The sight of the Prime Minister asleep at a “Friends of Zion” function in Jerusalem before he flew to the United Nations for the next stage of his latest overseas odyssey pretty much sums up the state of the Coalition government. It is sleep walking through a minefield of its own making, triggering one crisis after another, has lost control of events and any cogent narrative and is now losing important constituencies that are keeping it in power.
The Prime Minister’s attack on the Fiji Times for describing his encounter with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as “the image of a wanted war criminal standing next to a coup perpetrator” tells us that even the government’s traditional supporters are rebelling. As does the withering criticism by Shamima Ali and the NGO Coalition on Human Rights for the grossly offensive spectacle of the coup perpetrator posing with the wanted war criminal as Israel mounts a full-blown invasion of Gaza, killing more innocent Palestinians and forcing them into exile to exploit their real estate.
The timing of the opening of Fiji’s new embassy in Jerusalem has been an unmitigated disaster for the government’s standing, as has the sight of its Strumpet of Spin, Lynda Tabuya, hogging the limelight by putting her arm around the wanted war criminal as if she was the most important member of the Fijian delegation.
“La Tabuya’ was meant to stabilise the ship of state in her new role as Minister for Information, though why anyone would think she was capable of doing so shows how deluded the Prime Minister and his government have become. First, she caused outrage among the nation’s most senior diplomats by muscling her way to the front at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Honiara, prompting the veteran Ratu Inoke Kubuabola to give her a very public dressing down.
Yet characteristically, Lynda Tabuya either didn’t get the message or simply ignored it. And now the Prime Minister himself is said to be angry with her for hogging the limelight in Jerusalem, the pictures suggesting that she, not Rabuka, is really Fiji’s leader. While at home, there was uproar that with one phone call, Tabuya was able to get a TikToker who “offended” her remanded in custody for a fortnight. As Grubsheet reported during the week, Princess Lynda isn’t going to the UNGA ball in New York and is sullenly making her way back to Suva. But seriously. What did anyone expect?
Whether she has bipolar syndrome or is simply drug-addled – and both possibilities are actively discussed in political circles – Lynda Tabuya has again demonstrated that she simply doesn’t know how to behave. She is meant to polish the government’s image from behind the scenes, not hog the limelight and become the story herself. And the hard-heads of the PAP are coming to realise that she is already a gross liability going into the election cycle.
It doesn’t matter if she gave the Prime Minister his $150,000 gold Rolex or donated $250,000 to the PAP’s election campaign through her husband’s construction company – both rumours that won’t go away. She is completely bereft of judgment. And if she plays a major role in the government’s re-election effort as Information Minister, it is destined to be crisis after crisis and perhaps scandal after scandal. Because the Madam simply can’t help herself.
Now we have the Acting Attorney General, Siromi Turaga, issuing a warning to the public not to comment on the judiciary or cases in the courts. Why should we listen to him? All of that comment has been provoked by the government’s own actions. Or more pertinently, its inaction in dealing properly with the escalating scandal of the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo, clinging to his job after being accused of criminal conduct by the Supreme Court Commission of Inquiry into the Malimali affair.
Get this, Fiji. We are meant to remain silent in the face of the following outrages:
1/ The Prime Minister and the President refusing to suspend the Chief Justice four months after the COI found him open to charges of perjury and obstructing and perverting the course of justice.
2/ Salesi Temo hiring a private law firm to threaten politicians with legal action if they “weaponise” the COI findings against him.
3/ The Chief Justice applying to himself as head of the Judicial Services Commission for a judicial review to quash the COI Report altogether and choosing the judge who will hear that review when the law doesn’t allow the findings of a COI to be overturned in the first place.
4/ Trumped-up charges of expense fiddling against the substantive DPP, Christopher Pryde, to prevent him from returning to Suva after being exonerated of misbehaviour by three High Court judges.
5/ Evidence of a conspiracy involving the Chief Justice, the Acting Attorney General, the Acting DPP, Nancy Tikoisuva, and the Deputy DPP, John Rabuku, to “keep Christopher Pryde away at all costs”. And Siromi Turaga giving every appearance of stalling on seeking Pryde’s extradition from New Zealand because he knows that on the evidence, no New Zealand judge would send him back.
6/ Salesi Temo seizing the trial of Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Mohammed Saneem for himself when he had already demonstrated evidence of bias and then castigating Nancy Tikoisuva in open court for not being able to “understand” elements of her prosecution.
7/ The Chief Justice now at war with the new FICAC Commissioner, Ravi Rokoika – questioning her conduct and saying the JSC had nothing to do with her appointment.
8/ Open defiance of COI recommendations, including the reinstatement of Francis Puleiwai and Kuliniasi Saumi to FICAC.
9/ Reports that the results of police investigations into cases raised by the COI are being routinely sent back by the ODPP for “further investigation” or “lack of evidence”. Etc, etc.
The whole criminal justice system is in crisis and Siromi Turaga wants us all to ignore it. Just as we are meant to ignore the long list of travesties under this government, including the latest allegation that the Rarawai sugar mill fire was the result of negligence and could have been prevented.
It just goes on and on. And whatever Siromi Turaga says, the Fijian people are not in the mood to remain silent because they have simply had enough.
