Political Spin in Fiji.

Methodist Church of Fiji must rectify the massive log in their own eye, before telling the military about the speck in their eyes.

New S.D.L's only Academic hopeful, Dr. Tupeni Baba is a knowledgeble, yet opportunistic individual whose judgement is severely clouded by lofty ambitions. It apprehensive of Messr Baba to air the dirty laundary that, borders on character assasination of his former acquaintances; especially on his public address debut. Politics does make strange bed-fellows, even in Fiji. Dr Baba may be related to S.D.L spokesman Messr Jale Baba and that family relationship faciltated the selection.

S.D.L's announcement of their political candidates and their flawed racial criteria for the job of Fiji Prime Minister, began on an embarrassing note on Tailevu Chief (George Cakabau's) part, a descendant of Seru Cakabau who engineered the ceeding of Fiji to England in 1870. This situation
only describes the sorry state of affairs which most chiefs find themselves. By straddling both side of the socio-poltical thresshold whilst their electorate remain in the doldrums of social mobility and progress.

At the other end of national dialogue of native land, this case of dis-enfranchised landowners; will breed nationalistic resentment.



Fiji Sun's opinion article by Academic Vijay Naidu outlines Fiji Voter's Manifesto of Demands and the responsibility they have, at the ballot box.

Common issues that face us

By PROFESSOR VIJAY NAIDU

This paper seeks to draw the attention of voters to those common issues that face them as citizens of Fiji. Besides national level concerns there are issues that face particular sections of the community. At the national level political leaders must address five pivotal issues that affect the country’s prospects in the next 5-10 years.

These are: 1. Nation Building:

Since 1987 Fiji has become a very divided country. Politicians have been primarily responsible for this state of affairs. Voters need to examine if candidates and parties have a vision for Fiji. Is this vision based on moving Fiji away from its obsessions with the race of its citizens or is it seeking to further entrenched race and racism in the country. What nation building measures are being suggested? How a strong national identity can be build? Can our enthusiastic support for our sports teams, especially our national rugby 7’s team be translated to strengthening the sense of belonging for every Fiji citizen?
Government’s affirmative action policies, supposedly for the benefit of all indigenous Fijians and Rotumans, appear to have produced an elite group of beneficiaries. Working class and rural Fijians have little to show after 5 years of such programmes. How can the benefits and opportunities be more widely shared? How can the disadvantaged people of all ‘races’ access resources and opportunities?

2. Responding to Globalisation:

As our trade partners comply with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules-both the sugar and garment industries are on the verge of collapsing altogether. Thousands of farmers and workers will lose their livelihoods. What contingency plans do our politicians have? Is there a willingness among politicians to work together in the national interest to save livelihoods and jobs?

What are the opportunities and risks for Fiji in this globalising world? Besides short term labour migration and remittance dependence, what else can the people of Fiji do to better their lot? What is the reform agenda for the country? How will the public sector be made more efficient and accountable? Will there be redundancies and job cuts? Will the system of taxation change?
Are there measures to deal with the rising cost of fossil fuel? Bus and taxi fares and general transportation costs have gone up and will continue to rise. What ideas do our politicians have to lower fuel costs and to promote alternative energy use.

3. Law and order is another major issue for political leaders, as it not only relates to personal security but to business confidence.

At the national level the on-going impasse over the 1997 Constitution between SVT and FLP continues to send negative signals to potential local and foreign investors. The fact that a number of those obviously implicated in the 2000 turmoil have been rewarded with government positions does not augur well for improved governance. The role of the military in pursuing those involved in the mutiny is admirable but the strained relations with government has caused jitters amongst ordinary citizens and gives Fiji an unfavourable image abroad.

Corruption and open abuse of public office appears to be rampant as seen from the Auditor General’s reports. What are the ways in which candidates and their parties envisage tackling these deeply rooted problems? Crimes against decent hard working citizens including seriously violent offences have been a feature of Fiji in recent times. The current police commissioner appears to have stopped the rot in the police force but there remain strong negative perceptions about police competence in the wider community. How policing can be made more effective has to be a central concern. In this regard vulnerable young males who are inclined to turn to breaking the law as a way of life must be identified and given the assistance they need to eschew anti-social behaviour.

4. Employment and Livelihoods -and just returns for labour:

Recent experience has shown that Fiji citizens are desperate for jobs that earn them a decent income. They have taken high risk employment in Iraq. A large number have joined the British army. Still others are working overseas or have migrated in droves. Besides the economic prospects, the main reason for emigration is the sense of insecurity that Indo-Fijians have felt ever since the 1987 military coups. The shortage of freehold land and the insecurity of tenure compound these feelings of insecurity. With only 2000 formal sector jobs each year, between 14000 to 16000 school leavers have no prospects for jobs and meaningful livelihoods. What new ideas do our politicians have to create more jobs and livelihoods? What ideas do they have about ensuring decent wages for workers? More than 60 percent of those who work earn below the national poverty line or around $160 a week. How will the politicians ensure that the hardships faced by our people because Fiji is mainly a low wage economy are addressed?

