As Grubsheet flagged four days ago, two NFP ministers in the government – the Defence Minister, Pio Tikoduadua and the Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran – have ratted on the party and will vote “yes” in Friday’s parliamentary vote on the new draft constitution.
Both have rejected appeals from the NFP leader, Biman Prasad, to vote “no” until major changes are made to the document and have turned their backs on him and the party that brought them into government in the first place.
Their defiance has put Biman Prasad in an impossible position. He is entitled under the 2013 Constitution to sack both ministers for defying a party instruction. But because their positions can no longer be filled with replacements this close to an election, expelling them from the parliament would play right into Sitiveni Rabuka’s hands. Fewer members of parliament and a greater chance of prevailing.
Yet if Biman Prasad doesn’t remove Turncoat Pio and Turncoat Sashi, he will come across as inexcusably weak. All along, he has said the constitutional process must not be rushed yet they have defied the NFP’s position and voted for a rush even greater than the process in 2013.
They must be sacked or Biman loses all credibility. Already labouring under the common perception that he is an indecisive leader, this is his final chance to show the nation some backbone and take a stand for principle.
It is a striking betrayal of the NFP and its supporters, to whom Pio Tikoduadua and Sashi Kiran owe everything – the trust placed in them in the first place and their lucrative cabinet positions in the Coalition. Yet being branded traitors and pariahs seems less important to both of them than the lure of remaining as ministers in a Rabuka government amid widespread speculation that the NFP will fail to make the 5 per cent threshold come election day.
What is the other remaining NFP cabinet minister, Lenora Qereqeretabua, planning to do? There were reports last night that she too was defying Biman Prasad by choosing to abstain from voting but these have not been confirmed. Yet what it all means is that the Prime Minister now has the numbers to pass a constitution which is being widely regarded as flawed.
The smart money is giving Rabuka 37 votes – one more than he needs to pass the second reading of Bill No 32, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill. It’s a margin he wouldn’t have without the support of Pio Tikoduadua and Sashi Kiran. So, yes, unless they have a last-minute change of heart, they are unquestionably poised to enter the history books as turncoats.
In the case of Sashi Kiran – the woman who entered parliament for the NFP in 2022 wearing the mantle of popular heroine for her work for the disadvantaged and was even dubbed “Saint Sashi of Kiran” in these columns – the betrayal is especially egregious. Why on earth has she done it? It’s a question that will weigh heavily on Sashi Kiran’s personal standing in the community from now on.
According to someone who knows her, she evidently regards it as a big win for the Girmitiyas to be referenced in the preamble of the draft bill. That is all well and good. But what is really triggering disgust is the Minister for Children choosing to support a new supreme law that allows the nation’s young people to be beaten. Yes, a return to corporal punishment in Fiji’s schools. And for many of Sashi’s former admirers in civil society, that betrayal is genuinely unforgivable.
So what is likely to happen today? If the pundits have the numbers wrong and the constitution bill is defeated, the Prime Minister has said he will immediately call a snap election. That would be a disaster for parties like Frank Bainimarama‘s One Nation, which simply aren’t ready to fight a snap poll.
Yet assuming the pundits are right, the following is what happens in the event that the PM secures the predicted 37 votes.
- The draft constitution bill moves to its “third reading” in 30 day’s time – the first week of November.
- In the intervening month, parliament pores over the document and changes can and should be made. The draft, for instance, arguably gives ultimate power to the chiefs over elected MPs through their control of the Senate. And incredibly, it paves the way for Fiji to be broken up by allowing an independence vote for the people of Rotuma (a separate story on this shock move to come).
- Then the “third reading” – a final vote on the Constitution in the first week of November which again requires a two-thirds majority. And if that passes, the document approved by parliament goes to a referendum of all voters.
- Can that referendum be held in Fiji and the diaspora by the current deadline of December 10 to enable the new constitution to come into law on the scheduled date of Christmas Eve? There are already grave doubts that this can be achieved.
