FIJI PM ADDRESSES THE UN

Statement Of The Prime Minister Of The Republic Of The Fiji Islands To The 62nd Session Of The United Nations General Assembly New York - Friday 28th September, 2007.
*******

Mr President,

On behalf of the people of Fiji, I extend to you, and this Assembly, our warm greetings: Ni sa Bula; Namaste.
We congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election to the Presidency of this, the 62nd session of the General Assembly.

Mr. President,

I acknowledge the presence of His Excellency, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. We extend to His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, our warmest congratulations, as this is his first full Assembly as Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Already, in the brief period of your leadership, we note with gratitude the initiatives you have been taking to enhance momentum in the work of the UN.

Fiji particularly appreciates your policy of inclusiveness, and the attention that you have been giving to the vulnerable situation and the special needs of Small Island nations.

Mr. President,

At the outset, Fiji wishes to reiterate its unwavering commitment to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, pursuit of environmentally friendly and sustainable developmental activities and addressing the challenges of climate change.

As these issues have been widely debated in this august Assembly, I would like to take this opportunity to address issues of particular concern to Fiji.

Mr President,

UN-led Peacekeeping Operations is renowned world wide and has become the human face of this multi-lateral body in war torn and conflict prone regions of the world.

For its own part, Fiji continues to stand ready to shoulder the burden of advancing international peace.

In this regard, we have offered our services to the African Union-UN Hybrid Peacekeeping Operations in the Sudan. In the same vein, Fiji is committed to our collective resolve of enlarging the UN presence in Iraq. We are willing to contribute further towards this end should the need arise.

Today, the demand for peacekeeping continues to grow. With it comes the need for institutional reform to adequately cater for the ever changing nature of world conflict. Whilst reiterating Fiji's support to all reform efforts, including the latest initiative of the Secretary-General in reforming the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, I urge the Secretariat to continue to resist the politicization of UN Peacekeeping and to maintain the sanctity of its independence as a forum, wherein, the willing may volunteer their services freely, without bilateral mangling and interference.

Mr. President,

I now seek your indulgence, and that of this Assembly, to speak to you about the situation, particular circumstances, and the needs of Fiji at this stage of its nationhood as an independent, sovereign nation.

Fiji's overall situation is that, it is in a deep rut. It needs the understanding and support of the international community, to be able to move forward, to regain its dignity and its rightful place, as a responsible member of the international family of nations.

I am mindful, as I stand here today in your august presence, that you may see me as the military leader who removed an elected Government. I cannot begrudge that because that indeed is a fact.

I submit to you that although the Government of the day was removed from power last December, such action was taken with extreme reluctance.

I am not a politician, nor do I aspire to be one. I am certainly not much of a diplomat and I am not used to speaking at forums such as this. Therefore, in what I say, and how I may put this to you, if in any way I am remiss in regard to the protocols of this Assembly, I seek your understanding.

Mr. President,

By the time the Military intervened last December, Fiji's overall governance situation had regressed to a catastrophic level. The international community needs to fully understand the special local context of the Fiji situation.

Fiji became independent on 10th October, 1970, inheriting an institutional infrastructure that could, potentially, have evolved further and strengthened, to allow democracy to take root.

At that time, almost four decades ago, Fiji's future looked to be one of promise and potential. For instance, in terms of per capita incomes, Fiji was, then, in the same league as Malaysia and Thailand.

We, the people of Fiji, viewed our country with pride and dignity, and felt it was: "the way the world should be". And, for over a decade after achieving Independence, Fiji did continue to make steady progress, in economic development, education, reducing poverty and generally improving the living conditions of its people.

Yet, in 1970, Fiji started its journey as a young nation on a rather shaky foundation, with a race–based Constitution, one which rigidly compartmentalised our communities.

The "democracy" that came to be practised in Fiji was marked by divisive, adversarial, inward-looking, raced-based politics. The legacy of leadership, at both community and national levels, was a fractured nation.

Fiji's people were not allowed to share a common national identity.

Of the two major communities, indigenous Fijians were instilled with fear of dominance and dispossession by Indo-Fijians, and they desired protection of their status as the indigenous people. Indo-Fijians, on the other hand, felt alienated and marginalised, as second class citizens in their own country, the country of their birth, Fiji.

Mr. President

The dates 14 May and 25 September, in 1987 are fateful in Fiji's history and also for Fiji's Military Forces. The military coups of that year were motivated by an ethno-nationalist, racist supremacy agenda.

Those political, communal as well as military leaders, who were responsible for the coups and related actions in 1987, carry a very large burden, in their collective conscience: for the severe ruptures to the very fabric of Fiji society, and the dislocations and suffering, that they caused in the lives of many of Fiji's citizens.

Mr. President,

In May, 2000 Fiji suffered yet another major setback: again a group of ethno-nationalist opportunists, backed by a small errant group within the Fiji Military, overthrew the Government of the day.

As Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), I did not support or condone the coup.

I drew upon the structural and cultural organisation of the military to intervene, to restore order and a state of security.

