Government side of Fiji Parliament.



The recent attempts to pursue two controversial Bills in Parliament so early in its sitting is questioned by the Leader of the Opposition, Mick Beddoes.
Upcoming Bills of similar ilk are the Media Broadcast Bill and the Land Tribunal Bill. Fiji Sun's article sheds light on the matter.

State bid to control broadcasts
By CHARLOTTE PETERS
Fiji Sun.

The broadcast media will come under state control under a Bill to be presented to Parliament. This will be done through a Broadcast Licensing Authority proposed in the Broadcast Licensing Bill now at public consultation stage. The declared objective of the Bill is to establish a fair, transparent system for licensing of broadcasters along with a system for ensuring that licensees operate in the public interest.

The authority consisting of a chairperson and five other members would be charged with the oversight of broadcasting in Fiji. The Minister for Information and Communications will have the power to appoint the members of the authority.

The minister may also remove any member ineligible for appointment to the authority, or who commits a serious breach of any function under this Act, engages in corrupt practices or is no longer able to effectively perform any function under the Act. Members are entitled to allowances determined by the minister. The authority is charged with the oversight of broadcasting in Fiji, consistent with Chapter 4 of the Constitution and with promoting the public interest in the broadcasting sector.

The functions of the authority are in accordance with government policy to be responsible for the issuing of licenses to provide broadcasting services to the public, to oversee the development of the Advertising Code and the Programme Code. The minister will be asked to formulate policies relating to broadcasting, including setting the number of broadcasting services that a broadcaster may operate, give general or specific policy directions in the public interest to the authority and - under the Bill - the authority will b obliged to comply with such directions.

Fiji Government's decline of the request by the E.U funders to include Europa in the naming rights of the new bridge, was labeled by the leader of the opposition as arrogant.

This arrogance may be extended to the respect for international conventions for basic human rights, which are still yet to be enacted in Fiji. In addition to these human rights standards would be the transparency of democracy by legislating Freedom of Information laws. Attaining these basic steps in Governance may in fact facilitate Fiji Government's attempt to seek U.S grants. Ignore them at your own peril.

Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs is seeking an extension of duty-free access to U.S markets currently enjoyed by Fiji Water and Bumble Bee's tuna. These concessions expire this year and Foreign Affairs Minister is quoted in saying "Fiji cannot afford to lose them". This is the extent to which the nation of Fiji as a nation is addicted to aid and foreign goodwill. Fiji is currently treading water in the financial soup, due to the influx of remittances from former Fiji residents.

Glancing at the other end of the spectrum of foreign revenue, F.T.I.B is claiming Billions are in store for the nation in terms of new business based on the applications numbers from foreign investors.



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The Big Picture.

Fiji P.M at Grand Pacific Hotel, known affectionately by Suva locals as the G.P.H.


Fiji Prime Minister launches the 'design concept' of new the Grand Pacific design. Qarase is unnervingly muted on the proposed Lands Tribunal, the Qoliqoli Bill or the "extremist" remarks made earlier in the week, by his Minister for Fijian Affairs Board, Naiqama Lalabalavu.

Fiji village reports that the Vice-President launched the controversial book. The learned V.P's recorded comments(WMA) raised the red-flag over the flawed grounds of condemnation by nationalists, over the launching of Vijay Singh's book titled: "Speaking Out". Apparently the "unvarnished view of things" really points out the source of this nationalistic deluge.


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Fiji Land Tribunals- A Blessing or Curse?

Fiji's Attorney General announces the formation of a native land tribunal into the historic acquisitions and transactions that, fit the bill of unjust proportionality. Added to that, will be the creation of a Qoliqoli Commission for native fishing grounds.
Blogger Heed Heeb attempts to unravel the facts from his point of view on Fiji Land tribunal.

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Fiji Village's Yellow Bucket has also plucked up enough courage to comment on the issue as well. The proposed Qoliqoli Bill, as Yellow Bucket rightly points out has two important components to it.

The legislation demarcates recreational use from the commercial applications of coastal waters within native fishing grounds. That is, the public still have freedom of use for actitivities such as swimming and picnics.

If S.i.F.M projects the legal rational of the Qoliqoli Bill further then, personal surfing is also allowed. However surfing contests and tournaments, could arguably fit the commericial definitions of recreational activity.
It is hard to imagine how the famed Tavarua Cloud Break resort interlocks with this new legislation. Which begs the question, who administers the current agreement with the Tavarua landowner? If N.L.T.B administers Tavarua lease then, it explains why the organization intends to widen their empire.