- Why? According to some election experts, it is simply all too rushed and the margin for error too great. If, for instance, any political parties were to challenge the conduct of the referendum, it could easily end up in the Court of Disputed Returns and not be ratified until well into next year.
- Yet what will really stun many Fijians is that even if the new constitution is proclaimed on Christmas Eve, it doesn’t come into effect until March 31, 2028 – 17 months from now, 15 months from Christmas Eve 2026.
- That means that the 2013 Constitution remains the nation’s supreme law – all of it. And the coming election will be fought on the terms of the 2013 Constitution – the d’Hondt system of “big man” politics and one national electorate instead of the individual constituencies provided for in the new draft.
- And guess who is destined to benefit most of all from that? Yep, the only big man still standing – Rolex Rambo. As we’ve repeatedly said, it is what he has wanted all along. And what he has got.
Of course, the delay in implementing the new Constitution – assuming it is passed – means not only that Fiji will be going to the polls by the end of the first week of February, as the 2013 Constitution prescribes, nothing else will be changing as well.
And for the next 15 months between Christmas Eve 2026 and March 31 2028, there is nothing to stop an incoming government, formed after the election, to make further changes to the new Constitution. All it needs to do is fulfill the criteria for change laid down in the existing supreme law – a two-thirds majority in the parliament and a 51 per cent majority in a referendum of all voters.
So incredibly, the 2026 Constitution (as it will be known despite not taking effect until the end of March 2028) isn’t set in stone. In fact it may prove to be even less enduring, less long-lasting, than the 2013 version, assuming the required vote is achieved for it to be junked.
If your head isn’t already spinning like mine, Dear Reader, there are even more shocks to come. Because buried in the draft document is an extraordinary measure that would smash Fiji’s borders and the nation’s territorial integrity. And that is a provision in the supreme law to give the people of Rotuma the opportunity to vote for independence.
It is madness of the first order that places almost all the other provisions of this draft – except perhaps the power it gives the chiefs – completely in the shade. Because in a world in which nations fight hard to keep their borders and people together (such as Papua New Guinea’s long struggle against independence for Bougainville) Rabuka and his goons think nothing of giving Rotuma away.
We’ll be examining the grave implications of that in a future article. But it is a blunder of historic proportions that simply must not happen yet is so far going completely unremarked.
Former military men in the parliament like Rabuka, Ioane Naivalurua, Viliame Naupoto and Pio the Turncoat should be in the front line of defending the nation’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the sanctity of our borders and instead will vote today to break up our country.
Where does it all end? Are the Banabans of Rabi next? They’re not iTaukei either. Are the Tuvalu people of Kioa Island next? They’re not iTaukei. Or maybe the Tui Nayau will decide that he and his people are more Tongan than iTaukei and get the Lauans to vote for independence.
And then there’s the notorious “Rabble Rousing Rascals of Ra” – as the former DPP, Christopher Pryde called them – who tried to set up their own country and were crushed. Or maybe the “Indians” in Fiji deserve a separate nation linked to mother India. The point is that history tells us this doesn’t end. Rotuma today, Rabi tomorrow. And then?
What on earth are these politicians thinking? And why is the RFMF Commander, Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai, standing by mute while Fiji is broken up on the basis of race? On top of the torture and murder of Jone Vakarisi up at the Camp that Kalouniwai chooses to ignore, he now turns a blind eye to the partition of the country.
This is not defending Fiji, as the 2013 Constitution requires him to do, but the Balkanisation of the nation that will make it weaker and carries the risk of further claims for autonomy and partition.
A complete disgrace.
At the crossroads alright.
A process so forced and rushed that Parliament sat until 1.40 am this morning (Friday).
The following Facebook posting from the head of the Centre for Democracy and Dialogue raises serious questions about the entire exercise.
The threat the PM is wielding if the draft isn’t passed.
*
Remember how all those itaukei supremacists, wannabe freedom fighters, FWCC and NFP and their supporters were crying that the 2013 Constitution was forced onto them?
