Dialogue Fiji and its head, Nilesh Lal, have thrown a big spanner into the Coalition government’s blueprint to change the 2013 Constitution with a statement criticising its plan to remove the requirement for a referendum of voters and rely solely on a vote in Parliament to push through its agenda.
It is clear that however much the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, appeals for bipartisan support from MPs and the community to alter the supreme law, it isn’t going to happen when the government has already spearheaded an assault on the Constitution that its critics are casting as unfair and unlawful.
Read on to appreciate the uphill battle the Coalition now faces to get its Bill through the Parliament and the pressure that will be on the four members of the ex-FijiFirst Group of 16 who have defied their parliamentary colleagues and voted with the government for change. They are already being described as “snakes” and “traitors” and this will merely isolate them further.
Nilesh Lal makes the point that the constitutional amendment process depends on trust.
The recent National Security & Defence Review team reported that there is a lack of public trust in politicians and in the various institutions of Government, especially the Judiciary.
So that ‘hinge’ that Lal refers to as being essential for the credibility of the constitutional amendment process, is not there ! The Government is proceeding without the critical element of TRUST
“I have the means”, prominent lawyer Richard Naidu, has vanished.
Is it him giving silent advice to Graham Leung?
Let’s get one thing straight, abiding by the law or doing things legally is not in the books of the coalition.
Constitution will be reviewed by hook or crook. The minorities will be reduced to second class citizens. Those that were in full support of Biman and Rabuka will eat the humble pie and our country will be thrown to the dawgs.
Congratulations to all who wanted change and voted for change especially Richard Naidu, Shame i ma Ali, Nirmal Singh, Nilesh Lal and many others.
For the rest of you, educate your kids and migrate them overseas. That’s the best bet.
The likes of Nirmal have always been a nothing and a nobody, with overpowering egos leading to meglomaniac self importance.
Such Indo-Fijians are such a blight on society, hurling verbal turds they believe to be pearls of wisdom yet not realising that they represent nobody.
If only all these traitors looked in the mirror they would see the assholes that they really are.
Good for him for speaking out, as none of the other CSOs have. FCOSS? FWRM? FWCC? CCF? And how about the Fiji Law Society? They used to be vocal about all sorts of issues, especially when it was difficult to speak up, now when we are supposedly free, nothing.
Is their stance that the “ends justify the means” (no more “We support the cause but not the means” fakery from previous coups) as the new government spin doctor recently posted on a social media platform? Be rid of the imposed Constitution by all means necessary?
History will show that that kind of thinking is a slippery slope to navigate. Maybe they’re using all the access they have to the current government to work behind the scenes to raise their concern- failingly if so. Hoping this is just a delay on their part, and their press releases are imminent.
Don’t worry about FWCC and FWRC. The CEOs must be busy parading somewhere in orange and black, shoving their obese selves with more food, wasting donor money, creating “awareness,” lighting more candles.
Our nation is in a state of dire crisis in gender violence because of these two organisations too.
So where are people like ASK and Bai? Why aren’t they speaking up?
Where is the RFMF who talked big and were the guardians of the Constitution? Getting paid to polish their boots!
This shitshow is the reason we must STOP VOTING FOR ALL COUP LEADERS. End of story. Our children deserve better than this last 40 years of living in a hell hole.
@ Stupidness
ASK and his lapdog Frank, like rats deserting a sinking ship, have abandoned ship. GD too was once one of the first rats to jump ship.
The RFMF have changed course since Kalouniwai took the helm. They, correctly, have left it to the politicians to sort out the politics.
The Minister has already made it clear that the RFMF will no.longer intervene in politics.
So as they say in Fiji “ciqoma, jiloma”. Stop wasting your time calling for military intervention.
Cheers
The observation about the conspicuous silence from civil society groups, trade unions, professional associations, and academics etc whose job it is to analyze and pronounce is extremely relevant.
Obviously the Felix Anthonies and Rajeshwar Singhs of this world have been in bed with Agni Deo Singh, and have now lost their independence and integrity. The Women’s organisations seem to be influenced by their own personal relationships with delinquents like Lynda Tabuya etc to have the courage to say anything on such matters of national importance. And many NGOs seem so colored by their own racial prejudices that they are also hoping they may be the beneficiaries of the ethno-nationalistic agenda of the Rabuka lead coalition of the greedy.
Added to this list are the religious and social organisations. Where are the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Sanata Dharam, Sangam, Muslim League, the Catholic and Methodist Churches who preach about equality, fairness and human values?
Has Rabuka won over all these groups who seem to have sold their souls to remain in business?
There was writing on the wall earlier but they chose to keep quiet.
Now things are changing, they are speaking up but I think the wheels are in motion and it is hard to stop unless a huge spanner is put into the works.