In a follow up to an
SiFM post on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Cafe Pacific latest
post addresses the same comments made by American Samoan Congressman, regarding Fiji's political situation.
Cafe Pacific also highlighted the reactions of Western Samoa's Prime Minister to the Congressman's remarks.
Perhaps [Faleomavaega] has forgotten that Fiji has been independent since 1970 and its Legislature, Judiciary and the Executive branches of Government have been functioning until the military started to meddle with the affairs of government – a responsibility it was least capable of performing…
The good congressman completely ignores the fact that the regime in Fiji is a military dictatorship. And that Bainimarama’s regime has been engaging in a ruthless crackdown on dissenting public opinion and complete suppression of the media. Is not freedom of speech, freedom of the media and engaging in free and fair elections hallmarks of American democracy?
Recently, the Samoan Prime Minister
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi's juvenile remarks on Fiji, has been quoted by several media outlets.
Matangi Tonga (MT)article cites from Samoan newspaper Savali. The excerpt of M.T article:
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Samoa's PM takes jab at Fiji's Bainimarama |  | 23 Apr 2009, 08:30
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Apia, Samoa:
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has a peculiar take on the recent turn of political events in Fiji.
This is how Tuilaepa, who delights in pricking bubbles, describes last week's events,
"It's like a puppet show and Frank (Bainimarama) is the puppet master - a ventriloquist. And among his slew of dummies and dancing string clowns is his favourite hand puppet named Iloilo.
"
Part of last Thursday's act, Frank asks his favourite hand puppet 'And who do you think should be Prime Minister Iloilo?'. Iloilo shouts back, 'Why of course it's you Frank."
Prime Minister Tuilaepa giggles.
"But one day soon the puppets will grow a brain and see Frank for the evil puppeteer he really is. It is then the curtains will fall on Frank."
He adds.
"The whole thing is a political charade and the whole world is watching. Nobody is fooled and no one is laughing. Frank is only fooling himself."
"It's a political stick-up and Frank has all the guns."
Asked what advice he'd give Commodore Bainimarama if he had a chance to sit down with him, Tuilaepa smiles.
"I'd tell him to go back to his barracks. Go back to what he knows best - which is throwing salutes, beating drums and organizing marching parades. He has no business in government. He knows nothing about civilian government. Go put back on his military uniform or . . . maybe, he'd look better in a prison uniform." Tuilaepa chuckles.
The three arms of State, the Prime Minister says, are no longer in existence in Fiji.
"There's no Parliament, there's no Executive and thanks to Iloilo there's no more Judiciary, no law and order. He's also abrogated the Constitution.
"Now my question is, who the heck is he to abrogate the Constitution?
The Constitution is the supreme law of the land and the only place it can be amended, repealed or abrogated is Parliament where you have the elected representatives of the people.
"The Commodore should get over his greed for power and really sit and think. Is this the road he wants to take his country? Because his actions do not augur well for the future generations of Fiji ."
Prime Minister Tuilaepa believes the only way to return Fiji to democracy and "some state of political sanity" is through the actions of the people of Fiji .
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The reality is, Bainimarama will try to hold on to power with whatever means necessary. Just when you thought he can't go any lower, the bottom drops.
"The people of Fiji � the men women and children, young and old - will have to stand up and demand a return of their government.
Pound the streets in protest marches if they have to. The Church leaders and traditional leaders of Fiji should also come out of their shells and lead the people.
"It has worked in Thailand, it has worked in the Philippines , Vietnam and Indonesia . And if the Fijian people want it bad enough, peaceful and passive resistance will work in Fiji . That is how Samoa gained political independence and that's how the people of Fiji will finally be free of Bainimarama's stranglehold on power.
"It's the only way you can rid yourself of such cheap idiotic dictators."
Samoa government's newspaper Savali, 21/04/09.
Samoan P.M's comments on Fiji were also published by Samoan news article. What was interesting was the reader's reactions to their Prime Minister's outrageous diplomatic accumen.
MIA wrote: | 22 Apr 2009 11:31 AM | Such a hypocrite...He will see the consequences of this ridiculous road switch that will take affect this year. I think the people of samoa need to come out of their shells and run him out of office.
