Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Reflections from the muddy creeks of Fiji Politics.

About time the same standards be applied to every incumbent at every level in corporations in Fiji.
That is the reason why state assets are poorly managed.

What happens in private sector companies are a reflection in the affairs in local and central government.

Fiji Sun Political Editor dissects the amnesty legal framework as proposed by R.T.U Bill.

Fiji's corrupt Attorney General is running out of words to sell this Bill to Fiji citizens. The simple solution offered by Fiji Times Editorial of Wed July 6th 2005 is not an option for him because of Q.B's hidden agenda.


Letter to the Editor F.T Weds July 6th, 2005.

Blowing in the wind

DUBIOUS indicators are emerging as we observe the Attorney-General, Qoriniasi Bale's whirlwind trip around the province to explain the Promotion of Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill 2005.

First, the people attending the briefings are chiefs. Where are the people?

If it's a case of the chiefs deciding for the people what is to be their stand on the Bill, then that cannot be regarded as a democratic process of consulting the individual voters and citizens.

Secondly, there is division reported within the provincial meetings themselves. For example, if the Kadavu Provicial Council has decided to support the Bill, then surely their appointed senator, Jim Ah Koy, is not one of them.

The Senator has cursed the Bill as a device designed in hell. Thirdly, note in the Nadroga/Navosa Provincial Council (FT 30/6) Mr Bale sounded a note of defiance against the views of the international community against the Bill.

American ambassador David Lyon and New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff have expressed grave concern. The International Trade Union has opposed it.

Members of the Diplomatic Corp who seem not to have spoken openly are not actually neutral either, instead these envoys are equally concerned and quietly observing the situation and having spoken to some of them both here and abroad in Europe in the past few weeks, I know they have voiced concern about how this Bill will effect the rule of law and anxious at the extent to which a Prime Minister would so persist in his own folly to pass a Bill so strongly opposed by credible groups and informed citizens in Fiji society.

The European Union, according to Article 11 of the Cotonou Agreement, will not tolerate any violation of human rights and any breach of the rule of law per Fiji Constitution.

Fourthly, Mr Bale at tax payers expenses is seen as one-sided. He is visiting mainly ethnic Fijians thus drumming support for the Bill among Fijians only — the use of the race card all over again.

Finally, an unelected politician as he is, Mr Bale is spending a disproportionate amount of his time away from his office when he should be speeding up the process of implementation of priority Bills as required and seen as priority within the Constitution.

These are the Freedom of Information and the Code of Conduct Bills.

Having these Bills turned into law will encourage citizens to be more informed and be effective whistleblowers and also result in raising ethical standards in government and private sector which are being abused.

These Bills would in turn promote reconciliation, tolerance and unity. Having refused to implement the multi-party provision in the Constitution, the SDL Government has rendered itself unfit to be an instrument of reconciliation.

As the song writer of the swinging Sixties reminded us "The answer my friends is blowing in the wind".

Reverend Akuila D Yabaki
CCF Executive Director

Amnesty Bill

THE SDL government's Amnesty Bill, if passed, will become a double-edged sword capable of cutting on both sides.

This Bill may look like the right thing for this government now but the passing of it will make this government vulnerable, just as previous governments were, to coups and violent and unlawful acts.

Tides change, voters change and political bed-mates and coalitions change. Political power or support is never constant. History, even the history of Fiji, has proven this.

How would the architects of this Amnesty Bill feel if some power hungry lunatic, encouraged by the amnesty clause, perpetrated violent political acts against the same government that passed this Bill?

Would the army, police, the Great Council of Chiefs, the President and judiciary not be obliged to obey and respect this law?

This kind of Bill would not even reach the House of Parliament of any peaceful country on earth.

Rajit Singh
Suva


Taxi permits

I REFER to the article (FT 1/7) which carried criticism of the Fiji Taxi Union by the Lautoka Taxi Union branch secretary Davendra Mudaliar.

Firstly, Mr Mudaliar is not aware of the negative effect it will have on current holders of taxi permits if a freeze on the issuance of taxi permits is not put in place.

Instead of liaising with the Land Transport Authority, the police and the Lautoka City Council to combat all illegal operations in the city, Mr Mudaliar has criticised the Taxi Union.

He has failed to realise how issuing 200 new taxi permits will affect the income and day-to-day operations of taxi companies and licence holders.

I invite Mr Mudaliar to visit Suva's Robertson Road and see how many Lautoka-based taxis are operating Lautoka/Suva return trips on a daily basis and taking away others' share of the cake.

What will happen with 200 more new taxi permits?

As the parent body, the Fiji Taxi Union always does feasibility studies first before any press statements in the interest of all taxi operators in Fiji.

Rishi Ram
General Secretary Fiji Taxi Union

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