Back to Square 1.

Fiji Prime Ministers' office C.E.O's belligerent response to the report by published by Fiji Human Rights Commission that condemned the Affirmative Action program, sums up the crooked path for honest reform. It is unquestionable that the S.D.L party and their members in Government, have been actively pursuing vote-buying schemes for their own political advancements; which is far removed from voter's needs or practical applications of nation building.

Fiji's divisive issue of race continues to be manipulated by malice laced politicians who will ride the band wagon of racial splinterism. Fiji voters are more aware of this trend of politicians approaching with them, with the proverbial "cap in hand".

The financial health of the nation of Fiji is in dire straits. Unfortunately the issue of fiscal policy will not be developed into political leverage because there are not many differing perspectives. The stagnant state owned companies get another report highlighting their gross inefficiencies which only adds to the bottom line of Fiji's purse.

Fijian politics laced with old rivalry

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Rivalry among Fijians has been an underlying issue since the 1800s and has continued in Fijian party politics. University of the South Pacific lecturer in History and Politics Doctor Alumita Durutalo made the comment at a lecture on Fijian
party politics on Monday. She said since the early 1960s, politics was a means to express Fijian cultural diversity, liberation from dominant chiefs and the vanua within the matanitu i taukei.

[Durutalo] said a study of Fijian party politics revealed that parties served more than the modern concept of democracy and continued ancient rivalry and dissent.
Many Fijian parties in the 1960s were formed to maintain Fijian hierarchy.
"Politics was most dominant in the eastern and north eastern parts of Fiji. "There was ongoing rivalry between political parties brought about by outside forces such as colonialisation."

Ms Durutalo said in the 1960s, many Fijian parties were more concerned with their chiefly status than upholding the rights of indigenous Fijians. "Then came the Seventies, bringing the electoral system where Fijians had 12 communal and 10 national seats, Indians 12 communal and 10 national seats and general electors three communal and five national seats."
During her research Ms Durutalo met many pioneer politicians including Villiame Savu. "Mr Savu said many Fijians felt their needs and demands would not be met by the Constitution. The seed of Fijian discontent was sown before Fiji became an independent nation." She said during her interviews it was revealed that people believed Sitiveni Rabuka failed because he diverted from a nationalist to a multi-racial politician.

S.I.F.M is quite interested to know the conclusions of the learned professor, Ms. Savu and her recommendations on rectifying the political quagmire in Fiji.

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