The stand-off between the coup perpetrators and the military in May 2000 was potentially explosive at the time, and if not resolved, could have resulted in much bloodshed and even greater chaos.

As Military Commander, I played a key role in the handing over of executive authority back into civilian hands in the wake of the 2000 coup. This rested on a number of critical pre-conditions being met, in taking Fiji forward.

An Interim Government was appointed by His Excellency the President of Fiji, with Laisenia Qarase as caretaker Prime Minister. The Interim Government was tasked to pave the way to fresh general elections, to be held in September of 2001.The other fundamental conditions were: i) that all of the perpetrators of the May 2000 coup, including the military rebels, would be prosecuted; and ii) that the 2000 coup would be publicly renounced as racially motivated.

Mr. President,

It is tragic that Fiji's recovery from the brink of chaos in May 2000 did not endure.

In the past years, Fiji's overall governance took a dramatic turn for the worse. In particular this was characterised by the politicisation of the prison services and the criminal justice system. There was also a significant weakening of the key institutions of governance; a pervasive increase in corruption; serious economic decline combined with fiscal mismanagement; a sharp deterioration in the law and order situation; and a deepening of the racial divide in the country.

The convicted coup perpetrators were prematurely discharged from prison, and certain coup perpetrators and sympathisers were appointed as senior Government Ministers and Officials. There were also a series of legislations that were deeply divisive and overtly racist.

The 2001/2006 General Elections were not credible. They were characterized by massive rigging of votes with the incumbent government using the State’s resources to buy support.

Fiji's overall situation by late 2006 had deteriorated sharply, heightened by massive corruption and lawlessness, a severe erosion of confidence, and an economy on the brink of collapse. Also, during the later part of 2006, Fiji's Military had to pay particular attention to certain external threats to the sovereignty of the Nation.

Under our current Constitution, Fiji's Military is charged with national security, defence, and also the well-being of Fiji's people. Under the circumstances, the military, under my stewardship, could not possibly see such an unacceptable situation unfold without seeking to address it.

Mr. President,

History is testament to how I did in fact respond to the situation. For almost four years I was strenuous in my efforts to constructively engage the elected leadership of the country, seeking it to reverse its courses of action that was taking the country down the path of destruction and abyss.

The protracted efforts that I had made to constructively engage with the previous Government came to no avail.

To the contrary, a prominent High Chief connected to the ruling SDL Party incited a mutiny within the Military, and attempts were made, not only to remove me, but also to eliminate me.

It was with the utmost of reluctance that Fiji's Military, under my leadership, removed the former government from power in December 2006.

There have been critics of this decision. In response to this criticism I say this. Fiji has a coup culture--- a history of civilian or military coups executed in the interests of a few and based on nationalism, racism and greed.

To remove this coup culture and to commit to democracy and the rule of law, policies which promote racial supremacy, and further the interests of economic and social elites, must be removed once and for all. Racism, elitism and disrespect for the law are undemocratic. They lead to hatred, violence, poverty and moral bankruptcy. We saw that in the years leading to World War TWO. We saw the genocide, the concentration camps, the rampant imperialism which resulted in turn, in the creation of the United Nations.

Mr. President,

Within a month of the removal of the previous government, the President of the Republic of Fiji resumed his constitutional authorities. On 5 January, 2007, the President appointed an Interim Government which is mandated to govern Fiji until a new government is duly elected.

With exception of myself, the make up of this Interim Government are all civilians. The Presidential mandate provides the framework within which the Interim Government, which I serve as Prime Minister, administers the affairs of the State.

We are resolved to take the measures necessary to convene a free and fair elections, as soon as practically possible. On this, the Interim Government is co-ordinating closely with Fiji’s Forum member countries and the larger international community including the European Union.

There has been steady progress made in a number of areas pertaining to upholding of the existing Constitution, investigation into the alleged abuse of human rights, maintaining the independence of the Judiciary and preparatory work for the return of Fiji to Parliamentary democracy.

Mr. President,

Fiji's situation is not only complex; its problems are deep-rooted and structural. There are no quick or easy fixes. The country now is at a very critical cross- road: its situation could escalate into more serious deterioration and instability. It is imperative that any such greater disaster or civil strife is averted.

We, therefore, seek constructive dialogue and engagement with the international community, with all our bilateral and multilateral development partners, who we urge to work with us, to help support us, in addressing our fundamental problems, in moving Fiji forward.

Fiji needs the support of the International Community to develop a political and governance framework that is truly democratic, accountable, inclusive, equitable, non-racial, and which unifies Fiji's diverse communities as a nation.

This is indeed the larger and the most critical of challenges which Fiji now faces.

For our part, we are firmly resolved to tackle these challenges at least at four levels:

1. to restore stability, law and order, and confidence;
2. to strengthen institutions for good governance including transparency and accountability and an independent and effectively functioning judiciary;
3. to carry out major reforms in the economy to facilitate sustainable private sector-led growth; and
4. to convene free and fair general elections within a constitutional and governance framework that will ensure that parliamentary democracy is not only restored but can be sustained in Fiji.

