The President is just clearing way for Parliament debates. He does not have any Veto powers which is a shame for all the money that goes in to support the office of President. The proposed grand Fijian coalition planned for 2006 electionsis doomed comments Senator and Chief.
The passage of this R.T.U Bill has followed the 'Law of Unintended Consequences' for S.D.L/C.A.M.V coalition.
G.C.C's quick deliberation of the Bill's merits signify that a pre-meditated consensus was in the works. The political stability of Fiji
is directly proportional to mutal trust. It mirrors a bumper sticker I saw today.
"No Justice, No Peace. Know Justice, Know Peace!"
Jesus Christ Apolostic Church General Secretary says R.T.U Bill tests the bedrock principles of the Christian church. Other political parties are now building momentum against colonialstic racial electoral provisions, which seriously needs to go for the sake of Fiji's future as I keep reiterating on this blog.
The President is pressuring Politicians for arapid amicable solution to the land problems in Fiji. Albeit out of the Political wrangling process.
People are sick and tired of this lip-service by Government officials in combating corruption and cronyism. The Public Service has always had it's own snail's pace of completing crucial work. They say the wheels of Justice grind slowly. Well in Fiji-time, the pace is a hundred times slower and under funded to a factor of 30 percent less, than counterparts in Commonwealth nations of the same population base. In fact this plan has been 10 years in the making but forever obstructed by powers that be, in Fiji.
More letters to the Fiji times Editor of August 2nd edition.
Prison condition
IT is with disappointment that I hear the Government does not have the funds to improve prison conditions, especially at Korovou Prison.
Having visited that prison several times, I can testify to the terrible conditions that convicted and remand prisoners face. But I am continually baffled as to why successive governments have done little to improve the facilities.
The Government, for example, had no trouble giving $100,000 to our rugby sevens heroes.
The Government had little qualms about throwing another $1million into that bottomless pit called the Fiji Rugby Union. Yet it seems to have great difficulty providing, among other things, basic toilet and bathing facilities at Korovou prison.
Lack of funds? It has got to be joking.
Bhujpendra Solanki
Nasinu
Indonesia rice
I REFER to the comments by the Agriculture Ministry chief executive Luke Ratuvuki (FT 30/7) on Dreketi rice farmers.
Mr Ratuvuki may not be aware that Indonesia and Fiji are members of the World Trade Organisation. Indonesia is a signatory to the International Plant Protection Convention.
One of the important principles of the WTO sanitary and phytosanitary agreement and the IPPC is transparency. The requirement relates to clearly informing countries of specific quarantine measures taken, pest status and other relevant information.
The WTO agreement allows governments to protect plant resources from harmful pests while ensuring the measures are technically justified.
The most important question is whether there was any scientific justification in the action taken by the Agriculture ministry when they destroyed the rice.
Mr Ratuvuki said one of the three rice varieties from Indonesia was weak and could not adapt to the climate in Fiji but under WTO SPS agreement, it was not a good reason to take a drastic action such as destruction.
How will Mr Ratuvuki justify his wrong phytosanitary action to the Indonesian authorities?
Why is Mr Ratuvuki blaming the rice farmers now? The Indonesian rice seeds were supplied by Mr Ratuvuki's ministry officials. The farmers worked hard to grow the rice, only for the ministry staff to come along, burn and destroy the rice without a sound scientific reason.
If Mr Ratuvuki can justify his actions he has nothing to fear about the assistance provided by the Indonesian government and diplomatic relations. As the crops were destroyed on a government directive, Cabinet should consider compensation for the farmers.
If Cabinet concludes that the crop should not have been destroyed, the Agriculture ministry chief executive must be surcharged to compensate the farmers.
Amand Chand
Brisbane
Costly homes
THE Housing Authority of Fiji can no longer achieve the purpose it
was set up for � provide affordable housing to low income earners at a low and reasonable price. Low income earners have preferred to reside in squatter settlements because they cannot afford to pay the high interest charged by the authority which is a rip-off.
The Government failed to understand that more people will continue to live in squatter settlements unless the authority reduces the high interest rates it charges its clients.
In some cases, clients (who earn an annual income of $9000) are required to pay $400 a month.
The authority has opened its market to people earning an annual salary of $50,000 to $100,000. The institution for some time had been exploiting the poor people.
We saw nearly everyday the names of low-income earners being published in the media because they were not able to pay their debt and their house was under mortgage.
Low income earners will never own a home with Housing Authority unless it reduces the high interest rate.