The 2026 Constitution aptly fits that description, not only it is unlawful but there to protect Great Council of Thieves.
So basically Biman and NFP has no choice but to let the bill pass at the 2nd reading and try their best at making the changes they want at the committee stage in the 30 days before the final reading. I think NFP will launch a full on public campaign in that time, garnering the support of the public which will hopefully dissuade Pio, Sashi, Lenora, and the 4 Indo-Fijian members of the G11 from supporting the bill at the 3rd reading.
With Biman being included in the constitution committee, it seems that NFP has accepted the fact that the bill will pass the second and third readings and will try to negotiate for the changes they want.
And if NFP isn’t able to get the changes they are pushing for through, they will probably issue a directive to vote against the bill at the third reading and fire any MP that goes against it and take that political leverage and momentum into elections.
With the reaction on social media on Pio and Sashi voting for the bill being 2/3 in support of them, it seems that the bill will pass regardless of any party directive and Sashi and Pio can take the sympathy from being fired for voting for the constitution into the next elections.
Will NFP or Sashi and Pio gain more votes from the firing if they vote against party directives? Either way, NFP is stuck in a political trap unless the Indo-Fijian G11 members of Sachida Nand and Shalen Kumar vote against the bill.
How can a country possibly move forward when it brings back a system that legally allows parents and teachers to physically assault children, at will.
As has been seen when you beat people, like accused drug dealers, there is a fine line that can be crossed, and they die.
How long before a really bad parent or overly agrevied teacher steps over that line and a child dies?
No civilised country in the world would, in this day and age, give the right to anyone to physically attack a child for any reason. This is barbaric and parents nationwide should not send their children to school until the law was changed, if this goes through.
There’s a good chance that New Zealand and Australia could and should step in and withold any monetary handouts to Fiji until this draconian law is removed, forever!!
Wake up FIJI, you have already made it onto the headlines around the world for the cocaine theft abomination and now you want to highlight to the world that you want to restart the beating of your future sons and daughters, and make it lawful. GET REAL.
Bingo you anticipated well in advance GD.
So welcome to the register of traitors.
A country full of liumuri, lawaki and what more.
Every word that comes out from this so called prominent people in this country, please take it in its opposite form and you will have the right answer.
Fiji is marred with sinners, corrupt to core, liars, betrayers,haters intellectually disabled people.
Guess what but these are the people running the show reh.
I invite Salman Rashdie to write a book on Fijis politics with the name “Satanic Politics” of Fiji.
Sa Rauta. Rauta saranga.
Maybe Sashi Kiran has been placed in the invidious position of support the current Rabuka circus or else the following will warrant further investigation:
“the registered history of the $580,000 Bakshi Street property that Kiran disclosed in her statutory declaration but inherited from the late Dr Mridula Prasad”
https://www.fijileaks.com/home/as-sashi-kiran-rules-out-a-second-term-the-untold-story-of-the-580000-property-she-inherited-from-the-late-dr-mridula-prasad-and-the-role-of-richard-naidu-munro-leys-in-facilitating-the-legal-transfer-of-the-house
Do I smell a rat?
She declared it so there is no suggestion of wrongdoing. There is enough to smell a rat in her defection to Rabuka without trying to summon non-existent rats from elsewhere.
Please leave the rats out of this. Rats are respectable, work hard for honest grubs, and respect each other.
Rats don’t bend over to let Sona Rolex have his way, nor do rats bend the knee to suck each others genitals.
Rats care about other rats and warn kith and kin when a cat is spotted. Rats don’t befriend nor kiss the cats ass.
Rats do not dine or humor snakes either. Especially the bottle collector snake forever coiled, ready to strike any passing rat.
Rats are wiley, courageous, and thinking survivalists. And rats know to jump in the water quickly when a ship is sinking.
They give their lives being rats and do not sell their tail for a fist full of silver.
Rats do not shed bllsht tears “reconciling” with other rats.
Rats don’t liumuri rats.