To achieve all this, the Interim Government is preparing to launch a major national initiative, referred to as "the Peoples Charter for Change and Progress" (PCCP). Through the PCCP, the broad cross section of Fiji's people will be fully engaged and involved, through consultation and participation to develop a comprehensive agenda of actions and measures, as Fiji's own way of addressing its problems.

For the future, Fiji will look at making the necessary legal changes in the area of electoral reform, to ensure true equality at the polls. At present, all citizens have the right to vote for two candidates, one for a national seat of any ethnicity, and another from a communal raced based seat. This in turn has kept our races apart.

Although democracy in the form of electing a government was introduced in Fiji at the time of Independence, researchers and analysts have suggested that "Fijians live in a democracy with a mentality that belongs to the chiefly system." In essence this means that at election time, Fijians living in village and rural areas are culturally influenced to vote for the candidate selected for them by their chiefs, their provincial councils and their church ministers.

Mr President, this leads me to ask the question whether or not the countries which are demanding Fiji to immediately return to democracy really understand how distorted and unfair our system is both legally and culturally.

This must change; every person will be given the right to vote for only one candidate, irrespective of race or religion. This will send a message out to our people that Fiji's leadership no longer tolerates racial divisions and race-based politics.

All men and women are equal in dignity and in rights. Electoral reform in this respect will be looked at by a National Council for Building a Better Fiji which is designed to entrench the very principle on which the United Nations was founded.

The draft Peoples Charter that will emerge from such a national level undertaking, will provide the political and governance framework, with effective supporting and functioning institutions, to make Fiji a truly democratic and progressive nation.

The draft of the PCCP proposal was circulated widely within the country, inviting comments and suggestions.

Also, Mr. President, I personally wrote to the leaders of Fiji's bilateral and multi-lateral development partners on the PCCP initiative. This included the UN Secretary-General.

I am pleased to report that this initiative has in general been received with very strong support within Fiji, in particular from highly reputable and respected civil society and community leaders in the country.

The Peoples Charter, once formulated and adopted, will provide the strategic framework or fundamental foundation within which the Interim Government, and also successive elected governments, will be expected to operate.

In the current absence of an elected Parliament, there is the issue of legitimacy and mandates. To deal with this, the Interim Government is willing to consider putting the draft Peoples Charter to a Referendum to get the mandate of the people for the fundamental changes, including changes to the Constitution of Fiji, as may be considered necessary and appropriate.

Mr. President,

Fiji needs both financial and technical support from its bilateral and multilateral development partners to be able to effectively realise the vision that underpins the PCCP initiative.

Above all, we seek the understanding of the International Community, to help us rebuild our nation within the true spirit of internationally acceptable precepts of good governance, and a democracy that can be made to work, and be sustained, in Fiji. We must also thank those Governments that have stood by and supported Fiji in our hour of need. Fiji is indeed very grateful and is deeply touched by your understanding and goodwill.

Some in the international community including the closest of our neighbours in the Pacific have seen it fit to impose punitive measures upon Fiji. Of course we know that these powerful States are protecting their own economic and political interest in the region. However, we in Fiji are protecting our rights to democracy, and to strengthening our democratic institutions. These powerful States are undermining our attempts to rebuild our nation on strong foundations, and undermining our attempts to appoint people of merit and honesty to our State institutions, regardless of race and religion. Current sanctions target any person appointed by the interim government. This is hypocrisy at its worst on part of those States as they are clearly undermining our efforts to promote and practice good governance.

These actions, such as the travel bans, described as “smart” sanctions, have had a debilitating impact on our struggles to revive, to recover, and to reform.

Good governance requires effective functioning institutions. Since the coups of 1987, Fiji has suffered a massive exodus abroad of the country’s skilled and educated people. The major beneficiaries of the transfer of these quality human assets have been Australia and New Zealand; and from these neighbours in particular, we seek understanding and support. Our capacities and institutions have been severely eroded over the years. On all of this, we desperately need help; not a closing of doors.

Mr. President,

Please allow me to conclude my statement by re-affirming Fiji's commitment to the United Nations, and to the various UN conventions on human rights, rule of law, and democratic governance. Fiji does not seek any unwarranted exemptions from any of these obligations. All we seek is your deeper understanding of our particular circumstances and the complex situation of Fiji. And we seek that you work with us, assist us to rebuild, and move Fiji forward.

In closing, I take this opportunity to extend to His Excellency, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, an invitation to Fiji and indeed our Pacific region during his tenure.

I wish you well, Mr. President.

TAXMAN & THE IG MINISTER

From: The Fiji Sun 8/15/2007 10:04:51 AM
(http://www.sun.com.fj/)

A minister in the Interim Government failed to lodge tax returns for three years and was later assessed $95,000 tax on undeclared income. The minister paid late lodgement penalties when the tax returns for 2000, 2001, and 2002 were finally delivered in 2003.

The records also show a dramatic increase in bank interest over the four years, indicating cash at bank building to more than $1 million.
All this material that came into my possession before the coup indicates that this particular minister may have evaded tax.

