Qarase is precise in this statement. Bill will surely end all of his political aspirations, once and for all. Good riddance too!
Skill is top priority in Fiji. Especially after the waves of skill migration after 2000 calamity.
Farmers in Fiji are far from receiving top notch advice. Agricultural Technical officers should be continously evaluated, to propel the industry in Fiji. It is a pity that only senior officials are sent overseas, as opposed to the working individuals further down the chain of command, who need to keep abreast of technological advances.
This cohesive vision for Fiji will not be eventuate any time soon if the S.D.L/C.A.M.V coalition stays in power. Time for change, inject new blood into Fiji's power seats that has been plagued by corruption, arrogance and complacency.
That is why there has been so many bad apples in Fiji's public service commission.
Fiji Electricity Authority should not get ahead of itself, since it is operating in a vacuum of ignorance.
They will be paying the price in maitaining the wind farm.
Why not deregulate the entire electrical grid in Fiji, as well as the Phone and Television services.
Selected F.T Letters to the Editor-Saturday July 9th 2005.
Unjust Bill
I HAVE kept silent about the proposed Unity Bill because I wanted to study it before voicing an opinion on it.
Having been a direct recipient of violence and robbery from men calling themselves political reformers back in 2000, I am one of the people whom the Government might have been diligent enough to ask about the Bill and its effects before attempting to cram it down my throat.
After reading what has been made available to the general public, I am astonished that any right thinking government would dare to propose such a blatantly unjust piece of legislation to its people.
Taking into account that Qoriniasi Bale has stated that changes may be made, this Bill is still, at the least, a slap in the face of those of us who suffered at the hands of criminals who claim their actions were motivated by political fervour, and who have refused to make appropriate apologies and restitution.
The tremendously offensive and illegal behaviour of those who took hostages was the tip of the iceberg.
There are countless families of many different racial backgrounds who are still waiting for justice regarding the invasions, terror and illegal entries perpetrated by criminals calling themselves political activists.
In Cakaudrove, the group of armed men from Dromuninuku Settlement, who stormed our little house claiming it for "the vanua" were finally arrested a few weeks ago, and when they appeared in court, had found themselves a lawyer who is openly encouraging them to stall and delay the court proceedings by pleading not guilty until the Bill is passed.
To those government front-men and women who are playing the Christianity card, I say, put your cocktail glasses down and pick up your Bibles. The Word of God is clear on the matter of forgiveness, just as it is on the matters of repentance and restitution.
Having been terrorised to the point of leaving our precious home to the weeds and vanilla farms surrounding it, my family says to the SDL that if you had chosen to introduce a Repentance and Restitution Bill requiring men and women involved in the criminal activities of 2000 to perform individual matanigasau and to offer restitution for the damage done to our government offices, shops, farms, gardens and homes, we would wholeheartedly support it.
But as long as criminals roam free, continuing to trespass illegally on our land, refusing to perform the basic Fijian apologies, refusing to accept responsibility for their illegal actions and thereby encouraging the next generation to take the law into their own hands whenever they have a bone to pick, we will purposefully and with all effort work to derail any legislation which could even remotely be construed by these men and future generations to condone anarchy.
It is election time in Fiji. We may not be able to stop the SDL government from rushing this piece of legislation through.
But we can vote them out of office and elect just, honourable men and women who walk the walk of racial equality and justice for all and who give equal importance to repentance and restitution as they do to amnesty and forgiving and forgetting.
Summer Kabakoro
Sowing disunity
IT is ironic that the Bill deemed to create unity is creating disunity.
The lobbying groups, NGOs and those opposed to the Bill must take their messages to the villages and settlements so that ordinary people will get both sides of the story and make informed choices.
There is widespread opposition in towns and urban centres while provincial councils are in favour of it. Something is amiss.
Is everyone getting both sides of the story or is the information being engineered to suit an agenda. Unity and a peaceful co-existence must be the paramount aim of any leadership in a multi-cultural society. If this is not happening, then something's amiss.
In all honesty, I have not read the Bill but I rely on learned man like Graham Leung of the Fiji Law Society to provide me with a lawyer's perspective on the Bill.
I rate him as a highly ethical and learned man, and his explanations have convinced me.
Now, I am pursuing the explanations that others are providing at provincial councils and rural settlements. However, one thing is clear — for the sake of unity, disunity is being sown.
Basilio Vanuaca
Suva
Playing God
MUCH has been said about the proposed Unity Bill and in relation to Christian principles.
As a Christian and a youth, I am baffled by the following issues. Doesn't reconciliation occur when the offenders ask for forgiveness from the victims who, if willing, forgive and then reconcile?
Why is there need for a legislation to facilitate this when it is a matter of the heart and individual spiritual understanding?
Wouldn't it be a farce to enforce forgiveness through legislation. Won't the victims be made to forgive obligatorily and won't the offenders repent obligatorily as well?
Will this be genuine reconciliation? Shouldn't God and the victims be the one to forgive?
Isn't it presumptous to allow a commission to recommend to the President to forgive an offender.
If the convicts of the 2000 coup are given amnesty and released after committing a politically motivated crime, why not release other criminals like robbers and murderers?
Isn't the Bill creating greater division among the people instead of uniting them?
Edwin Singh
Wainbuka
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