5. Land tenure and natural resource use:

There are many people, probably more than 65 percent of the population who are landless (most non-indigenous Fiji citizens and indigenous Fijians no longer resident in their province of origin) who would like to have access to land on a more secure basis. The impasse over the ALTA-NLTA debate has severely undermined commercial agriculture. Agriculture is not an attractive livelihood in this day and age and the rural to urban migration has already become a flood. What new ideas have candidates for the coming general election on how best to deal with the chronic land problem? How will they encourage the productive use by landowners of land that was previously under sugar cane? In the national interest what ideas do politicians and political parties have about the better use of our land and natural resources so that the resource rich and cash poor syndrome of such resource owning groups can be addressed?

There are many problems that rural people face besides access to land and other resources and security of tenure. These include transport and communication, market access and improved services. Many rural people in inland areas and outer islands do not have roads and or shipping and flights that connect them with the rest of the country. Elsewhere transport services are irregular and difficult. In many places the public works department has failed to maintain roads and jetties. Bus companies have refused to send their buses in rural routes because of the deteriorated conditions of roads. Market access is critical for them as they tend to be cash poor. There is an urgent need to stop the decline in the quality of rural services and for improvements in school facilities, dispensaries, water supply, electricity and telephone connections, and agricultural extension and banking services.





There is also the issue of the security of farmers in rural areas who are exposed to livestock and produce thefts and threats to their person; a number of farming families have lost their loved ones as a result of robberies leading to homicide. Among urban issues are deteriorating full of pot-hole roads, water and power cuts, garbage and sewerage disposal. Poor urban planning and the huge jump in housing rental and property values are concerns for town and city dwellers. Each urban centre has specific issues relating to services (including safe drinking water) and the environment. Law and order is a problem all over the country but in towns and cities crimes such as mugging, home invasion, violent robberies and burglaries as well as sexual offences are particularly widespread.

Dealing with youth unemployment in urban areas must be a central concern. There are many areas of concern for women which women voters should look out for when voting in the general election.
The extremely small number of women in decision making positions need to be tackled by giving the voters the opportunity to vote for many more women candidates. Are political parties fielding acceptable number of women candidates? Another issue for women relate to educational opportunities. What do politicians say about making more educational opportunities for women? What do they have to say about more employment for women especially at higher levels?

Do they accept the principle of equal pay for equal work? Women’s human rights mean amongst other things their right to own property. How is this right being translated into reality? Have the politicians thought about this? Do domestic violence and sexual abuse feature in the party platform of the parties? What about women’s rights? Are our streets and bush tracks safe for our mothers, sisters, daughters and wives? How can we make these safer?

In Fiji the government provides very little support for families that have children who are between 13-24 who are not in school and are unemployed. Fiji’s prisons are filled largely by those between 18-30 years. In post coup Fiji the number of street children has increased in leaps and bounds. What plans do the political parties have to deal with massive unemployment amongst young people? Are there sufficient places in vocational and post-school institutions to train them so that they can fit into the labour market better or have the skills to engage in self-employment? Do we need to rethink our training programmes for young people -in and out of school? What plans do politicians have to improve the quality of schools for those children and youth in schools? Better facilities from safe drinking water to computer access are issues in most schools. What about school libraries? The quality of teachers and their balanced allocation to rural and urban schools remain issues to be tackled.

For the poor there are many issues around having the resources and opportunities to meet their modest needs. Most of Fiji’s poor are working people who earn less than $160 a week (for a family of 4). Meeting the cost of housing, food, clothing, health care and medicines, education, transport and fulfilling social obligations is very difficult and even impossible. There is absolute poverty in squatter settlements and considerable hardship in rural localities.

A majority of Fiji citizens are in poverty or vulnerable to poverty with incomes below the national poverty line. However it is their votes that will determine which political party or coalition of parties that will rule the country for the next 5 years. There are minorities such as landless mixed race and the Solomoni communities who suffer the highest level of unemployment and are in poverty. Will they be ignored because they do not have the numbers? What plans do politicians have for disable and blind people? What about sexual minorities? Will their human rights be respected and upheld? Fiji is an extremely unequal country. In recent years the rich have got richer and the situation of the poor has worsened. What policies do the political parties have to redistribute wealth and give everyone a fair go?

What are the ideas, if any that politicians and political parties have for improving the quality of life of the majority of Fiji’s people - from the desperately poor to those who are barely coping? The general election is about electing your representatives and deciding who will govern Fiji for the next 5 years. The quality of the representatives and political parties that will win the election will have great significance for the voters’ lives, as they will influence the quality of life that each citizen has. Voting along racial lines may not give you the best leaders.

Vijay Naidu was born and educated in Fiji and the United Kingdom. He obtained his undergraduate and masters qualifications at the University of the South Pacific (USP). He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Sussex in Brighton (Falmer), England. He is currently Professor and Director of Development Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. He is on leave from University of the South Pacific where he has served as Professor and Director of the Centre for Development Studies, Associate Professor/Reader in Sociology, Head of School of Social and Economic Development (SSED), Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) and Acting Vice Chancellor.

Another provocative and insightful Fiji Sun article by Ponipate Ravula (member of a local NGO) juxtaposes a hypothetical situation, of having a popular elected Government with the right leaders, with the right agendas and policies to empower all citizens of Fiji.



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