Yeah, nah, leave the rats alone.
I’ve been thinking about how NFP is presenting the current political situation to the public, and this is how I see it.
1. The ministers’ salary increase
Three weeks ago, Biman Prasad was strongly stating that NFP was the only party that opposed the ministers’ pay increase.
Yes, NFP did oppose the proposal. But there is another side to that story:
The original proposal would have resulted in a reduction in Biman Prasad’s salary, as he was Finance Minister at the time.
Once the increase was approved, Biman and the other NFP MPs also benefited from the increased remuneration.
2. The constitutional vote
My understanding is that Biman knows Rabuka has sufficient numbers for the constitutional vote to pass.
This is where I believe the political strategy becomes interesting. My theory is:
Sashi Kiran and Pio may vote in favour and potentially move closer to the People’s Alliance.
Biman could abstain, allowing him to later use that position politically and campaign on the claim that he did not support the constitutional changes.
If there is no election, Biman, Sashi Kiran and Pio could potentially remain in government for the next two years under the coalition arrangement.
I also wonder whether Biman’s FICAC case could eventually be dismissed.
These are my thoughts and my interpretation of what may be happening.
There is one problem with your thesis. We now know that the election is going head before the end of the first week in February because the 2013 Constitution is still in place until the end of March 2028 and they have no choice but to comply with the timetable it prescribes.
My own interpretation – which I have outlined for a long time – is that this suits Sitiveni Rabuka just fine. He is the only remaining d’Hont “Big man” in the mix and on that basis alone is the most likely election winner. So it’s undoubtedly what he wanted all along and has now engineered it to keep leadership contenders like Manoa Kamikamica at bay.
GD mate, d’Hont in Rabukas favour, correct. Perhaps a One Nation, Fiji Labour Party, Unity Fiji should have formed a Coalition selecting top candidates from other political parties and not waste votes.
But each leader from each political party wants to be the next PM
As the song goes ” Everyone wants to rule the WORLD”
Spot on. Parties were asking Narube to stand for them as a candidate in 2018 and 2022 but his condition was that he would only join their party if he was made leader. Of course the upper echelons of politicians have an ego bigger than Fiji.
All these changes to the constitution will only make the itaukei population poorer as all these changes have been made to give them power but as usual they don’t have the brains to run the country and are the most corrupt when they are in any position of power.
In the end they will fight each other for those seats in the senate and when things don’t go their way they will carry out a civilian coup in the interest of the natives.
The indo Fijians have seen it all and are one race who have done well over the years to manoeuvre around the changes and adapt to the stupidity and they continue to progress.
There will be mass migration of educated people, there will be less investment, fewer tourists, poor economic activity and a weak Fiji dollar combined with a massive debt that will only drive little Fiji towards bankruptcy.
WELL DONE. EAT YOUR CONSTITUTION.
Probably one of the best comments so far.
This will only drive the young bloods even more abroad, and in 10 years time it will only be the itaukei to rule over from politics to even private organisation. And we all know what happens when they are in power, kerekere bhaini, kava dope etc.
I can’t imagine what will happen to likes of brands like Fiji Airways.
I know individuals earning good 150-200k in Fiji now wanting to head abroad somehow other just so they can get away from what’s coming next.
The only hope we have for now is, Frank and Khaiyum saw this coming way before and head some double agents planted in PAP for this day, and they save the day last minute, making name for themselves and hoping to get votes in next election for doing the right thing, if their are any, question is will they act on it now or wait till 3rd reading
If Baiman had shown some balls early on, Rabuka would not have had it this easy. But Baiman is a Bhadhiya. Eunuch in English. He has no balls and throughout his entire term he became Rabuka’s arse licker because all he cared about was deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. He has deservedly lost both positions because he is simply not fit either for NFP leadership, or deputy Prime Minister, or Finance minister or leadership of any sort. It seems he enjoys no respect in the party, except those old Indo Fijian farts like Pramod and Kamal.