I have had the material examined by forensic accountants who indicated that while the files are entirely typical of tax evasion they do not by themselves prove it.
They said a thorough investigation would be necessary to establish the truth.
My file on the minister's tax affairs has been handed to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption.

My investigation covers income tax records covering a period of ten years.
In 2005, long before the current controversy that is raging over alleged tax evasion claims, I anonymously received a brown envelope whose contents clearly reveal that the Cabinet Minister had not submitted his annual tax returns for nearly three years, raising questions as to why FIRCA allowed him to do so because he was clearly in breach of the tax laws on submission of tax returns.

According to the records, the minister filed 2000, 2001 and 2002 returns together in late 2003 as all the original assessment notices were issued on 17 December 2003. The 2003 return was filed before 4 May, 2004.

FIRCA then issued amended assessments for all four years on 23 December 2004, presumably after audit and investigations. Many of the debit entries of assessments, penalties, and interest were credited (reversed) around or after those dates, as were the payments.

In January I began examining the documents on proving certain conclusions. I collaborated with overseas publications, which submitted the documents to forensic accountants who offered the view that while this kind of behaviour was entirely typical of attempted tax evasion they did not by themselves, prove tax evasion. More investigation was needed on that front.

We however found that the Cabinet minister in question did not submit returns for three years.

The tax records relating to this individual also reveal late payments, penalties, and negotiations to bring down payments, and huge lump sum payments and negotiated settlements over the ten-year period, from 1994 to 2004. The record shows undeclared (omitted) income for each year. The audited ones show that there were penalties on the Minister for late payments. They also show that some of the penalties were, supposedly as a result of negotiation, reversed.It must be pointed out that it is not possible to identify sources of this alleged income from these documents. That can only be identified from the actual returns submitted or as tracked by FIRCA from their own investigations, demands to banks for disclosure etc. The ten years of records show a huge increase in deposits held by the Cabinet minister, which were allegedly undeclared. This keeps increasing each year, according to the records. Assuming salary was the minister's only fixed income, the question is where did the increases in the minister’s bank deposits each year come from? FIRCA would not be interested in the source but only that one received income and he or she must pay taxes on it.

There were two payments made by the minister to FIRCA. The two entries that are most significant are the large payments made in 2004 and 2005. On 10 November, 2004, one payment of $86,069.62, under receipt number 5093831, was made to FIRCA. On 21 June 2005, another payment of $9,684.14, under receipt number 5142483, was made. The total of the two tax amounts paid by the minister and receipted is $95,753.76. These are, according to experienced English tax assessors, very large payments by a mere politician. These are negotiated settlements for undeclared income, which the Cabinet minister could not argue out of with the Fiji taxman. The large number of assessments and charges imposed also show FIRCA "discovering" undeclared income. These two payments, at a top tax rate of 32 per cent in Fiji, represent undeclared income of around $300,000.

In observing investigative journalism guidelines, I had also sent a series of questions to the Cabinet minister concerned for answers or explanations but I am yet to receive a reply. As to Section 4 of the Income Tax Act, while the Act provides confidentiality to the taxpayer, it also requires that the taxpayer honestly declare his or her income. The law also requires that the taxpayer submit returns annually.

WHEN THE SHARKS MEET IN A BLOODY FRENZY

Thakur Ranjit Singh, Auckland, New Zealand

It was an eventful annual convention Fiji Law Society at the posh five stars Sheraton Resort in Nadi, over the weekend of 21-22 July, 2007. Why at such an expensive location?

With poverty rife in Fiji, the legal profession still gets between $250 - $600 per hour. Therefore, this presented a legitimate means to write off a leisurely weekend as business expense. While that is good for those “millionaire lawyers”, this was the reason why miserably paid government lawyers and those in statutory authorities could not attend due to the hefty $1000 registration charge. This was in reply to lament of the top guns of the society on the absence of government lawyers in the convention.

It was indeed an interesting meeting with all guns blazing, and which also can be said to be a bloody affair, with so much bad blood between and amongst those in the legal profession.

Indeed, bloody is the term, because in Fiji, we do not hesitate to liken lawyers to sharks. There is a common joke going around grog bowls, in religious mandalis (groups) and at drinking spots that if you throw a lawyer in shark-infested waters, he/she will not be attacked by the shark. The reason? Professional courtesy, as one shark normally does not attack the other!

What this reveals is that legal profession, in Fiji does not rate very high in image and standing. One would rather have more faith and trust in a real estate agent or a secondhand car salesman, than a lawyer in Fiji. Therefore Fiji Law Society’s (FLS’s) holier than though attitude is questionable.

What we hear is that they will shoot from hips to suspended, debar or censure those members who it deems were giving advice to the military, or are sympathetic with the cleanup process, while ignoring what its own history tells.

Prior to December 5, 2006, they were blind to questionable advice that one of their former debarred and suspended lawyers had been giving to a government, which had more faith in those with checkered past, questionable characters and criminal records than clean, honest people.