Although, the Qoliqoli Commission is a wonderful concept from the views of the indigenous population; the Bill in totality must be transparent and devoid of any connection to established native institutions.
It would be a more informed aspect to give several models of the legal framework; such that the best may be chosen by the native resource owners. As it is, it really is mash-mash of laws cut and paste that well serves the intentions of Fiji Attorney General.

Communication and knowledge will ultimately remove any ambiguities from the perspective of hotel investors. More so, if it stems from an independent source.

What is deeply concerning to S.i.F.M are the reports of Native Lands Trust Board having jurisdiction over the commercial licencing framework. It ultimately creates a entity with carte-blanche access to all native resources while relegating to the real resource owners to a pitiful observer status.

S.i.F.M acknowledges the need for a regulating authority but resents the idea of giving N.L.T.B absolutue authority, access and control over native resources. All readers are aware of the dangers of that power remaining un-checked and un-throttled.

S.I.F.M is equally mindful of the political strings attached to such monumental laws, especially in regards to the nationalistic threads of appeal which, accompany the gesture to Fiji's indigenous populace.

Perhaps it is time for the creation of a Native Fijian Law Resources Centre by concerned taukei residing overseas and domestically, who wish to scrutinize the operations, management of these governmental induced entities. To ensure that Fijian have full access to the wide spectrum of legal resources.

Here is a case study(PDF format) documented by a similar organization in Canada named "Indian Law Resource Center".

Another case of native land claims in the U.S, New York state is documented in this PDF file.

Vintage Fiji Rugby 7s.

This video goes down memory lane when the legendary Waisale Serevi was a teenager in 1990. Serevi was instrumental in the Fiji team that won in the annual Hong Kong sevens tournament of that year.

Fiji's line up included the late Vesi Rauluni, ball hunter extrordinaire. Crack centre and Nadroga's finest Noa Nadruku. The try scorer of the famous "over-the head-between-the-legs" passage of play was veteran wing Tomasi Cama.



The iconic player of sevens rugby is the present coach of the Fiji squad to the I.R.B 7's grand-prix circuit. Serevi led the present team to win the 2005-2006 I.R.B 7 tour, which included the 4-yearly sevens rugby World Cup title held at Hong Kong. The grand-prix circuit culminated in London's Twickenham stadium, in which Serevi also played in.
Waisale Serevi is pictured front row(3rd from Left).





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Fiji Fantastic.

Stumbled on this video of Fiji rugby fans cheering.



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Chiefly Disputes in Fiji.

Malake island, off the coast of Rakiraki, Ra.


The dispute of the chiefly title: Tui Labasa has erupted in violence. Lately there have been an increase in chiefly disputes in Fiji, underlining the disconnect brought about by the cadence of greed, power and status.

Wikipedia outlines the hierachy of chiefly households in Fiji.

Native Lands Commission(N.L.C), the polyannic entity involved in naming chiefly successors, have also come under fire for their inaccuracy. It also appears that some of the recent rulings postured by N.L.C, created this volatile climate of distrust among villagers.

Another chiefly dispute for the Ra paramount chief(Tui Navitilevu) reveals the carnard in the N.L.C ruling which, pandered on hear-say of blood-lines. Whilst ignoring the details documented within the official registry of native Fijians known as the Vola-ni-Kawa-Bula.
Presently, the disputing party of the Ra chiefly position have taken the matter to High Court.





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N.L.T.B and the Ba Holdings fiasco.

The hostile takeover of Ba Holdings board and assets underlined the infantile knowledge of corporate law by the interim chairman. The actions of the corporate take over, instigated C.E.O Isimeli Bose's counter assault of the province building and headquarters for Ba Holdings.

The deposed board of directors have filed a legal injuction against the hostile takeover of the Ba Holdings, by a separate faction. Here is an excerpt of Fiji Live article.

Sacked group file injunction in court
Thursday August 10, 2006

Sacked board members of Ba Provincial Council Holdings Ltd filed an injunction in the High Court in Lautoka yesterday challenging the provincial council meeting held in Vuda last week. A hearing is expected today.

