backing to maintain a dominant role among the small island states of the South West Pacific, in the face of growing Chinese influence in the region.

The death of [NZ soldier] Tim O’Donnell coincided with the annual Pacific Islands Forum in Vanuatu, where the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell, confirmed that tripartite free trade talks would be held between Australia, New Zealand and the US for the first time in decades. The talks were part of negotiations that began earlier this year, to extend an existing P4 trade agreement between New Zealand, Brunei, Chile and Singapore to include the US, Australia, Peru and Vietnam.

Campbell told reporters that the US would seek to “play a substantial role in the economic drama that is playing out in the Asia-Pacific region”. Referring to NZ and US soldiers “serving and dying together” in Afghanistan, Campbell said that there would be “a very deliberate effort on the part of the United States to work more closely with New Zealand as a recognition of the role that New Zealand is playing in global politics”.

It is precisely to retain this US backing that the entire political establishment in New Zealand is committed to keeping troops in Afghanistan, despite broad popular opposition** and the further casualties that will inevitably occur.

** A nationwide poll in May found that 77% of respondents wanting some form of withdrawal. Of these, 40% supported a complete pullout and another 37% favoured the withdrawal of SAS troops. Only 10% wanted all troops to remain and 13% were undecided. -- Based on Tom Peters in World Socialist Web Site.

DROUGHT caused by the onset of La Nina is likely to see the current dry weather pattern continue for the next few weeks. The areas most affected are the sugar cane and cattle farming areas in the North and West.

Progress behind the Scenes, Commonwealth, Solomons, Chinese, Dairy Brucellosis

BALANCED ABC VIDEO ON BAINIMARAMA .  Click here. And another link in case the first one does not work.

KIWIS OUTDO AUSSIES. This from teletext last night: "Prime Minister John Key is due to arrive Vanuatu to help sort out issues in the Pacific." And I accused the Downer's Aussies of arrogance!

QU0TE FOR THE WEEK. The Alan Judd quote (yes, he is a real author) has drawn comment from several readers.  I thought it apt because several people have urged Government to give more urgency to the dialogue process, and because there are inherent dangers when leadership is restricted to so few in number.

PROGRESS BEHIND THE SCENES. Several readers have said the Government is not making fast enough progress in its constitutional and electoral reforms. More dialogue, monitoring and consultations are going on than is realized, and many activities, though mundane, are essential if the Roadmap is to be achieved. And without the Roadmap, constitutional and electoral reforms will not be sustainable.  Here is one example of the mundane:

The Ministry of Urban Development is instructing town councillors about Accrual Accounting,  a system that allows current cash inflows/outflows to be combined with future expected cash inflows/outflows to give a more accurate picture of a council's current financial condition. This will streamline processes and assist stakeholders and the public to better understand council finances. The  approach is in line with the Roadmap as stipulated in Pillar 3 of the Charter  (to ensuring effective, enlightened and accountable leadership) and Pillar 4 (to enhance Public sector efficiency, performance effectiveness and service delivery.) --Based on 2010 No:1162/MOI.

How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?--Shakespeare.

COMMONWEALTH STILL WANTS EARLY ELECTIONS. Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma says the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) doesn’t accept the regime’s purported need for more time to prepare for elections, and continues to hope the Fiji interim Government can be encouraged to return the country to democracy before 2014. [Government says Roadmap first, then elections. The Commonwealth seems to be saying forget the Roadmap; just hold elections. They are talking passed each other.]

FIJI OBSERVES SOLOMON ELECTIONS.  Officials from the Electoral office, Acting Supervisor of Elections, Soro Toutou, and Viliame Vuiyanuca, are  in Honiara today as Solomons Islands go to the polls.  The fact-finding mission will observe voting, be briefed by election officials on the Solomon Islands electoral system and the structure of the Solomon Island Electoral Commission, and observe the counting of votes. The pair is expected to return this Sunday.

ENTICING CHINESE INVESTORS. The Fiji Delegation to the Shanghai expo in China, led by PM Voreqe Bainimarama, will address some 200 prospective Chinese investors tomorrow in attempts to entice them to come to Fiji.

AUCKLAND-SUVA DIRECT. Air Pacific launched its second weekly direct flight between Suva and Auckland yesterday. This follows the re-launch of the weekly Friday service in early July. The service cuts out the need for transfers from Fiji's main airport at Nadi.

DAIRY FARMER LOSSES. Dairy farmers have suffered huge losses since the beginning of the year, says Farmers Association spokesperson Vijendra Prakash.

“We’ve gone through a real real difficult time ... this year. There was hurricane and flooding in the beginning, there’s brucellosis cases spreading in Tailevu region, a lot of cows which were milking cows have been culled. We were supposed to increase milk production by 11%, but we are going down on that line because milking cows were culled due to brucellosis and still that problem is around in Tailevu.”

However Prakash says they are hopeful of increasing milk production in the second half of the year. Is this an area where NZ could offer to help?