Were the big lawyers and their law firms on the payroll of SDL government and were expediently quiet about the wrongs that were going in the country? Could not their cry for potential rape of democracy and other draconian legislations going against the principle of social justice have been of higher decibel rather than meek sighs?

If Fiji Law Society of the past had stronger spine and disciplinary procedures, then they would have ensured that any lawyer found in dereliction of duty to clients, rule of law and justice, abusing its trust and trust fund should be prosecuted and banned for life. They should not be unleashed on the community to further abuse our trust. But their indiscretion allowed such a lawyer to become adviser to Fiji government, posing as its unelected Attorney General. If anything that is responsible for Fiji’s current plight, it is the wanting legal advice to the government and crooked ways these advice were given to release convicted persons, and draft questionable legislation while the essential ones, like Code of Conduct were left waiting.


If Fiji Law Society wishes to redeem itself for spinelessness of its past, then it needs to accept the reality of the situation and assist wherever it can, and not prevent any assistance in rescuing the country from its current situation. It cannot completely absolve itself of errors of omission in letting things slip through to such an extent that we find ourselves in now. Nowhere does a Military Commander give some 18 months notice for a pending take over of the government. Where were then the bigwigs of the Fiji Law Society? If they were so concerned about the country, why did they not advice the regime with wanting and credible legal advice of the right way to proceed to avoid what we have on our hands now? Were they too engrossed in making money from the state and other arms of government? If Fiji Law Society cannot do any good, it should not stop anybody else from doing so either.

Back to Fiji Law Convention at the five stars Sheraton over the weekend and the professional courtesy of the sharks.

Yes, indeed, normally one shark does not attack the other. However things are far from normal in Fiji, especially in and around the legal fraternity, and allegations of divisions within the judiciary and the law society itself. Therefore one shark biting the other could not be avoided.

Two lawyers lashed out at each other during a heated discussion on the role of lawyers in upholding and defending human rights. Lawyer Rajendra Chaudhry labelled a comment by lawyer Imrana Jalal as ‘not true’ when she said that Rajendra Chaudhry was in his nappies when she advocated against the 1987 coup and called on lawyers to uphold rule of law despite whoever was in power. She even accused lawyers of having a confused delirium when it came to defining the meaning of rule of law.

Such dind dong or rather gnawing and biting was to be expected. One happens to be the son of Fiji Labour Party leader and Interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhary while the other happens to be the wife of Sakiusa Tausolia, the sacked Chief Executive Officer of Airports Fiji Limited! Indeed chemistry for an explosion!

The division among the lawyers was quite evident when some lawyers expressed support for Rajendra Chaudhry when he said that lawyers stood by and watched while the ousted SDL led government made decisions that were not right by law.

“Where was the legal fraternity on the issue of good governance, sadly you chose to stand by and watch, we must apply ourselves in what we believe in,” he had said

The former Fiji Law Society president, Graham Leung also came up with guns blazing aimed at his fellow lawyers. He accused them of sleeping while the rule of law had been raped and the judiciary tinkered with.

Perhaps what I wanted to question Leung and others was very sensibly and appropriately expressed by another veteran lawyer Tevita Fa. He accused the lawyers of flouting with the events of December last year and that it had now become “sexy” for lawyers to talk about human rights abuses. Lawyer Fa poked the conscience and questioned the sincerity of lawyers by accusing them of using the expressions of human rights abuses following the takeover as a means to promote themselves. He questioned them where were they when human rights abuses took place before the December takeover.

Prior to December 2006, Fiji had gone through a charade of democracy when the country was dragged into a racial chasm, divisive politics, financial and moral bankruptcy, cronyism and favouratism for the criminal elements responsible for rape of democracy in the past.

Indeed, the cream of Fiji Law Society executives and other senior lawyers with over $500 per hour charge fee have lost all moral rights and justifications to question or pontificate on rule of law when they either gained from or stood silently during the events prior to December 5, 2006, and exposed the ethical bankruptcy of the law body.

Yes, indeed, even sharks cannot have the blood and transfuse it too!

(E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz )

(About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is an Auckland based community worker, human rights activist and commentator and analyst on Fiji issues. The views are his own and not necessarily of this paper)

NZ PM OFFENDS 30-MILLION+ OVER FIJI

By Maggie McNaughton
NZ Herald

Leprosy Mission NZ are shocked at Helen Clark's 'insensistive and discriminatory' use of the word 'leper'.
A throwaway line has landed the Prime Minister in hot water after she was accused of offending 30 million leprosy sufferers.

Helen Clark came under fire after she said Fijian coup leader Frank Bainimarama would be "treated something like a leper" if he attended the Pacific Islands Forum meetings.

Leprosy Mission New Zealand is demanding an apology from the Prime Minister to leprosy sufferers worldwide for her "shockingly inappropriate" comment and a promise that she never use the word "leper" again.

It is the second time that a casual remark has caused her problems.

In September, she was forced to apologise to people offended by her use of the word "cancerous" to describe Don Brash, National's then leader.