Claiming a major conspiracy against them, a spokesperson of the sacked management, Apolosi Bose is questioning how a provincial council meeting could be changed to a shareholders' meeting.

"For this, you need to follow the company's act," said Bose. Bose believes that it was purely an orchestrated meeting, which was moved from Lautoka to Vuda, the powerbase of Ratu Tevita Momoedonu (the new board member in Ba Holdings).

"We want an immediate investigation on what has happened," he said.

Ba Holdings board members were sacked last week, with the new board of BHL suspending all business transactions negotiated by the company under the leadership of its former chief executive Isimeli Bose.

This included a partnership with international mobile phone service provider, Digicel, which was proposing to set up a mobile service in Fiji. This is now in doubt. Some of the new board members in Ba Holdings are also on the board of Native Land Trust Board which owns Vanua Development Corporation Ltd.

VDC owns 51 per cent of PacificConnex (PCX), which is also proposing to set up a mobile service in Fiji. The rest is owned by businessman, Ballu Khan. Bose claims that as soon as the new management moved in, an accountant from rival company - PCX started doing a review of Ba Holdings Ltd financials.

"How can a competitor be allowed to review the financials of the company particularly as agents of PCX were openly lobbying against Digicel. It is like ANZ bank looking at the financials of Westpac bank," said Bose.
"Even if they were genuinely concerned about the financials, why not appoint an independent team to do the review."

Interim chairman Tevita Momoedonu has reacted to the injunction saying "No one is above the board, No one is above the shareholders".

S.I.F.M would like remind the interim chairman that "No One is Above the Law". The law called the Companies Act(1983) that provides legistated ground rules of how a company can be run. Sadly, the interim chairman and his cohorts have an ingrained misunderstanding that those ground rules do not apply them.

Here is an excerpt of Fiji Sun article.

Stop the fooling
By NANISE NAWALOWALO

Members of the new board of directors for Ba Provincial Holdings Limited yesterday called on the deposed chief executive officer of the company, Isimeli Bose, to stop making a fool of himself by saying he is still the legal CEO. Interim CEO Ratu Tevita Momoedonu said Mr Bose's actions were unbecoming of a man who once was a state minister and was well educated.
The defiance he said shown was a mere act of desperation on his part to try and restore something that he thought was once his but never was. The company belongs to the people of the Ba Province and I would like to remind him that no one is above the board and no one is above the shareholders recommendations, said Ratu Tevita.

The argument raised by Mr Bose that the meeting held in Viseisei Village on June 31 this year was illegal because it was to have been a Provincial Council Meeting that turned into a shareholders meeting was constitutional.
Ratu Tevita said at that meeting a unanimous decision was made for the old board to be terminated and a new board be appointed to carry out an immediate review of all the transactions of the company. He said a review of he company's business transactions and its dealings was long overdue and that a thorough review was needed because the company had not achieved some of its objectives.

The Digicel business dealing that Mr Bose claims is the cause of his being removed from the office is not the only reason why he was removed along with his staff, said Ratu Tevita. He said Mr Bose breached policies that included the company should invest in real estate and those ventures that had proper track records and not speculate or try to pioneer new businesses.
He said the Digicel dealing was the least of the new board's worries because there were many other dealings that were questionable. With or without Digicel the dirt was already there and that is what we want to clear and get out of the way, said the former Ambassador to Japan. Ratu Tevita said Mr Bose had his own vested interest in the company and he was building an empire of his own.

Fijian Affairs Board Minister and convicted coupster's speech for the proposed Qoliqoli(Native Fishing grounds) Bill in which the Minister castigated local hoteliers, receives a hostile reaction from the Hotel Association as well as from concerned Members of Parliament for the speech's distaste, which sounded arrogant, billigerent and callous.



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(N.L.T.B)Natural Liars and Thieves Brigade.

Selected Letter to Fiji Times Editor.

Role of NLTB

THE unfortunate incident last week involving the commercial arm of the Ba Provincial Council has brought to light some serious questions to be addressed.

My focus is not on Ba Holdings Limited and its dealings with Digicel. It is on the NLTB and Pacific Connex.

As a layman, I would assume that the Native Land Trust Act governs how the NLTB carries out its function as a custodian of Fijian land and adviser to landowners.

What is Pacific Connex?

Is it the commercial arm of the NLTB? How was it formed? Does the NLT Act makes provision for such ventures or non-core activities, as one might say?