Tonga Talks Sense, Downer Talks. Bainimarama on Forum; Rarawai Mill

Dr Feleti Sevele

LISTEN TO RADIO NZ NATIONAL AT 7:20 TONIGHT. PANEL DISCUSSION ON FIJI. http://www.radionz.co.nz/ 

VOICE OF REASON: TONGA WANTS DIALOGUE. In an interview with ABC's Bruce Hill acting as devil's advocate, Tongan PM Dr Feleti Sevele made these important comments:

• Engaging in dialogue was the best way of genuine progress to democracy in Fiji; 
• The Forum wants dialogue; 
• Dialogue does not legitimise the Fiji regime; 
• " The future of Fiji in terms of its government, in terms of its development, of its democracy, is something for the people of Fiji to resolve, not for us from outside of Fiji to determine how we would assist; 
• We would certainly like Fiji to come back and be part of the international community or the Forum according to the governor's rules and policies of the forum.
• "The forum wants to keep the lines of dialogue open and this is also said by Australia and New Zealand. We all believe that. If they need assistance, we should be willing to consider that.
• The alternative is to have no communication with Fiji and I don't think that is a wise course of action in the long run."

SMITH TO ATTEND VILA FORUM. This is good news if it means Australia is taking the Pacific seriously. Panelists at a recent  Lowry Institute meeting chaired by Sean Dorney thought it was not. It is good news if Australia's Foreign Minister heeds Sevele's advice, but it is not good news if Smith does not accept the urgent need for re engagement and new approaches to resolve the Fiji impasse.

And it is very bad news if he adopts the strident policies now advocated by his predecessor Alex Downey who seems obsessed with Australia's  "sphere of influence" and the obligations it brings. "If anything goes wrong in the region, there is an expectation from the outside world that Australia will fix it."

DOWNER's DELUSIONS  OF GRANDEUR: "...this is a test of strength for Australia. To be a really effective country, we have to be able to exercise control over the security environment in our own backyard. If we can't, then the world will mark us down and our status will be diminished. Our influence will decline and our credibility as a leading proponent of good governance and stable and orderly societies will be severely damaged. At the moment, we are looking decidedly weak over the question of Fiji." 

What then follows is a jumbled history of this troublesome nation: Australia's efforts to rebuild democracy; the eccentric commander of its military force; the coups due to ethnic tensions;  the 2006 coup that "was very personal" and had nothing to do with ending corruption. Bainimarama's "real motive ...was being investigated by the police for his alleged role in the murder of two Fijian soldiers at the time of the coup in 2000."   Where have we heard that before?

SO WHAT DOES DOWNER ADVOCATE?  "Find policies which will encourage Fijians to force their dictator out of office; ... use its relationships with other South Pacific governments to ramp up the pressure...announce "retaliatory measures (for Sarah Robert's expulsion); lobby other South Pacific countries to take steps to put substantial pressure on the Fiji government; enlist other countries in the region to join Australia's sanctions against Fiji, deny any members of the regime any access to countries in the South Pacific.

"The message the Australian Government is sending out to the international community is a simple one: Australia does not have the diplomatic power to do anything about the situation in Fiji.

"That is a disaster. It is not only bad news for the ordinary people of Fiji who are suffering because of the illegal dictatorship which rules them, but it demonstrates Australia is not able to control the environment within its own sphere of influence. That makes Australia look weak and irrelevant."

If this how a nation defines itself, and I were an Australian, I would be ashamed.

FIJI DEFINITELY NOT TRYING TO UNDERMINE FORUM. Bainimarama said accusations by Australia and New Zealand that Fiji was undermining the Forum with the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Plus and then the Engaging Pacific Leaders meeting, was wrong. He said Fiji was more concerned about discussing its future and path back to democracy with regional leaders.

"There was no intention to undermine the Forum. If that is the way Australia saw it, then they are wrong, like they've been wrong from the start about what we doing in Fiji. What we are trying to do is get a Forum together so that we can tell Pacific island leaders what's happening in Fiji and how we intend to deal with it, leading up to elections in 2014."

SUGAR DADDY NEEDED. The  possible closure of the Rarawai Sugar Mill in Ba, which stopped crushing three weeks ago due to its 31 year-old boiler being unable to generate enough steam, provides yet another example of how close to terminal the industry could be.

If Fiji's international friends really care about the long-term economy and daily livelihoods of ordinary people in Fiji, and not just the restricted freedoms of some members of its middle class, they would be helping to marshal international technical and financial assistance from the Commonwealth and EU.

Leaving this until Fiji bows to their unrealistic demands for an immediate "return" to democracy may be more than a whisker too late. Sugar used to be Fiji's major industry, directly employing thousands of people,with downstream effects on  local urban economies in the West and North. If  NZ politicians won't show more understanding of Fiji's situation, they should emigrate to Australia and, as we half-jokingly claim about our emigration losses, help raise the intelligence of both countries.

Short Briefs: Lots of Sanctions, Roadmap and Economy, Censorship

Short Briefs

SANCTIONS OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER

Australia not listening. Solomon Islands Foreign Minister, William Haomae, says Australia is not listening to Pacific Island countries on the timetable for talks on the proposed PACER Plus Free Trade agreement. Fiji is excluded from these talks.                                            Photo. Nick Driano.

Continued EU sanctions  a blow to sugar industry. USP Economics professor Biman Prasad says the continuation of EU sanctions is a major blow to the sugar industry. Fiji would have received some US$84m of EU aid since 2006, almost all of which has now expired leaving only US$38m available for 2010, and even that is now suspended for another six months. The aid, suspended since the Coup, was intended to improve overall efficiency and boost production at the farm level. Prof Prasad said the "the continued withholding of the aid will have a drastic impact."