Helen Clark could not be reached for comment last night.

Leprosy Mission New Zealand executive director David Hill said yesterday that her use of the word leper was insensitive.

"[She] is promoting stigma and discrimination by using the word 'leper' when she means that Bainimarama will be ostracised by the South Pacific leaders," Mr Hill said.

Advertisement"Indicating that Bainimarama will be treated like a leper is degrading and insulting to the millions of people, who through no fault of their own, have had or have leprosy.

"Stigma such as this not only makes it more difficult for people to come forward for treatment, it often leads to human rights abuses.

"People affected by leprosy should be treated the same as everyone else - they are no different."

The World Health Organisation says there were 8646 registered cases of leprosy in the western Pacific region in 2005.

In September, Helen Clark's description of her political opponent as a "corrosive and cancerous person within the New Zealand political system" backfired.

ADMIN: And this from the PM of NZ !!!

A Herald-DigiPoll survey found that 73.6 per cent of people thought the comment was "not okay".

"I'm sorry if people have taken offence," she said at the time. "But clearly it is not a description one applies to people with cancer.

ADMIN: Yeah right !!!

"I think people should consult their dictionaries."

UNIONS KILLING THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG

Thakur Ranjit Singh, Auckland, New Zealand

I was amused to hear the statement of one of the unions going on proposed national strike. Fiji nurses Association Secretary believes that the nationwide strike would be a message to the interim administration that the plight of workers needs to be heard and looked into.

Perhaps the trade union movement in Fiji will care to tell us who hears and looks into the plight and pathetic pay, exploitation and abuse of bulk of Fiji’s non unionized workforce and poor people in the informal sector, who do not have full year’s job, let alone having a union. And how about those without jobs who cannot worry about 5% pay cut because there is nothing to cut from! The failure of union movement in Fiji to unionize and protect the vulnerable, unprotected employees in the mostly locally- owned retail and private manufacturing and commercial workers is a shame on the trade union movement.

This is a wake up call for Public Sector unions which have been draining the scarce funds from national coffers made worse by an incompetent leadership, which abdicated common sense and prudence to govern by agreeing to union demands that would have led to bankruptcy. This expedient action in appeasing the unions by signing away money that the government could not afford to pay was a reflection of sort of blinkered - mentality leadership that would have resulted in economic doomsday for Fiji had it not been for the event of 5 December, 2006.

Fiji government was run like a failing and ailing village cooperative store, heading towards receivership and bankruptcy. Like handing tins of fish free to your kins, the last government signed away pay increases to buy industrial peace. No wonder, despite so much racism, concerns and unfair treatment in public service, there were hardly any objections from the now vocal union leaders who were bought with an undeserving and affordable pay rise.

The pay rise was undeserving because it was never linked to performance which to date is pathetic. The CEO of a government (Prime Minister) which spends 40% on civil service pay, 45 % on debt servicing, with only 15% left for development has no moral right to lead the nation. This is because it can go only one way – just like National Bank of Fiji, to bankruptcy. The nation’s economy can no longer sustain such a large public service that has little sympathy for national interest. Any government which on the eve of election commits to further pay increase despite such mismanaged national wealth does not deserve to govern. Unions that apparently gained from such callous management style of the government by being party to this crime on the nation also do not deserve any sympathy!

The leadership of trade union movement in Fiji has taken as elitist position. In fact I distinctly recall my days in Fiji Employers Federation (FEF) where the employer group was referred to as the poor organisation of rich employers while trade union movement in Fiji is referred to as a rich organisation of poor people.

You only need to look at the lucrative remuneration of the trade union leaders who are threatening to take the ailing country’s economy to ransom by abusing the freedom of association provision and playing Russian roulette with us. They either drive a union BMW vehicle, top of the range Mitsubishi or four wheel drive vehicles which the members paying the subscription can only dream of. On top of that most would be nearer to the remuneration package of Permanent Secretaries, if not exceeding that. While the workers were forced to take a 5% pay cut, none of them were prepared to lead by example and impose this restraint within their pay.

When the country goes on strike and normal Tomasi, Daya Ram and Harry would lose their day’s pay, the union leaders would not have lost anything - they will get their full pay. It is this elitist group that makes decisions affecting their remuneration, so their interest is very well protected, and out of tune with normal workers they represent.

You also need to ask these leaders how many air miles or air points have they amassed at union and /or taxpayers expense in attending umpteenth trade union meetings around the globe. How many times have they been to Geneva, Bangkok, Singapore, Turin (Italy), Manila, Kuala Lumpur and other parts of the world? It would be so numerous. One be may just ask, why aren’t those training and exposure opportunities shared with other lower ranked union officials and members who should also taste and experience the rich and leisurely life of their leaders. You may also care to ask what sense of responsibility they have learnt from so many overseas jaunts in how to manage trade union movement in a developing and ailing economy. What will they gain by killing the goose that lays the golden egg? No worker can gain by bringing financial and economic misery to their employers; you do not need to go to Geneva or Bangkok to learn this cardinal truth.