If the local millionaire is a shareholder, where did the NLTB get its funds from to be the other shareholder? Was it a government grant? Was it interest from landowners' money pending collection because of title dispute or non-registration in the Vola ni Kawa Bula?

Did the NLTB raise its funds from the capital markets to pay part of its shares?

As a layman and an indigenous Fijian I am concerned at what the NLTB is turning out to be. Is it a saviour for Fijians or a monster working through the influence of others to get a bigger piece of the pie?

My fellow Fijians from the province of Ba have a huge amount of resources. My advice to them is to be very careful about how to use them.

It's always wise to use the Monasavu case as a learning point and their legal representative is not bad at all.

Aca Domolailai
Nasinu

Below: Students on tour enjoying Fiji hospitality.


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Crime free_cartoon
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Bouma water falls, Taveuni.
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Big Fish Eat Little Fish.

Vakaivosavosa has another view of N.L.T.B and their incursion into the cellular network industry.
Apparently the Fijian segment of the blogosphere are slowly jumping on to that story lead. Here is an excerpt from Fiji T.V revealing the names of the ursurping board of Ba Holdings Ltd.

New board for Ba Provincial Holdings Ltd
1 Aug 2006 17:57:15
More details today on what transpired at the special meeting of Ba Provincial Holdings Limited yesterday.

A new board has been appointed - they will review the operations of the company and report to the council in three months time.

The new board is made up of TAUKEI SAWAIEKE - RATU TEVITA MOMOEDONU as chairman the TAUKEI VIDILO - RATU VILIAME BOUWALU, ERONI LEWAQAI, SAIMONI NAIVALU, PONIPATE LESAVUA, JOSAIA DRISO, RATU TEVITA LEWARAVU, MESAKE SAUKAWA, ASESELA SADOLE and SIVA NAULAGO.

These individuals named have little to no experience in running any business let alone a company with stakes in media operations. The new chairman was recently appointed to the board of N.L.T.B and another individual on the new board is also a member of the Great Council of Chiefs. The marriage of convenience between corporate affairs and tribal affairs is also a realization that the honey moon is over. Furthermore it highlights the dangers of cross-contamination of tribal commerce and national interests that may be have violated ethical considerations in Fiji.

Apparently there is some discrepancy in the manner in which the shareholders meeting was convened, violating the standing rules of the company.
Technically, the company secretary was supposed to inform the old board of a extraordinary meeting. Instead, a shareholder's meeting was held without the 30 day notification. It was at this meeting where the decision was made to remove the existing board and replace it with another entity. Although shareholders have a say in the company direction, they cannot legally defy existing grounds rules of the 1983 legislation also known as the Companies Act (Chapter 247). Here is an academic paper on financial reporting based on that Companies Act.
It will be interesting to see how this unfolds in court.

Sir Vijay Singh, a former barrister and Fiji Attorney General emeritus is launching a book titled "Speaking Out".

Nationalists want new book banned
8 Aug 2006 18:06:03

The Fiji Nationalist Party says it will lobby for government to stop the launch of a book written by former politician Sir Vijay R Singh. The book, SPEAKING OUT contains Sir Vijay's thoughts on Fiji in the decade 1995 to 2005.

Nationalist party president Saula Telawa says excerpts of the book are in-sensitive to Christians and the principles they believe in.

Even before it's hit the book-shops. Sir Vijay R Singh's new book has attracted attention for the wrong reason.

This is a glimpse of the book cover, courtesy of an invitation sent by the University of the South Pacific last week.

In an excerpt printed on the flip side of the invitation, Sir Vijay writes.

The marches claimed to express their extreme disapproval that the Prime Minister is an Indo-Fijian one may well ask how they reconcile their repugnant racist sentiment on the weekday with their purported devotion to the biblical precept of the brotherhood of man on Sunday.

The marches claimed to express their extreme disapproval that the Prime Minister is an Indo-Fijian one may well ask how they reconcile their repugnant racist sentiment on the weekday with their purported devotion to the biblical precept of the brotherhood of man on Sunday.
Today the nationalist party has taken exception to this.

Saula Telawa along with his fellow nationalists took the streets in 2000 to campaign against the Fiji Labor Leader and the than Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry,

(Translation: It can't happen.Thee bible says just leave them, separate yourselves from them)

Telawa says he will raise his concerns with the Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and possibly the Methodist Church. He says Sir Vijay's thoughts are in-sensitive to Christian beliefs and the vanua.