What Fiji is going through now is a good example of what happens when you have a weak, selfish and self-serving leader like Baiman at the helm. Now, after getting kicked in the arse by Rebuka, he’s trying to be a hero, but it’s too late the hero. If he was still in cabinet, he would’ve got the NFP with Rabuka. That’s the kind of bastard Baiman is.
Biman and NFP can be blamed for bringing Rabuka into power but can’t be blamed for anything that happened after. If Bai and Kai didn’t nuke their own party, there would have been no avenue for the G11 to join PAP and Rabuka wouldn’t have had the numbers to do what he is doing now.
Blame Biman for bringing Rabuka into power, sure, but blame also belongs to Bai and Kai for abandoning their voters and not keeping Rabuka in check. All of this wouldn’t even be possible if FijiFirst still existed and they could issue a directive to vote against changes to the constitution.
Even last year, the bill to reduce the numbers to change the constitution failed to pass by a single vote at the 2nd reading, failing to achieve an even higher 41 votes compared to the 36 needed today. All of this would have been avoided if FijiFirst still existed.
Bombshell if true. What fireworks would erupt in NFP will mount a legal challenge. Hopefully they can negotiate an extension without resorting to legal means. Let’s not forget that NFP are professional members of opposition, having been on the opposite side of the bench since their founding over 60 years ago, apart from their short lived wins in 1977 and 1987, and their tenure in the current government. They are experienced in going up against governments. Come to think of it, NFP have been successful in elections held in years ending in 7. Let’s see if 2027 continues the trend.
There’s a significant link between cocaine and violence/aggression.
Now there is an impending Constitution that allows that aggression to be directed towards defenceless children.
Well done Fiji.
I’ve been hearing that NFP will pass the bill at the 2nd reading and push for a longer period for the special committee than the prescribed 30 days. Parliament can vote to extend the timeframe of the committee according to its standing orders that says a committee considering a Bill must report not later than 30 days after referral, unless Parliament by resolution directs otherwise or extends the 30-day period.
And the constitution states that at least 30 days must pass between the second and third readings of a constitutional amendment Bill. And if my english comprehension is up to par, at least means that 30 days is a minimum timeframe, so the third reading could happen 45 days or even 60 days later.
And on the flip side, playing devil’s advocate, nothing states that the special committee must utilise all 30 days. The committee can simply run one day of a farce of a consultation and just wait out the remaining days.
NFP is also preparing to launch a legal challenge against the government if the 30 day timeframe is not extended, bestowing the task to Richard and Munro Leys. And if the chatter among the legal fraternity is anything to go by, NFP will have some high powered local and international support if they have to resort to mounting this legal challenge, basing their argument on the UN Charter and Guidelines to allow for adequate and non-rushed public consultation timelines.
Oi lei. Don’t need to go as far as the UN charter to make a legal argument. Fiji’s own 2013 constitution and parliamentary standing order state that parliament must:
1. facilitate public participation in the legislative and other processes of Parliament and its committees
2. and provide sufficient time, notification and an adequate opportunity for public representations and input.
And don’t worry there’s a lot of people who can make that case apart from NFP. Chaudhry and his lawyer son can launch a challenge, bolstering their election chances. NFP should worry about Biman’s own case first.
Drugs, poverty, Aids and this government’s priority is its own survival by changing the rules. Progress is way, way beyond the horizon. God save Fiji.
Putting Rabuka’s brinkmanship to one side, on a quick read, the key questions appear to be: whether, as a house of review, the proposed Senate is a fair reflection of the composition of Fiji and where the country is at; and, whether the potential loss of Rotuma is in the best interests of Rotumans and the nation as a whole?
There are also questions on the constituencies and how long all that will take to set up for a general election. In the meantime, Fijians should have a chance to consider the proposed changes and air their views through their representatives in Parliament.
The Senate as proposed appears to be more a place where chiefs in the majority can express their views and delay, but not block, legislation. They also receive funding for the BLV and get to choose the President, so we can assume that he or she will either be one of their own or someone they approve.