The country had gone through similar difficulties in 1987 and 2000 and workers were prepared to shoulder the sacrifices for the sake of the country. So what has changed now?

It is wrong for Fiji’s trade union movement to mislead us by saying that the economic situation is in dire straits because of military’s actions on 5 December. In fact we are thankful for the intervention or else Fiji would have been a failed state. We are thankful that our pension funds at FNPF have been rescued, and other incompetent and ailing institutions will be improved to retain and save jobs. Trade union movement should be thankful for this at least, rather than blaming the plight of Fiji on the military action.

On the retirement age, perhaps FNPF and the union movement can tell us, of the 4,000 or so members over 55 who are still working, how many have withdrawn their FNPF and invested it (or wasted it) or are getting pension as well as pay. So why should we allow greedy individuals to have double benefits while we have qualified teenagers striving to enter the job market. Fiji’s economy just cannot sustain it, and if people reaching 55 are unable to manage their financial position after years of working and with FNPF funds, then they should not expect the country to owe them a living. The nation also has a duty of care to younger population struggling to enter the job market.

My advice to the government is, let the strike go ahead. The military has ventured to clean up the country, and cleaning up the union movement should also be its aim. While I appreciate the efforts of trade unions in protecting specific rights of the workers, Fiji’s union movement needs to appreciate its wider national obligations and responsibilities. They are not operating in Europe, UK, Australia or NZ but are in a developing third world economy with many problems and massive unemployment. The government and Fiji’s economy cannot sustain this undeserving bulging payroll bill that eats up all development funds. That is the reason for our falling and failing infrastructure, medical services, water, roads and other economic and social ills.

Therefore the strike must go ahead for at least three reasons. Firstly, for every day’s strike, taxpayers will save about $200,000, carry it for a week and we are better off by $1m which we could channel towards improving medical facilities, and make sure some of it goes to my birthplace at Ba Government (Methodist Mission) Hospital.

Secondly, when civil servants are on strike, only then will we appreciate how well things could run with so few workers.

Finally, it will be a good excuse to teach the union movement about its responsibility to the nation and other people who are not even fortunate to hold a job, let alone go on strike which could kill the golden goose that feeds them the golden egg.

Therefore I urge the Interim Government to stop meeting the unions which have already made up their minds to go on strike, and alert Fiji’s people to prepare in advance to ride through the strike.

Those union members with conscience and feeling of national obligations may opt out from the strike. They can be part of the conscientious workforce that recognizes the wider meaning of union solidarity in a third word country with an ailing economy and a national purse that is fast running empty.

Go ahead, make my day; go on strike. God save Fiji. Let us all help God in saving Fiji.

E-Mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz
(About the author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is an Auckland-based third generation Indo Fijian migrant community worker, a commentator on Fiji affairs, a human rights activist and an advocate of good governance.)

WHEN A DEMOCRACY IS NOT A DEMOCRACY ?

Thakur Ranjit Singh, Auckland, New Zealand

Every man and his dog, and their leaders in New Zealand, Australia, USA, United Kingdom, EU and other corners of the Pacific and the world are crying for elections in Fiji.

It appears that these gurus and proponents of democracy simply believe that democracy measured by elections is panacea and solutions to all problems in Fiji. As Father Kelvin Barr, a learned commentator and respected Reverend and elder in Fiji recently said, the great flurry of activity in hastily pushing Fiji to supposedly democratic elections has become very interesting and perhaps amusing. It seems the international community and the supporters of democracy think that no sooner Fiji holds elections and returns to democracy than all its problems will be over. All the international organisations will accept it with open arms, there would be great rejoicing and partying and international community will sit back satisfied that democracy has been restored in Fiji.

It is such a great pity that what we learn from history is that we do not learn anything from history. By now, Fiji and the world should have learnt that democracy measured by elections is not a panacea.

History is repeating itself in Fiji. After coups of 1987 and 2000, similar pressures were exerted on Fiji to return to parliamentary democracy as quickly as possible. This happened and the international community was overjoyed to welcome Fiji back into the democratic fold. But Fiji’s basic problems were not solved by mere elections. When these problems raised their ugly head under a racist, nepotistic and corrupt Qarase regime that was dragging the country to economic and moral decay and bankruptcy, the international community which had urged Fiji towards elections were in deep slumber. The now vocal neighbours New Zealand and Australia seemed unconcerned.

No fact finding missions came from the Commonwealth or the UN. No Eminent Persons were selected to look into the problems. Helen Clark, Winston Peters, John Howard and Alexander Downer did little to put pressure on a racist regime to act in the interests of all its citizens and deliver social justice that a democracy was supposed to deliver to all its people, irrespective of race and social status. New Zealand was in a state of deep democratic slumber because they had seen to it that a democratically elected government was in place and that was all that was required. They were only jolted to reality when the horse had already bolted and they hastily ran to lock the stable door by sending a special air force jet to Fiji to fetch Qarase and set up a king maker and peace-broker deal in Wellington. When Bainimarama refused to agree to the sleepy deal, that incident became the sour grape for Helen Clark and Winston Peters. Therefore the unprecedented vindictive venom against Fiji in general and Bainimarama in particular by them and their unforgiving and inflexible attitude towards Fiji is understandable.