Speaking Out is scheduled to be launched at USP next Wednesday.

It is rather disappointing to hear about these so-called nationalists trying to lobby policies that belong in the dark ages and disguising it as offensive to the vanua.

S.i.F.M queries whether the book is as offensive as Native Lands Trust Board's abuse of landowners, or the recent High Court judgment by Justice John O'Connor( in the FSC tramline case) that the native land does not belong to the indigenous population but the aspects of command and control rests solely with Native Lands Trust Board.

Here is the excerpt of the Fiji Times article.

Not your land, it's NLTB's, says court
Thursday, August 03, 2006

The court has given the Native Land Trust Board and the Fiji Sugar Corporation two days to resolve the dispute.
The High Court has told landowners they have no right to block a railway line because the land concerned is legally vested under the Native Land Trust Board.

High Court judge Justice John Connors gave the Fiji Sugar Corporation and the Native Land Trust Board two days to resolve the land dispute.

Justice Connors told the villagers they must not take the law into their own hands and warned that there might be serious repercussions if their actions were repeated.

Justice Connors told members of the Mataqali Masokanalagi that they had no proper rights under the NLTB Act to make demands for premiums and payment.

"There's nothing under the Act that gives them that right," he said. He told them the NLTB was the body that had powers to make such demands. The NLTB, FSC and landowners were defendants in a case filed by the Sugar Cane Growers Council.

The two landowners who appeared in court yesterday gave an assurance that the blockade had been removed. Samuela Naisau told the court that they respected its injunction and removed the blockade.

The members of the mataqali sealed off a railway track leading to Rarawai Mill three weeks ago, leaving thousands of farmers in parts of Ba and Tavua with no option but to transport their crop by lorries.

The dispute was over non-renewal of leases for land the railway runs through. Justice Connors told the lawyers of the three parties NLTB, FSC and the landowners that they must report to court on Friday.

He gave NLTB and FSC two days to discuss issues relating to Sorokoba, hoping to put pressure on them to resolve the matter.

He said in that way, a speedier resolution might have been arrived at.

The landowners were represented by Lautoka lawyer Mosese Naivalu. Corporation lawyer Faizal Hanif said the two parties had been meeting all of yesterday and were progressing well in their discussions.

But he said they were yet to reach common ground. Board lawyer Kemueli Qoro said the two parties were making every effort for the lease to be renewed.

Council chief executive Jagannath Sami said the council took legal action as a final bid to bring together all the parties involved in the dispute. Council lawyer Shalen Krishna said in court that he hoped the judge's call for an early review into the matter would solve the whole issue.

The board was represented by Kemueli Qoro and Mr Naivalu represented the landowners.

It is time to paint these nationalists for what they truly are: Fly-by-night political opportunists who try to label the author's work as insensitive whilst neglecting their own tardiness. The comments by these pseudo-Christian nationalists, demonstrate how matters in Fiji can easily be slanted, skewed to the benefit of the elite minority.

S.i.F.M has seven words for these scoundrels of the lowest order:

"We're not going to sit in silence!"

It would have been more constructive to have these nationalists explore the reason why Fijians have not ventured in the book publishing industry, or why there has never been any significant proposals in translating self-help books into the Fijian vernacular. Maybe an ignorant populace is exactly what these nationalist want in Fiji.

Roberts Rules of Order should be among the first books that need translation to elevate that knowledge among the common threads of Fiji.

These provocateurs talk a lot and have little to show for. More so in literature excellence and should be the last people in Fiji to be consulted.


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Related Tags: Fiji blog, Fiji, Fiji politics, Native Lands Trust Board, Socio-cultural, Socio-political, Analysis of politics

Fiji Times denies Gate keeping role.

Fiji Times Editor, Samisoni Kaikaivalu is under fire for filtering out letters to the editor that are critical of the Fiji media industry. This allegations stems from former journalists who submitted letters concerning the recent Fiji media awards, alluding to the fact that, print media journalists have been glossed over repeatedly for the award. The entry criteria for the awards is available on PDF.

Gatekeeping of media stories in Fiji have been documented. A similar circumstance was the military truth campaign prior to the 2006 elections. Including the feeble attempt by Fiji Times to paint the commander as a villain for speaking out against the Fiji Government.