Is this fair for the country as a whole? The voice of the chiefs should be heard, and it’s sensible the constitution provides the means for that expression. However, the volume and authority of that voice rightfully resides within the vanua, something granted and not assumed by the few who want their voice to be heard above all others.
There’s a legitimate question from educated and enterprising taukei less inclined towards communalism on whether the chiefs speak for them. This proposed constitution seems to be saying these people already have their voice and via the House of Representatives which retains ultimate authority in the system. Let it be, appears to be the thinking.
The argument may run that the extent to which the Senate’s deliberations and views are heard will be what’s reported in mainstream media, statements and social media. And considering they can only be a delayer to Government business, does the noise really matter? The chiefs and other hand-picked senators will have had their say, have been heard, and everybody moves on.
However, the chiefs also get to choose the President. Is this a fair reflection of where Fiji is at in terms of its political, economic and social development, and if set in stone, is this the direction in which the country wants to head? Hopefully there will be some debate and adjustment on this. Perhaps more rules on the selection process to ensure Fijians of all backgrounds are considered for the role.
On Rotuma, provision for the possible departure of Rotuma will have strategic and cost implications for the region as they will become fair game for the highest bidder. China is present and willing and Australian and New Zealand taxpayers are already forking out billions to keep the governments of Fiji, Solomons and PNG afloat, and with long-term soft loans.
Looking back, Rotuma’s inclusion in Fiji’s territorial space is the legacy of the 19th century colonial carve up. Just as the many islands of Indonesia became one territory under the Dutch, Rotuma found itself included at the top of an umbrella of British presence in the Pacific. Over this still is an arc of French territories from New Caledonia in the west to Wallis and Futuna in the middle and Tahiti in the east.
If Rotumans wish to go their own way, the key questions for them are whether they will be better off on their own or closely aligned to others. If they think they can do it, they only need look at Nauru and others and ask themselves whether the course they followed is in their best interests, and whether Fiji’s ability to provide them what they need is diminishing.
If this proposed change is a device to encourage Fiji Government to lift its game for Rotuma, fair enough, maybe it will work. However if it actually comes to pass, Rotumans would be wise to consider the fate of other loners now reliant they have become on gambling revenue and tax dodgers. Strategic relevance will only get them so far and being overly dependent on a larger power can be problematic. Viable and socially acceptable economic foundations are harder to achieve. Be careful what you wish for, might be the best word of advice.
Fijians have for many years enjoyed a joke at Rotumans’ expense – for them supposedly saving some biscuits out of the first tin to plant in the ground. Ha ha, but the last laugh may now be on them. Rotumans’ outstanding record of excellence and achievement shows us that if anyone can go it alone, they can.
The message for the Government is: lift your game, it will be sad day to see them go. Likewise, listen to what the people are saying about these proposed constitution changes through their elected representatives in Parliament, and act accordingly.
Sounds like they can delay (they all love Fiji time) and feel chiefly and important, and collect a decent amount of money in the process…..not to mention the travel allowances.
Whilst they might not get ultimate decision making, they will have undue influence via choosing the President, and will be using a decent chunk of taxpayer’s money.
I guess all of this is to ensure votes for Rabuka and assure he can still get re-elected via the d’Hondt system. All more kere kere disguised as governance.
Doesn’t matter either way. According to the speaker, 35 votes are needed so PAP 21 + SODELPA 3 + G11 11 = 35 votes. If NFP can’t block it then they can at least change it.
Now, unless Sachida Nand and Shalen Kumar vote against the bill at the final reading, then there’s no hope except for trying to change the problematic parts of the bill.
We’re all digesting this bit by bit.
I just read that the proposed constitution eliminates the referendum hurdle for future changes to the constitution.
This means that if this constitution is to stand, extremists if they gain power over Parliament can easily change the constitution to reflect their extremism.
This is highly dangerous and concerning. It also takes away the concept of it being a people’s constitution into the future.