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Samoan in Samoa wrote: | 22 Apr 2009 10:12 AM | you people don't know anything about Samoa..for every one person who opposes the switch there are probably 50 others who support it..you forget that there are are 140,000 (western) samoans in New Zealand and another 50,000 in Australia..don't be fooled by the media or the vocal few who oppose the switch..many of those who have been gifted or bought RHDs from those two countries are first time car owners, in what has for years been an industry, dominated by afakasi and Apia-based car merchants who've been ripping off local folks with overpriced crap American cars..Stui has always been a manm for the little people, and in this case again, is right on the money..he is certainly the best leader samoa ever had and is definitely heads and shoulders over his counterparts in the region..so please don't talk about things you don't know nor understand..
| stau wrote: | 22 Apr 2009 10:09 AM | 'aua le fai fua i tagata o fiti, ae vaai ifo oe ma si au fo'i amio lena e fai i tagata o Samoa.....vaai le upu masani....'aua e te 'eu fua le utupoto o le mata o leisi tagata...'eu muamua le utupoto i lou lava mata....aua o le mea foi lena e tatau ona fai e tagata samoa ia te oe ali'i PM
| Anonymous wrote: | 21 Apr 2009 03:18 PM | It's very encouraging to know that the PM understands the democratic process in Fiji. How about Samoa Mr. PM? It seems like our people in Samoa don't have any say so.....JUST LIKE FIJI.
| Mike wrote: | 21 Apr 2009 03:17 PM | A week or so ago I heard a report on the radio that Fiji's very own Frankie-boy was upset that Samoa's PM, whose last name of Malielegaoi can be interpreted as 'watch out (for) the thief', was upset because 'watch out (for) the thief' had said that Frankie-boy should learn from Samoa's example.
Now many people would take that to mean that Samoa has a democracy that Fiji would do well to follow, but what 'watch out (for) the thief' really meant was that he had been able taken over an entire country and was now himself dictator and chief thief without needing any silly army or threatening anyone with guns, and that Frankie-boy, if he was really so smart, would learn how to do the same!
| Tama Samoa Moni wrote: | 21 Apr 2009 01:45 PM | While I appreciate PM's concern for the future of the people and government of Fiji, he has to look at his front and back yard to see that he is a hypocrite. There are so many cases including one that is shared by Anonymous concerning the right hand steering issue.
It was debated fairly and there were mass opposition to this ridiculous wish from the PM, yet, he continued to stand his ground, disregard the will of the people, and now everyone has to make a 360 degree turn just to satisfy the satiating and ridiculous wish of one PM, who by the way controls the Parliament, so in essence what he says is really what the party in power will do. Look within thyself first PM Tuilaepa before you poke much about the situation in Fiji.
Having said that, I believe that the situation in Fiji is pathetic and Banirama should be removed before that island nation drops flat to the ground with a Idi Amin approach of governance. I'm sure the people of Fiji are just in fear because he has all the arsenal to squash any uprising, even if it's peaceful.
| Anonymous wrote: | 21 Apr 2009 08:29 AM | | A year ago, I saw this statement from above Polynesian airline, when the people of Samoa protested the right hand steering wheel for all vehicles in Samoa and changing the driving lanes. It was a scene that the people spoke of concern but the law makers did not listen even when the people march all the way to mulinu’u and protested outside the maota fono. Mr. Prime Minister, the people of Samoa spoke but you failed, you are not qualified to tell the people of Fiji how to deal with the issue when your own people “Samoa” cried out to you. |
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Another Samoan newspaper "The Samoan Observer" conducted an
online survey, questioning their readers if they agreed with Tuilaepa comments about Frank Bainimarama. The results were 61% against the comments made by the Samoan Prime Minister.
Samoa's
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi should be well advised to concentrate on his own political problems; and considering the remarks from Samoan readers, it appears that Malielegaoi's own popularity is increasingly dwindling partly due to his decade long tenure at the helm.
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Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi should be well advised to concentrate on his own political problems; and considering the remarks from Samoan readers, it appears that Malielegaoi's own popularity is increasingly dwindling partly due to his decade long tenure at the helm.
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