A report by Morris W. Shanahan on the abilities of radio journalism during the 2000 coup and highlights the complexities of Fiji.



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Strange Bedfellows of Fiji.

The recent attempt by sacked C.E.O, Isimeli Bose to seize control of the affairs of the provincial company raise more questions than answers to the whole affair. Recent letters to the Fiji Times editor led to another dimension to the story of the issuance of licenses, to operate a cellular network in Fiji.

Ba provincial council's commercial arm was successful in creating a satellite television provider whose main rival was Fiji Television subsidiary Sky TV. Ba provincial also entered into partnership with Caribbean mobile carrier Digicel; who are also major sponsors of Fiji 7's brand.
Digicel's sponsorship of Fiji Rugby places the chairman Keni Dakuidreketi in a tight spot(especially in wake of the Australia A massacre of the Fiji XV), of declaring his interest. Fiji Island Business online magazine outlines in two articles, the extent of the dealings involving those eyeing the cellular network licenses.

Native Lands Trust Board(N.L.T.B) appointed Messr Dakuidreketi as a proxy entity lobbying proposals for N.L.T.B's commercial arm: Vanua development Corporation who established a third competitor to the cell phone market.
Dakuidreketi also represents certain hotel developers involved with Natadola project, further staining his integrity as a honest broker. A symposium for Land Tenure conflicts held at University of the South Pacific between 10-12th April 2002, published a list of attendees. Among them were high profile N.L.T.B officials and Dakuidreketi. That particular knowledge gaining exercise, undeniably will face the acid test with outraged native land owners who will not shy away from legal avenues.

Legal Challenge to Natadola Hotel Development
Fiji T.V 7 Aug 2006 16:51:24
The multi-million dollar resort development at Natadola has hit a snag with a court order stopping development on part of the property.

Mataqali Waikelia is alledging the Native Land Trust Board and a developer, Hotel Property Pacific Limited colluded to acquire a lease on a piece of land where a golf course designed by Vijay Singh is being built.

Court documents were obtained by Fiji One News today. They were filed in the Lautoka High Court on June 16th by lawyers representing Mataqali Waikelia.

This mataqali claims to own approximately 69 and half acres of land at Natadola where the resort development is taking place.

According to an affidavit filed by mataqali member Bati Qaniuci, members of the mataqali Waikelia currently reside on land which has been cleared by machinery by employees of Natadola Land Holdings Limited.

The mataqali claims the issuance of lease by NLTB is in blatant disregard to the rights and previledge of the mataqali, its members and the provisions of the Native Land Trust act.

With development work already underway, the mataqali claim in the affidivit they had a meeting with Keni Dakuidreketi of Hotel Property Pacific Limited on May 14th.

Bati Qaniuci gave sworn evidence that Dakuidreketi, also a board member of the NLTB asked the mataqali members to raise their queries with the NLTB.

The mataqali claims the NLTB and the 2nd defendents acted in collusion to deprive them and it's members the use and occupation of Waikelia and Naliku land.

Lautoka High court judge Justice Finnigan has issued a stop work order on the piece of land in dispute and also restrained the NLTB from processing or registering the lease on the disputed piece of land.

The matter is listed to be brought before the High Court on June 30th. And telephone messages left with the developers representatives weren't returned when this bulletin was prepared.

The co-venture between N.L.T.B and millionaire investor Ballu Khan. N.L.T.B also procurred SAP software using a Ballu Khan who charged a handsome sum. The case of State Vs Major Tenders Board, underlined the stakes involved. Other losing bidders for that lucrative software contract have also filed a law suit naming several locals as defendants, including Dakuidreketi.

Digicel's involvement in creating a Fiji entity is ruffling the feathers of those comfortable with the status quo of a monopolized cellular network industry. Vodaphone Fiji's monopoly status was effectively removed by the current Fiji Government, in a bid to open up competition in the market stagnant with inefficiencies.
An academic paper(PDF) by U.S.P lecturers: Spike Bodell and Krishn Shah provides an intellectual foundation on Fiji's most divisive issue: land.



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Bear and Forebear.

Isimeli Bose, the deposed C.E.O of Ba Provincial Holdings directing the assault on the building owned by the province. This action was in retaliation to his forcible removal from the position, in a hostile takeover by a separate faction from the same province.
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A Stich in Time.