It is difficult to see how crippling an already ailing major industry on which so many people's livelihood depend will help Fiji in any way.

The Commonwealth has rejected Fiji's appeal to participate in the 2011 Delhi Games, but Commonwealth countries such as Rwanda, Nigeria and Pakisan with a much worse human rights record will participate. There is little doubt  Fiji has Australia and NZ to thank for this. Their supportive voice could have made all the difference. And their sanctions, we are told, hurt ordinary people as little as possible.

By now it must to obvious to the most thick-headed politican that the Bainimarama-government will not voluntarily change tack until its Roadmap is complete.

What then do the sanction-makers want: an uprising!  Or is Fiji merely being used as a warning to other small Pacific states? Surely the Pacific "super powers" are not afraid of losing face if they moderate their stance and urge the international community to do likewise.

A purely logical assessment of the situation would indicate it is much more sensible to assist the Government to achieve its stated objectives as soon as possible, and in being so involved be in a stronger position to see it stays on course?

Current overseas government travel warnings do not help tourism, Fiji's largest industry.   The Australian government urges its citizens to exercise caution, especially in or near Suva, because of the prevalence of crime, targeted especially at expatriates and tourists, and the potential for civil unrest. The New Zealand government says there is some risk, especially in Suva, due to the potential for civil disorder and violence. The US government urges its citizens to consider carefully the risks of a visit to Fiji at this time, and urges them to avoid demonstrations and large crowds. And that's not to mention typhoid in Suva and hurricanes.

The main tourist areas are, of course, nowhere near Suva but even in Suva I am unaware of any increase in crime targeting tourists (the sword sellers continue to plague cruise tourists perhaps, but this is harassement and petty crime, and the City Council is taking action against them). As for civil disorder and demonstrations: this seems to be more wishful thinking than an actual risk?

ROADMAP SEEKS TO DEVELOP THE ECONOMY

I-Taukei involvement.  Government is  encouraging indigenous landowners to become shareholders in businesses, especially hotel development, and any hotel development where i-taukei landowners have a 25% shareholding will be allowed an additional corporate tax holiday.
        
Rice farming needs better infrastructure if it to achieve the State’s target of reducing the $40-million import bill for rice, says Indonesian envoy Aidil Chandra Salim during his tour of the Northern Division. Mr Salim said the Indonesian Government was committed to reviving the rice industry by supplying mechanical aid, technical assistance and training to farmers. Local farmers sent to Indonesia to learn to learn farming practices had doubled their yields.

“Before using our farming system, farmers in Fiji used to produce two to three tonnes per hectare. After using our methods, the yield improved up to seven tonnes per hectare. This is a positive indication,” he said.

The Super Yacht industry, expected to be a big earner for Fiji, has been  endorsed by Cabinet.

Red Rascal potatoes. In its ongoing bid towards food self-sufficiency, Fiji is to import $75,000 worth of NZ Red Rascal seed potatoes for planting in the Western  Division.  Potato imports currently cost the country $19m a year.

A million trees. Environment Minister, Colonel Samuela Saumatua   says
Fiji is to embark on a campaign to plant a million trees as part of a national campaign to mark the ‘Year of Biodiversity’ declared by the United Nations Conventions on Biological Diversity.

RBF gives profit to Government. The Reserve Bank has given the government $39,247,000 which is its entire profit of $16,600,000 for the financial year ended 31st December 2009 and $22,647,000 representing one-fifth of the balance of the Revaluation Reserve Account. The prevailing weak economic conditions and tight fiscal position decided the Bank  not to add to General Reserves.The transfer to Government in 2009 for the 2008 financial year was $33,000,031. FRB Governor Sada Reddy said that the 2009 financial performance was much better than the Bank's budget estimates and was greatly assisted by improvements in the level of foreign reserves which for the first time exceed $1 billion, almost twice the level of a year ago.

Fiji’s Consumer Council is  lobbying for the United Nations to translate consumer rights into a genuine and solid commitment under the UN umbrella of rights and protection.

CENSORSHIP AND NO CENSORSHIP

Anti-government blog. Government attempts to close down the anti-government blog Fiji Today have been only partly successful. The blog is reported to have re-opened under new management.

Suva-based Pacific Island News Association (PINA) and PacNews  says the technical problems are responsible for members and users being unable to access their services, not government blocking their website and wire service as some people have speculated.

Short Briefs Wed 24.2.2010

New Feature. Letters to the Editor.  Scroll down.
Support the Readership Drive. See left column.
(o) Bainimarama considers full withdrawal 

from Commonwealth

In what can only be described as inappropriate and poorly timed diplomacy, unfortunately  too often a hallmark of the Fiji government, PM Bainimarama has said  Fiji will consider a full withdrawal from the Commonwealth if the association of countries continue to harass and meddle in attempts to move the nation forward.

This statement could usefully have been hinted at to someone like NZ Foreign Minister Murray McCully. It should  not be publically mused over where those advising McCully and other foreign ministers will probably -- and wrongly --  write it off as bluff or bravado, just as 20 years ago no one thought royalist Fiji would declare itself a republic.