But how about the fundamental problems in Fiji that are the root cause of the so called coup culture? Who will go to the bottom of that? Nobody seems to be interested in the multitudes of fundamental issues that Father Kelvin Barr had identified in his recent writing. Among them are the agenda of the nationalist who want Fiji for Fijians and declare Fiji a Christian state, the racially explosive mix of fundamentalist religion and extreme nationalism found in Assembly of Christian Churches in Fiji which has a strong influence on the political and social process, the inherent conflicts and tensions within Fijian chiefly families and confederacies, the culture of corruption, nepotism and cronyism, the economic policy which makes rich richer and poor poorer and the racially divisive electoral process.
Apart from the above, there is an urgent need of a well conducted census and leading from that, creation of fair and proper electoral boundaries. And most fundamental of all is the voter education about the nature and purpose of democracy.

Mere timetables for elections are not permanent solutions to Fiji’s problems. What we need is serious consideration and strategies to address the fundamental problems identified above. That is what Frank Bainimarama and the Interim Administration has been working towards. However, the international community has been so obsessed with the elections and democracy that they are blind to see the fundamental ills that the clean-up process is supposed to address. Setting up of the Council for Building a Better Fiji for All is a positive step in this direction, to attempt to root out the evils of the coup culture.

The recent statement from the deposed Prime Minister against this charter from his safety and exile in Mavana in Lau is understandable. This is because such a charter and clean up will remove the fodder of deceit and racial divisiveness which has been putting Qarase’s fundamentalist nationalist party in power under the guise of democracy. It is guise of democracy because in remote villages there is little semblance of democracy, people vote who the chiefs tell them to vote. In addition the nationalist propaganda and handout mentality under the guise of the racist affirmative action ensures that the vote could be easily bought at taxpayer expense from improvised simple villagers. The poverty in rural and urban Fiji have gone from bad to worse under past nationalist regimes where a new breed of rich favoured indigenous Fijians, the Fijian Holdings club, have been getting richer and have now created a new Fijian elite under Qarase regime. They have been the recipients of fruits of the racist affirmative action! Apart from New Zealand’s myopic views on Fiji, Australia’s John Howard has also revealed his hypocrisy.

In trying to tackle child-abuse crisis plaguing many indigenous communities, Australian Prime Minister Howard last week has moved to take over the Northern Territories Aboriginal lands and effectively strip thousands of indigenous people of their fundamental human rights.

John Howard has justified his breach of constitution with a simple rhetoric: “"What matters more, the Constitutional niceties, or the care and protection of young children?"

How conveniently he forgets: "What matters more, the Constitutional niceties, or saving Fiji from total corruption, financial and moral bankruptcy and heading towards social upheaval?"

Michael Green, the expelled High Commissioner from Fiji might have been doing what his Government asked but did his Government have the right to ask Green to go to subordinate officers and encourage them to overthrow Bainimarama? Was that legal, ethical, moral or under any convention?

They got it wrong in Solomons. They got it wrong in Tonga. They believe the 20 to 30 year old green NGO staff who have little real life experience, have no idea of what makes a country tick, have no understanding of economics and have no long-term vision. Yet they are the ones who write up any kind of reports to maintain their pay, flow of funds and New Zealand and Australia take such jaundiced reports as the gospel truth. Fiji is going to be the same: bullied into submission while corruption/economic destruction takes it on the road to Zimbabwe's hyper inflation! Now, wouldn't that be in interest of Australia and New Zealand?

It is essential for Australia and New Zealand to understand how democracy works in third world poor countries and how the leaders there can exploit it for their personal and political gains while showing all the niceties of a democratic government. The SDL Governments showed this deceit in the past.

Therefore should New Zealand and Australia wish to know more about the Pacific, they need to employ some Pacific and Fiji migrants in their Foreign Affairs to understand the Pacific, not second hand from teenage NGO staff or shoddily fed from their High Commission’s cocktail- circuit- blazing and night –club partying staff. Furthermore, it is in interest of New Zealand and Australia to make Fiji into a vibrant and thriving democracy like them. To do this they should stop kicking Fiji in the teeth and give it a helping hand.

Like her big brother neighbour and John Howard, Helen Clark also needs to ask: What matters more, the Constitutional niceties, or promoting and strengthening democracy in Fiji and removing the underlying reasons for the coup culture? The ball now is in New Zealand’s court to show its political and regional maturity in strengthening a fledging democracy in Fiji.

E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz
(About the author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is an Auckland-based third generation Indo Fijian community worker, a commentator on Fiji affairs, a human rights activist and an advocate of good governance.)

ITS HAPPENED - FHL & FDB UNDER MICROSCOPE

We reported some time ago the corruption at the FHL and the FDB with Qarase as the pivotal link between these organisations, as well as the 2000 coup. Now the FICAC has finally raided these organisations. Read the backgorund story here.