It is now abundantly clear that, the landonwners and supporters are now being appraised with the real land deals in Fiji. Including other shifty arrangements made in the smoky back rooms that only benefit the cronies involved with Native Lands Trust Board. S.i.F.M commented on that dichotomy in a posting titled :"Conflict of Interests".

S.i.F.M does not condone the actions perpetuted by the antagonists, including Isimeli Bose's assault on the Ba provincial council building named: Rogorogoivuda. Fiji village reports that Isimeli Bose was subsequently charged in court.
This is the excerpt of the article.

Sacked CEO to Appear in Special Court Sitting
By fijivillage
Aug 5, 2006, 13:33

Police have arrested and charged the former chief executive of the Ba Provincial Holdings Limited and he will appear in a special court seating in Lautoka this hour.

Divisional Crime Officer Western SP Vijay Singh confirmed that Isimeli Bose was charged in the last hour and police are still questioning some of his accomplices.

Bose allegedly led a group of armed men storming the Rogo Rogo i Vuda House yesterday and assaulting the security guards.
Meanwhile, a plea today from one of the high chiefs of Ba to his people not to take the law into their own hands.

Ba Provincial Council Chairman Ratu Ovini Bokini said the people of Ba should bear in mind that the province and the shareholders have already made a decision.

Ratu Ovini maintains that the interim board has been appointed and is to be led by Ratu Tevita Momoedonu

Audio Comment

Chairman Ratu Tevita Momoedomu and members of the interim board are being interviewed by police at the Lautoka police station as investigations continue.

Ba Provincial Chairman's comments were neither helpful nor constructuve to the discussion, as his patronizing comments was perceived to be out of touch with the concerns of the grass roots people.

Furthermore the chairman, Ovini Bokini has a tendency to skew his comments more to the established position that protect a brand of archaic wealth distribution in Fiji. In addition, the condescending attitude illustrated by Ba provincial council's chairman, also underlines the panacea in the old arrangement; whose benefits hardly trickle down the the common person.

Here are selected letters to the Fiji Times Editor, which highlight the conundrum.

Land laws

LANDOWNERS are getting the signal of what to expect from the proposed land legislations from your article (FT 2/8) titled Not your land, but NLTB's'.

The proposed Native Land Trust Act takes away the right of bargaining and agreement between the landlord and tenants as enshrined in the Agricultural Landlord and Tenants Act.

The former only recognises the trustee which, in this case, is the Native Land Trust Board.

How can the judge say that it is not our land but NLTB's? I think I have grasped the cache.

Utiko Nabunobuno
Lautoka

Telecom service

SO the mystery unfolds. While we urbanites relentlessly pour out our frustration regarding telecommunication disservice, media reports highlight that politicking and manoeuvring at the highest level are rife in the market share of the mobile telecommunication sector.

And the billion-dollar question is who will represent our best interests as people of Fiji?

The NLTB seems to be in the thick of things, dabbling in business ventures that its original mission did not have scope for.

How is it that with money to spare for investment, the entity which is the guardian of the landowners' best interests continues to push one agenda while landowners continue to highlight in the news their land issues?

Do landowners want mobile telecommunication and its costs?

Landline penetration to rural areas is not 100 per cent so who is supposed to benefit from the service?

It is odd that Pacific Connex, an IT-specialist entity is a key stakeholder in this venture. We can only assume that any mobile telecommunications expertise required will be outsourced, thus more costs to us taxpayers at the end of the day.

Then we have the drama at the Ba Provincial Council which seems to point to some influence from Vanua Development Corporation NLTB's investment arm in Pacific Connex.

Is the cold weather causing the season of executive coups in the West in the span of two weeks?

It seems the NLTB is overstepping its boundary by lobbying policies that affect the State's obligation to the people.

With great humility we ask provincial councils to remain steadfast in their vision for what is best for people in urban, rural and international centres as our parallel links remain firm.

Blood must remain thicker than water.

Allow us to raise our disgust at the unfolding of the Animal Farm shenanigans being enacted that only perpetuates the "all animals are equal but some more equal than others" syndrome.

We say open mobile telecommunication to Digicel and VDCL.

Let the consumer's buying power dictate and remain loyal to the entity willing to do the hard slog and go the extra mile for us. Consumers are taxpayers and the fact is that real money remains concentrated in urban and international communities.

We hope good sense and judgment prevail.