I have no problem with the PM's reasons, just his announcement and its timing. He's spot on in his assessment of the Commonwealth position. The organization has listened too much to Australia and New Zealand and too little to Fiji. It lumped Fiji in with Zimbabwe, and seemed unable to understand or listen to Fiji’s aspirations, posing the same questions over and over again about the "return to democracy."  In turn, Bainimarama stated over and over again what needs to be done before it conducts a democratic election. Government, said Bainimarama, will complete the reforms started, and fulfill their mandate to put in place a new Constitution before elections in 2014.

Why can't the Commonwealth and Fiji's foreign friends live with that, and help Fiji keep on track towards 2014?

(+) PNG Supports Fiji, Melanesian Spearhead Group. Papua New Guinea government has reaffirmed its support for Fiji,  will continued support during the challenging phase in Fiji's history, continue to closely engage with Fiji in dialogue about the status of reforms being undertaken. PNG Foreign Minister Sam Abal acknowledged the progress so far, and will assistand reassured that PNG remained ready to assist where it could, particularly with preparations for elections. The next Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders summit will be hosted in Fiji in July when PM Bainimarama will take over its chairmanship.

(+) Nailatikau visits Naboro. Fiji President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau toured the Naboro Prison yesterday and said  he was impressed with the changes taking place within the Fiji Prisons and Corrections service, most especially the spiritual and other rehabilitation programmes. About a hundred minimum and medium prisons prisoners welcomed the President.

(+) Taiwanese experts help train prison inmates. Taiwanese technical mission experts based Sigatoka are training inmates at Naboro, Lautoka and Ba prisons "the best agriculture and aquaculture practices."Since 2009 the experts haveconducted two-week training for 15 groups of 15 inmates. Link.


(o) Australian aid has failed to develop local capacity in the Pacific overseas "experts"  are keeping Pacific Islanders out of jobs: Helen Hughes.

(-) UK Methodists recently engaged in day of prayer and fasting for Fiji. Their website claimed the Fijian (sic!) Church is under increasing pressure from the country’s government. It has been forced to cancel its annual Conference and choir festivals until 2014, and local districts and circuits are also having their activities restricted, with administrative meetings banned. Further, its Standing Committee has been charged with breaking the Emergency Regulations and some ministers have been charged with spying on government.


(+) Corruption again? The Ministry of Provincial Development has suspended several officers after an audit on its housing assistance scheme revealed that a portion of the $2.5million contributed by rural dwellers was missing. Link. A Fiji Times editorial has  applauded the suspension.

Snippets: Customs, Land, Lawyer, Judiciary, Rabuka, Kadavu, Media and Crime Decrees, Commonwealth Games, Rugby Coach, Blood

 (+) Customs Co-operation. One area where Australia and New Zealand should co-operate with Fiji is with customs control. But Fiji's Acting Revenue and Customs Board Chairman  LtCol Pio Tikoduadua  says this is not the case.
     Tikoduadua said the Oceania Customs Organization has 23 members and as part of this Organisation, Australia and New Zealand should be more open as Fiji's stringent border control measures will also be beneficial to them.


(o) Idle Land. The Native Land Trust Board has revealed that over 3,000 land leases, given to grow sugar are now lying idle. According to the blog FijiToday this represents about 180,000 hectares.

NLTB General Manager the Alipate Qetaki says the sugar industry's failure to obtain the 4 million tons of cane required by the sugar mills is not due to lack of acess to land. Many leasees are old people unable to look after the land which now serves as their residence only. Qetaki says that to resolve the problem, all stakeholders such as Fiji Sugar Corporation, NLTB and Government must work together.
     [One might add that many leasees, who migh otherwise work the land,  feel their leases and their future in Fiji are insecure. Many have already left the country. Government is working on ways to increase leasee security and get more lease money to the mataqali owners ofland, and less to the chiefs and the NLTB. This is part of the Roadmap.]

(+) Lawyer Struck from Roll  Suva lawyer Abhay Singh has been disbarred from the legal profession and ordered to pay $1,000 fine. He was charged with breaching the Legal Practitioners Decree – through professional misconduct, following complaints from the public. One of the charges was that he pressured a client to transfer a parcel of land to him in payment of the balance of fees. Another was that he acted for multiple parties in a sale and purchase agreement for a land - in return for the transfer of a taxi permit to the land vendor. Ending such practices by some members of the legal profession is part of the Roadmap.

(o-) The Cancellation of Sitiveni Rabuka’s Pension Some years ago this may have been justifiable. Rabuka started the "coup culture" in his 1987 Coup, and although his record has left some questions about his sincerity (there were rumours of his involvement in and immediately after the Speight Coup in 2000), his overall record as PM up to 1999 and his offers to assist the Bainimarama Government have been reconciliatory and, at least on the surface, helpful.
     I presume Government has heard rumours that Rabuka has made anti-Government statements in public and this could be the reason his persion was cancelled. Whether true or false, and whatever the rights or wrongs of this particular case, I think the pension cancellation sends the wrong message. Government needs to be seen as conciliatory and moving towards dialogue across the political divide. If the public think the action unfair, it will be seen as petty and vindictive. 