Epeli Batikawai
Rakiraki
Own view
WE learn (FT 26/7) that Ropate Qalo is head of the School of Social and Economic Development at the University of the South Pacific and the views he expressed in the article were his own.
I share his views on this subject. I am not surprised that all the 14 provincial councils support the State's proposed Bill.
If today the State were to propose that the earth is flat, many in our midst would believe it.
Need we say more?
Anjali Devi
Nasinu
Confused opposition
PEOPLE against the Unity Bill have not read or understood it. Either that or they have something to hide. I have read the Bill and I think it's a good thing for Fiji.
People who where wronged in 2000 and 2001 will see the justice they prayed for. The amnesty part is great because it will allow the truth to come out.
What Mr Bainimarama stated (FT 30/7) shows he does not understand the Bill or is scared of it because it will reveal the truth.
In section 8 of the Bill, it states: The functions of the victims and reparation committee is to inquire into applications referred by the commission from a person claiming to be a victim of any violation of human rights and from any victim seeking reparation.
It seems people are against the Bill because they feel it is not just or they have not read it and do not understand it. The amnesty section is not right but there is room for amendment. I think the Bill is a good thing for Fijians and other ethnic groups.
Mr Bainimarama has gone too far and needs to be stopped. He seems confused about the Bill. The leader of the army needs to be a person with a cool head and support the Government.
Filise Colatanavanua
Suva
Hard times
A POLITICAL thinker of old said that if you are weak militarily and economically, you will be weak politically. The Government is on one side and the military is on the other regarding the Unity Bill.
It is a pity to see the best of our soldiers contemplating hard times ahead, as Mr Bainimarama said last week at Pacific Harbour. It is a big problem for our country because success or winning (with reference to Mr Bainimarama) is everyone's goal, whether it is a political game or personal gain.
Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase is a nationalist looking after the interests of indigenous people.
With the Unity Bill, he hopes to get everyone who were involved in the 2000 coup out of prison. Already he is counting his votes and maybe he will get another political life.
On the other hand, Mr Bainimarama is getting personal in his quest to know who tried to force him out from his top post.
They were the same people who were instrumental in the 2000 coup and army mutiny of November 2. What happens in the next few weeks or months, we will have to prepare for when things will get worse.
Otherwise, we just have to rely on the wheels of fortune to swing us back to political and economic stability. Each player must know that we will never succeed if we use violence as a means of securing our future and of our children.
Sam Loankadavu
Suva
Silent critics
I PREDICTED that the Great Council of Chiefs would endorse the Bill.
As I said, the SDL/CAMV coalition, provincial councils and the GCC are the representatives of the Fijian people.
Fijians have made their verdict and we should respect it. Any court case against the Bill will only inflame matters.
As for the Editors Forum, Mr Qarase, the Parliament's legal lawyer and A-G did a wonderful job and congratulations to all of them.
It is funny people such as Virisila Buadromo and others who had protested strongly against the Bill didn't have the guts to directly question the PM at the Editor's Forum at the Fiji Times last week.
The CCF was also absent.
It is alarming that most Indians express total ignorance of the Fijian Affairs Act, the Fijian administration and the chiefly system, yet they demand to be called Fijians.
The lesson for Virisila, Ravula, the CCF, NGOs, Tuisawau, yellow ribbon wearers and other protesters is that the Fijian leaders has its people behind them and they did not become a leader just because they were the loudest voice in the media.
Ravuama Vere
Nasinu
Chiefly council
I WOULD like to thank the Tui Vuda and the President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, for his speech at the opening of the Great Council of Chiefs.
He said what many silent commoners were afraid to say and in his capacity as the President and a chief, the Government and members of the GCC will heed his words.
He was not biased but stated that chiefs are looked upon not only as chiefs of the Fijian people but for the whole of Fiji.
Chiefs should help unify a divided society and promote stability and goodwill. We should be able to reconcile on terms that not only heal physical wounds but also emotional ones.
We should be able to tolerate one another even if it means that a vulagi takes the reins of leadership. I believe that given a chance and through dialogue at community level and the higher realm of the hierarchy, we can achieve a beautiful Fiji � the way the world should be.
Surely, we do not want to scare the investors who see the potential that Fiji has. Many lives have been destroyed since May 2000. How many more people have to lose their jobs?
Who is willing to give up a father, a mother, husband, wife, a son, daughter or a friend? Definitely not me!
The Bill needs to be amended and those who came up with the idea of the Bill should not use the Bible as a tool for justification.
Tawake Kolinisau
Suva
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