Friday, February 17, 2006

Leaps and Bounds

S.D.L and C.A.M.V merger only provides a bigger target for disgruntled voters who are increasingly getting shortchanged.

Fiji Labour Party and National Alliance Party have a marriage of their own to celebrate.

Meanwhile Fiji's trade imbalance is soaring astronomically yet no political parties had raised the issue in national discourse.

Officials in Fiji Public Service unfortunately have trumpeted hollow progress like the creation of a Weights and Measure website. Yet Fiji does not have a stand alone, Standards Agency to maintain consistent adherence to System International group of units.

Fiji Time Editorial ridicules the proposed grand Fijian coalition.

Bunch of hypocrites
Saturday, February 18, 2006


The haste in which the two Fijian-dominated political parties merged raises many eyebrows.

Too sudden and totally unexpected. This rush into such a major political exercise has caught by surprise even some of the loyal followers of the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua Party and its coalition partner the Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua Party.

They are as confused as everyone else as to the rationale behind the move. It would have been wiser, and they expect this much, that a major consultation process be undertaken by the parties' leaders to seek their views and if necessary take a vote on it.

During traditional ceremonies organized by the parties' leaders to mark the merger, the shocked party faithful were still scratching their heads. Only time will tell how it will affect their loyalty and confidence in their leaders.

And it will be interesting how the merger translates on the ballot paper.

On a more serious yet sad note, the merger indicates yet again how nationalism is alive and well in the Fijian community and is going to have a big influence in the build-up to and during the general elections.

The sensible and responsible citizens who have been praying to see an end to the polarisation of Fijians and Indians during general elections and major political crisis are obviously disappointed.

They see the Fijians starting to band together. The Indians may not be too far behind with the National Federation Party and Fiji Labour Party planning "unity" talks.

After all the colorful talk of moving forward as one people, promoting to the world the concepts of multi-racialism and peaceful co-existence, we see this sorry political development which is against the spirit of the Constitution we accept as our supreme law.

All the public displays of sincerity, goodwill, love-thy-neighbor-as-thyself and togetherness look like coming to naught yet again. We remain a divided and, sad to say, sick society.

The late Pope John Paul II during his one visit was full of praise of this land and its people saying it was "the way the world should be". The words of the famous religious leader rings clearly in our ears today but does not mean much.

It does not help us at all when we have leaders who lack the courage, vision and will to work together themselves and then unite the people in our collective quest for progress, prosperity and peace. We see these leaders pulling apart instead of together because they have their own selfish agendas to think about. They pull the hoods over people's eyes so that they won't see the truth.

A bunch of hypocrites.

Club Em Designs

No comments:

Post a Comment