(+) Chiefs on the island of Kadavu have expressed support for Government and asked Bainimarama to carry on beyond 2014 if necessary.The chiefs told the PM the whole of Kadavu supports his leadership as they have witnessed first hand developments they have never seen in the past 40 to 50 years.

(-) Media organization Pacific Freedom Forum has said the Media Decree discussions will be "meaningless" if the Fiji Times and Fiji Television are not represented. I found their argument unpersuasive and and unneceesily provocative, but I agree the mainstream media should be represented. The more Government moves are seen as inclusive, the more support it will win, in Fiji and overseas -- and inclusiveness means inclusion of all all major viewpoints. If only those who totally agree with Government are included, it is talking to itself!
     See also RNZI news in which Bainimarama says irresponsible journalism over many years "promoting certain political ideologies and philosophies [has] contributed to the nation’s social and political unrest [causing] disunity and upheaval."


(o) High hopes of Fiji Competing in Commonwealth Games
This is one area where Australia and New Zealand could ask the Commonwealth to think again. Fiji's exclusion only adds to all the other exclusions, and this one only hurts sports men and women.

(+) New Crime Decree Will Assist Fight against Sexual Abuse

(o-) The Truly Pro-Democracy NGO Citizen's Constitutional Forum has released a statement calling on Government to ensure a truly independent judiciary amid concerns this has not alway been so. This blog supports them not just because a judiciary should be independent but because Government must, increasingly, be seen to "do the right thing." It has more to lose than gain by not doing so.

(o) Rugby Coach Sale Sorovaki, well known in Manawatu rugby circles, would like to return to NZ to finish his coaching certificate. but there are problems ...

Fiji Appeals for Blood. Local readers please help. Click heading to view details.

Snippets: Sanctions, Roadmap (Housing, Education, Rural Dev.), Forum, Commonwealth, PACER, Air Fiji

The Freeze is Not Working, So What About a Thaw?
Gleeful that Australian tourism is "up 27 per cent" despite Canberra's harsh rhetoric against the regime in which he serves as Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, is urging the Rudd Government to back down on Fiji. 

"In the earlier Fiji coups they left themselves room to move. They condemned the takeovers, but they kept talking," Sayed-Khaiyum said. "Now they refuse to visit the Prime Minister and they only entertain people opposed to the regime and, like New Zealand, they fund various NGOs to be their proxies. In past coups judges were locked up and MPs were taken hostage and the governments operated by decree, but full diplomatic relations continued and there was no suspension from the South Pacific Forum. Read Paul McGeough in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Government's New Housing Plan: 1. Part of the "Roadmap"
USP Economics professor Biman Prasad has commended Government's new housing plan that will for the first time see collaboration with the private sector and banks. The plan will give up to $10,000 to first homeowners who are able to put down a 20 percent deposit. At an average cost of $100,000 a house the scheme will benefit 1,000 families, and put $100 million into the economy. Prasad called it a "smart way to help the low to middle income group buy houses,and increase economic activity in the construction industry which has suffered badly since the coup in 2006."

Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) Director Hassan Khan in also commending the plan urged possible applicants to seek independent advice and guidance on housing and not be exploited. "The business sector, too, need to help by keeping the hardware prices affordable,"he said. Read more

New NGO Helps Rural Children:  2.  Part of the "Roadmap"
FENC, the Foundation for the Education of Needy Children, will help needy rural children with meals, tuiton fees, stationery and other education expenses. Co-ordinator Irshad Ali said many children in the interior and the northern parts of Fiji walked long distances to school.

FENC was formed with support from overseas Fijians and a $200,000 grant from Government that is trying to encourage more volunteerism in society. The NGO will work closely with social groups, government and the private sector. The "scholarships" will be closely monitored. The NGO will be counselling and teaching microfinance skills.Chairperson Lorraine Tevi said the NGO seeks to "encourage the spirit of volunteerism in Fiji where people come forward to help us." A survey was being done to find the poorest of the poor in the country, and the awards would be made before schools resume next year. Full story. Government's involvement in this new venture follows on from its free school bus and subsidized lunches schmes that mainly help urban children. Click here for further initiatives.

Government Promotes Rural Participation: 3. Part of the "Roadmap"
In an attempt to promote rural community and resource owners' participation in Fiji's economic development, the government has approved the formulation of policy guidelines for the assistance provided under its subsidy program for fisheries and forest sectors. Full  story. 
 

Fiji Opposes Forum Climate Change Policy
Fiji will oppose the climate change stance adopted by Australia and the Pacific Island Forum at Copenhagen this week. It will instead  align itself with the Association Of Small Island States (AOSIS). Together with a number of environmental groups and NGOs Fiji believes the Forum stance, led by Australia, "dilute the Pacific’s concerns"  about emission levels. Full story.

 Fiji May Appeal Games Decision
Fiji is expected to lodge an appeal against its exclusion from the 2010 Commonwealth Games with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Read report one.  Read report two. 

Suspended Fiji Trying to Protect its PACER Interests
Fiji has not ruled out moving for the suspension of a key trade deal if signatories to it do not respond in good faith to its stated intention to suspend Part 2 of the Agreement. Full  story.

Air Fiji to Close
After months of uncertainty, Air Fiji Limited is being closed down permanently as theowners, the Tuvalu Government, is unable to raise some $10 million to revive the airline company.Full  story.