Seini Lutu
Suva
Maryann Tagi
Laucala
Ulamila Wragg
Cook Islands
Vasiti Ritova
Ra
Sisilia Lewaravu
Lautoka
Vani Twigg
Turkey
Lanna Lomaloma
Papua New Guinea
Tago Fine'Aloto
Suvavou
Mereoni Bola
United States
Tulia Takala
Lautoka

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Ba landowners dismantle barriers.

The protest of road blocks by landowners was heard at the Lautoka High Court, subsequently the court ordered the landowners to remove the barricade across tramlines which cart harvested sugarcane to the area's only sugar mill.

Justice Connor's ruling may also require some further analysis because it may impinge on the constitutional guarantees that protect native land. If native landowners are not legally bound to raise issues concerning their ancestral land, then according to Justice Connor the landowner ownership claims, exist basically on paper only. That legal definition will not go down well with the grassroots villagers, who bear witness to this violation of natural jusitice.


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Do Right and Fear No Man!

Kalivati Bakani-Native Lands Trust Board's General Manager.
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All compelled readers who wish to contact Messr. Kalivati Bakani and raise their concern about the mismanagement of Native Lands Trust Board and the abuse of landowners can actually do so.

Reach out to K. Bakani directly, using his Fiji based cell phone:
(+679 999-5880).

S.i.F.M encourages all concerned readers to do so, with much vigor.

3G Vodaphone_hiccups.
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Better one house spoilt than two.

The announcement of the Qoliqoli Bill by Fiji Government cabinet has received a wide spectrum of reactions. The article raises some reservations, to the naming of the much maligned Native Lands Trust Board (N.L.T.B) to the negotiating table. Clearly, the patience of the indigenous community with the N.L.T.B is wearing thin after the incidents in the western division, involving landowners.

Here is an excerpt from Fiji Times article on the matter.

Cabinet okays Qoliqoli Bill
Thursday, August 03, 2006

TOURISM stakeholders are backing a Cabinet decision to table the Qoliqoli Bill in Parliament despite some reservations.

The decision to introduce the Bill in the Lower House was made following a recommendation by Fijian Affairs Minister, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.

He said the principal objective of the Bill was to transfer to qoliqoli owners from the State the proprietary ownership of their respective qoliqoli areas currently owned by the Government.

Fiji Visitors Bureau chief executive Viliame Gavoka said the Bill was unique to Fiji and, therefore, a major selling point because many tourists wanted benefits to trickle down to landowners. But, he cautioned, that while it was a brilliant idea and experiment to come up with a Bill, a proper management system needed to be put in place.

Fiji Islands Hotel and Tourism Association chief executive Mereani Korovavala said in their discussions with the Attorney-General and other stakeholders, they raised concern on how the Bill may have indirect impact on their operations.

She said the University of the South Pacific was undertaking a study to determine a formula that would be submitted to the Government. This would look at the method and amount to be paid to the State by association members for the lease of land.

She said the association would abide by any decision the Government made in regards to the Bill as any uncertainty would have an adverse impact on tourism. Fiji Resource Owners Association Ratu Osea Gavidi said while they welcomed the Bill, the State should relinquish the land to the vanua or the yavusa and not to the Native Land Trust Board because it was just another arm of government.

"We, as vanua leaders, will decide whether we'll join a body to administer qoliqoli or we'll open a management body to administer it," he said.

Ratu Naiqama said the Bill marked the culmination of 125 years of preparation and expectation by Fijian chiefs and their tribes over their traditional customary rights. He pointed out claims for compensation for past use of qoliqoli areas would not be entertained.

"This is because all land that is to be transferred to the qoliqoli owners is owned by the State, and as such, the qoliqoli owners cannot claim for land that they do not own."

He said a feature of the Bill would be the establishment of a Qoliqoli Commission through the reconstitution of the Native Fisheries Commission.

Ratu Naiqama said no commercial fishing license issued for operation within qoliqoli waters may be issued without consultation with the commission, which may insist on certain conditions. Cabinet has approved the tabling of the Indigenous Claims Tribunal Bill.

The Bill seeks to address the long-standing grievances of landowners who claim part of their land was acquired by early settlers through fraudulent or dubious means.

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Fiji Young Leaders Association members with Fijian Holdings Ltd. Director, Sitiveni Weileilakeba (Front row-1st from left).
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