Snippets: 2000 Coup, Commonwealth, Crimes Decree, SMH, Ringing Frank, FEA, Xmas Tree

Looking Back: Speight’s psychological warfare
"Every day, the rumours were deliberately planted by Speight’s psychological warfare machine, targeted at the military as well as civilians, as a means of inciting violence, psychological control and inducing submission. These were reinforced by Speight’s daily interviews, news of burning, violence and theft and reporting of happenings in Parliament where the hostages (members of the ruling party) were still being held. The Fijian radio stations repeatedly played nationalistic speeches by nationalist leaders and sermons by Methodist church leaders ...."

If you want to know more about the racism and shady characters behind the 2000 Speight coup read  Dr Steven Ratuva's review of State of Suffering: Political Violence and Community Survival in Fiji by Auckland University anthropologist Susanna Trnka. Better still, read the book.

What a funny Commonwealth we live in

Rwanda with no prior Commonwealth connections but 800,000 genocide deaths to account for and ongoing human rights abuses is admitted because it has "made progress", while Fiji with Commonwealth links forged in war remains suspended -- and denied entry to the Commonwealth Games. Its human rights record: four deaths attributed to the coup, some temporary dententions and restrictions on media freedom. The only new comment from Commonwealth leaders was that the situation had "deteriorated." At the level on which their attention is fixed ("ongoing restrictions on human rights including freedom of speech and assembly"), this is probably true. Sadly, some Commonwealth leaders fail to see that it has been their policies of exclusion that have helped to make things worse. The responsibility does not lie entirely with Fiji.  And Fiji cannot, even with the wildest stretches of imagination, be compared to Rwanda! Apparently, Malaysia lobbied for Fiji's inclusion in the Games.

The soon-to-be-announded sinister Crimes Decree
Victims of Internet crimes committed in Fiji now have access to legal resources with the institution of a new Decree introducing new charges. Full story.Ratu Epeli comments on its significance for human trafficking. There's no doubt this new decree will soon be labelled sinister.

The Sydney Morning Herald ...

has been giving Fiji some attention recently. Almost all comment is hostile and only as well informed as you may expect from visiting journalists but they're worth a quick look. One reader wrote: "Don’t those journalists understand that the reason why Fiji is like it is, is because of the poor governance of past governments for the past twenty years? Watch the video. Those squatter settlements did not spring up overnight – they have been there for decades."

"Fiji's Squatter Settlements" Kate Geraghty
"An unholy alliance of Church and State", Paul McGeough

"Fear and Loathing in Fiji", Paul McGeough
"The quixotic shades of Bainimarama" ,Paul McGeough

"In Paradise Lost, where dissent fears to tread" Paul McGeough & Kate Geraghty

And for good measure, in Green Left, hear what Brij Lal has to say about the military being intent on holding on to power.

Why don't you give Frank a ring?
I wonder how many other Prime Ministers offer this service. Any complaints about the civil service, just text message Frank on your cellphone. The number's 01. One of two specially assigned officers will reply, and often Frank will attend to it himself. Come on Kevin and John, you're not going to let a dictator beat you at this. Full story.

FEA and Niranjan
I've heard someting about  $2 million the Fiji Electricity Authority had to pay Niranjans for four defunct HIAB Trucks. If true, is it corruption, incompetence, or what? And why has Government said nothing? 

Muslim lights Fiji’s biggest Christmas tree 

Imported by Digicel, taking three weeks to set up in Ratu Sukuna Park, Suva, and measuring over 12 metres, the giant Christmas tree was lit (turned on) by A-G Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. The Conservatorium of Music will be performing Christmas carols at the park every Thursday and Friday until the end of December.

2010 Budget. I will have something on the 2010 Budget later, when I get this Auckland PIPSA paper out of the way.

"Not Going to Waste Time" Bainimarama

Fiji won't be "wasting time" seeking readmission to the Forum or Commonwealth, says PM, but he was sad Fiji athletes would miss out. Click FBCL - News here.

(o+) Commonwealth Games Federation Bans Fiji But ...

The news that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has banned Fiji from the 2010 Games in New Delhi shows there are always several ways to interpret news events.  Here are some:

Fiji is only the second country in the history of the Games to be banned. Nigeria was the first. Fiji's misdemeanors, therefore, must be judged worse than those of all 71 member countries and territories.  Or perhaps the Commonwealth is less concerned about countries that "legally" breach human rights so long as they hold elections however fake the results. Or perhaps it's just a question of size and influence in which Fiji has no chance against the advocacy of Australia and New Zealand. Or perhaps earlier actions -- by Australia, NZ, the Forum countries, PACER, the Commonwealth Heads of Government, the EU, aided by their respective media -- had done such a good hatchet job isolating Fiji that the CGF decision was a "given" even before it met. Who knows?


Twist in the Tale
But there's a twist in the tale that also needs interpretation. On the initiative of Mike Fennell, the 74-year old Jamaican who has been president since 1994 (photo, right), the CGF endorsed his "proposal to lead a delegation to the Commonwealth Secretary-General requesting him to take forward to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting a recommendation from us that sport be removed as part of the sanction imposed upon a nation suspended from the Commonwealth.” If this proposal is accepted, which I doubt, Fiji could participate in the New Delhi Games.

(o+) Why UN and Commonwealth Demands Not Good for Fiji

Minor revisions, 28.9.09

It's not been a good last few days for Fiji internationally. PM Bainimarama called on the UN General Assembly for "patience and understanding" but it is doubtful any of the powers that count took any notice. That's what happens to little players on the international stage. He expressed disappointment that Fiji troops had been barred from new UN peacekeeping operations, despite its long "proud record" since 1978.

There was no doubt who he was referring to when he said, “Our people pose no threat to anyone, least of all to the big powers of the South Pacific who have abrogated to themselves the right to dictate to us our future and the way we govern ourselves. In all of this, they have used their extensive diplomatic and financial resources to deny Fiji to participate in new peacekeeping operations."

Not for the first time he said overseas critics had little understanding of the Fiji situation. They still seem "largely unaware of the extent to which politicians, in league with those who employ terror as a tactic to push a racial supremacy and corrupt agenda, had become a threat to the safety and security of our people." He outlined his roadmap to elections in 2014 and again invited “the international community to engage with us, visit our country to see the situation for themselves and to provide practical support and assistance to enable us to implement the reforms”.

And over the weekend Fiji's opponents within the Commonwealth stated they wanted Fiji excluded from next year's Games in Delhi. Bainimarama had written endorsing Commonwealth principles but this was not enough. They wanted "reactivating dialogue with Fiji’s political party leaders, leading to credible elections in the country no later than October 2010." Here are my reasons why I think their demands would not lead to a fairer and more democratic Fiji:

My Comments on Dialogue
I think Government should immediately agree to revive the dialogue process and progressively ease the Public Emergency Regulations, but I do not think it would be helpful to confine dialogue to "Fiji's political party leaders" --or even include them -- unless these parties first reveal how they stand on electoral and constitutional reform and disclose their vision for Fiji.

I continue to wonder why they have not made public their views on constitutional reform, the presidency, the senate, the Great Council of Chiefs, electoral reform, so-called affirmative action and so-called pro-Fijian legislation, public service reform, corruption, land reform, land leases, multi-cultural and multi-lingualism, and poverty alleviation. Dialogue is not just about elections; it's about the Fiji that Can Be.

The Bainimarama Government has stated and shown where it stands on these critical issues. If its opponents would do the same (and why haven't they?) Fiji citizens and foreign observers alike would be able to compare their philosophies and policies with those of the Government. They would also have "promises" they could insist were kept.

My Comments on Elections
Neither do I think it wise to insist on elections in 2010. This would merely allow the "old" essentially race-based parties to re-form, re-group and return to parliament, with absolutely no gains for Fiji. There would be democracy in name only. Race-based policies would return. To retain support, Fijian (and Indo-Fijian) politicians, acting for themselves and their respective elites, would continue to play the "race card" to win electoral support from ordinary Fijians and Indo-Fijians. The basic cause of coups would not have been removed.

It is far too early for elections. Time is needed for new Fijian and Indo-Fijian leaders to emerge, untainted with the racism of their predecessors. Time is need to absorb the lessons of the last three years. Time is needed to reassure the "reserve army" of less educated Fijians that multi-culturalism is no threat to their economic or cultural interests. Time is needed to show that Government's dream of a better and fairer Fiji can work.

Meanwhile, I would like to see Government increase the size of Cabinet to make it more inclusive and representative so that it may be seen as an unelected "Government of National Unity" until elections are held in 2014.

Photo: Fiji Village.

(o+) Is the Tide Turning in Fiji's Favour?

Commonwealth may help but Australia and New Zealand seem to have lost the plot

Rajendra Prasad* writing in IndianNewsLink questions the Commonwealth's suspension of Fiji ("when many of its members are fake democracies where the elites throttle the freedom and rights of their people with reckless disregard for upholding the democratic ideals") but he thinks the Commonwealth has the resources and expertise to help Fiji in restructuring its democracy but first it must more fully understand the situation. The process must not be rushed, as it is vital that people clearly understand the intents and motives for the changes.

Second, it must work on the premise that a new Constitution needs to be formulated and, in so doing, it must accept that a new approach is needed because the previous Constitutions had basic flaws that contributed to Fiji's ongoing political instability.

Fiji, Australia, New Zealand and China

While the Commonwealth seems to be playing a vigorous role, Australia and New Zealand are sitting on their hands as the Chinese are beginning to consolidate in the Pacific. The Pacific will soon be the bastion of Chinese interests and by the time the West comes out of its slumber, China will have the Pacific in its fold.

Read more...

Indeed, historical relations between New Zealand and Australia, going back over a century need to be strengthened. On the present count, Fiji craves for understanding of its dominant neighbours. However, the myopic view taken by leaders of New Zealand and Australia is deeply regretted.

Fiji was an ailing democracy and it was terminal. Revolt against it could not come from its greatest victims – the Indo-Fijians because the odds against them were massive. Even the Army that eventually revolted against its own government were against them.

Surely, New Zealand and Australia could not be so naïve as to be unaware of the vicious campaign of discrimination and marginalisation that had been going on for decades against Indo-Fijians. The fact that it was methodically done under the cover of democracy did not mean that the impiety against Indo-Fijians was justified in anyway.

Neville Gibson, the editor-in-chief of the National Business Review, alluding to Indian Newslink coverage of Fiji (September 1) emphatically said that Fiji would not be the first country to function well without a democratically elected government and called for patience. It seems the tide is gradually turning in Fiji’s favour.

New Zealand and Australia can ignore these signs but at their own peril. -- Based on a story in www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Rajendra Prasad is an Indian Newslink columnist and author of Tears in Paradise. He lives in Auckland. Email: [email protected]

(o) Sir Paul Reeves on his Visit to Fiji

Coupfourpointfive has a useful summary of what Sir Paul said of his Fiji trip after his return to New Zealand.

Fiji: Situation Normal

Comments by the editor of the NZ National Business Review.
NBR Editor's INSIGHT 3/9/2009

Chaudhry's FLP on the Commonwealth Suspension, But Where's the FLP's"Road Map"?

The Fiji Labour Party website reveals something of Mahendra Chaudhry's thinking. He sees Fiji's Commonwealth expulsion as regrettable (but is heartened it will remain engaged in seeking an early return to constitutional rule); largely symbolic (because little technical aid is involved, although Fiji's young people will miss out on the Delhi Games) -- but it does send a "clear message" to Bainimarama to reconvene the President’s Political Dialogue Forum and hold elections by October next year.

In awaiting the arrival of the Commonwealth special representative, Sir Paul Reeves, this week, Chaudhry lists the things the Government needs to do: include the SDL and FLP in discussions; reconvene the PPDF; and re-examine its roadmap.

He has no list of the things his party (and the SDL) need to do. Which is a pity because positive FLP (and SDL) roadmaps just might produce a positive Bainimarama response. The FLP and the SDL need to spell out what they have learnt from the past six years, and what they plan to do to correct the situation that led to Bainimamama's ascendancy and the 2006 Coup.

If they don't, they could find themselves excluded from discussions with Sir Paul, and from the PPDF, and that would not be good for Fiji. Constructive dialogue requires concessions by BOTH sides. Unfortunately, for the moment, Chaudhry's vision of the future seems to be a return to the past. Illustration: FLP logo.

(G) Update: Fiji Values Commonwealth Ties

We had to rely on FijiLive and FijiVillage for this Government release. The same Fiji Times that almost joyously announced Fiji's suspension from the Commonwealth, and so values media freedom, has reverted to its earlier mode of not reporting any Government statement in protest against the Emergency Regulations that censor media releases.

Under the heading C'wealth Can Help Us Break Free FijiLive reports a government spokesman saying Government "believes the Commonwealth can partner with Fiji to resolve its long standing systemic and structural challenges [and help] correct longstanding injustices, inequalities and corruption.”

The spokesman said elections alone will not resolve these problems: democracy must be contextualised within Fijian experience and history. He said Government is looking forward to meeting the team led by Sir Paul Reeves, the special representative of Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, who will be in Fiji next week.

(+) Fiji's Commonwealth Suspension (See Correction)

Unfortunate. Inevitable. Sad. Fiji is fully suspended from the Commonwealth.

This outcome was obvious months ago. Ever since the Commonwealth followed the Forum's lead on insisting on conditions that would not --and could not -- be met if Fiji were to carry out the reforms chartered by the Bainimarama government before elections were held.


One can, of course, see where the Forum and Commonwealth are coming from. They had to react to what they saw as an illegitimate regime imposed by the military. The pity is they could not also see that the regime that was deposed was far from democratic, even though it had the support of most ethnic Fijians. And that the only way to break the cycle of coups, and establish a just and more genuine democracy, was to remove race as the inflammatory accelerant from Fiji politics once and for all. The party leaders, Qarase and Chaudhry, the Commonwealth insist Bainimarama include in dialogue do not want this. Race-based parties and electorates guarantee their re-election. That's why their recent letter to Bainimarama copied the Commonwealth's insistence on inclusive dialogue with no conditions and no determined outcomes, and why the Government will always resist this sort of dialogue with politicians like this.

The situation is anomalous but the irony is not hard to see. Read it slowly. Two democratic, non-racist institutions oppose a military regime -----and so unwittingly continue to extend support for undemocratic, racist politicians----- and so undermine the wobbly efforts of the military regime (sic!) ---- to impose democratic, non-racist political procedures.

One can only hope that Sir Paul Reeves' visit later this month and the probability that talks and some contacts will continue off stage, will ease the pain the Commonwealth's decision will inflict on ordinary people in Fiji.

Meanwhile, massive Commonwealth financial support for the ailing sugar industry remains frozen, and the industry, the country's third largest employer, that also needs major reform, totters close to the edge of collapse. Thousands of ordinary people are affected.

I can only echo Ratu Epeli Ganilau's words: "Hopefully by the time we get to elections in 2014 all these things can come back to normal ... [These are the] sacrifices that have to be faced, in order to achieve what we’ve set out to do. Reforms don’t happen overnight. We’re talking about major reforms to the political process.”

Read the Fiji Times story.

Correction: It is the EU, and not the Commonwealth, that is withholding support for the sugar industry. My apologies. But, just as Australia and NZ influence the Forum, and the Forum the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth influences the UN and the European Union. The "succession" is captured in the old nonsense poem --

Big fleas have little fleas
Upon their backs to bite 'em.
Little fleas have lesser fleas
And so on, ad infinitum.