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The Fiji Times as chronicler…
And as target…
A government constantly trying to put out fires but not the ones that really matter…
People forget that it is not just the PM posing with a mass-murderer. There were 16 other “distinguished” Fijians present with a mass-murderer and I am sure they all shook the blood soaked hands of the despot with a lot of pride. There was a lot of glory to be had while innocent women and children were being murdered at that very moment.
What in the f*ck are these distinguished people thinking, including the Army Commander.
What the f* are all the idiot Christians in Fiji thinking by not speaking up to this utter idiocy plastered all over the world showing how proud idiots Fijians are.
Mind boggling. Fijians are totally oblivious about their stupidity.
I mean, if you “elect” a dickhead from 40 years ago to lead the nation, what does that tell you about the whole population?
I just hope the international press screw the PM by asking him some simple questions about the logic of establishing an embassy in Jerusalem at this time. I want to see the guy run and nowhere to hide. There is no better place to embarrass a proud idiot than at an international event and on the international stage. I pray that happens.
@ Idiots (Lialia levu)
It’s got nothing to do with religion whether it be Christianity or the heathen idol worshippers at the River Jamuna.
All sane people (you excluded) know what the simple solution is: release all hostages held by the HAMAS terrorists. Once that is done, the Israelis will back off.
Said with the certainty of a religious nutter on the other side of the world. Seriously.
Teriyaki you imbecile.
This has nothing to do with what you say.
This has to do with an idiot PM basking in glory while innocent children were being murdered by this person as he shook his hands.
I am sure you are not a racist, or prejudiced. You just practice a vulagi religion imposed on you while your ancestors were eating each other only a short time ago. Suddenly you pretend to know everything
Geez…..you and GD are so one-eyed…in denial…dont want to accept the fact that as long as you keep hostages…you deserve to be destroyed.
George Speight had hostages, he wasn’t destroyed!! Double standards??
Both of those mills would have been shut down years ago in New Zealand and Australia.
Fiji is a country that builds something and expects it will last forever, once it is completed and opened it never gets any maintenance, paint, cleaning or any of the necessary work required to keep it in an operable and safe condition. It is left to the elements until it is beyond repair and then still used until it falls down or burns down.
Eventually this will result in lives lost, as with the ferris wheel two years ago, with no one being held accountable for that disaster.
When the inevitable happens the hand will go out countries with a vested interest in propping up the country, so that a new hospital, mill or whatever can be built and the cycle begins again.
And, with the current dysfunction of the government and judiciary it might become harder for the begging bowl to be filled by those benign countries that see Fiji as a lost cause.
Wake up people, the future is in your hands, you can’t keep living like this, racking up billions in overseas debt and expecting the rest of the world to keep footing the bill.
One could be forgiven to think the Sona Rolex was on bender the night before with the queen of weed, JD and porn with a rabbit hole for a vusi.
Many a men have lost their way in that rabbit hole including the guy who is not sure whether he is still married to the porn queen. Doesn’t matter as long as the government contracts keep cumming.
My dear people the PM is praying, he isn’t sleeping. Haha
What’s the go with Saneem Aiyaz FEO Case. Appears it was a revenge case by that guy Saneem suspended?
I felt like vomiting when I listened to the snake complain about the media pic of him and the Genocide leader.
FYI – Pramesh Sharma, the crook on Tanoa group of companies and Vinod Patel board ( shame on you Rohit and Kamini Reddy / entire Vinod patel family) ) is telling everybody in Auckland that he has lodged a complaint with police Cyber Unit against Grubsheet and Rajendra Chaudary for various issues – all on the recommendation of his mate Manoa Kamikamica who was in AK last week, I guess few whiskeys in the garage and even the bitch mouse becomes a lion with loose lips.
They would have to extradite me from Australia and guess how much luck they would have doing that? Zip, zero, zilch.
Manoa Kamikamica’s distinguished late father would be spinning in his grave that his son allegedly offered to “fix” a FICAC investigation. Two MPs have sworn on oath that it happened. And his career in politics is over.
As for the pussy grabber Pramesh Sharma, I will do him slowly. Did you see the comment here from someone who was present when he boasted of having rogered Lynda Tabuya? There is no honour among thieves in that place, that’s for sure. Birds of a feather. They deserve each other.
Even if they want you or DPP extradited to Fiji
Plan B – RENOUNCE YOUR FIJIAN CITIZENSHIP
Australia can’t make you stateless.
I will NEVER do that. Better to play catchy monkey in the courts. I will NEVER give in to these low-lifes no matter what.
Any idea where is Ketal Lal?
PM did himself a disservice making that video about what is unbecoming. His speech is so laboured and slurred that it reveals him as a waning force, and a bit dotty. His minders are continuing to cast him as a sharp snake who could do anything at any time. But it’s clear that he is losing his strike power and judgement with every passing month.
A diatribe on unbecoming conduct is laughable. It’s not the commentary that is unbecoming, it’s the conduct.
GD you are absolutely right.
It’s hilarious for the baboon acting AG to lecture everyone about following the law.
This is from an idiot who is part of the government and does not follow the same advice.
The dysfunction, dishonesty and ignoring the constitution and the courts is telling the rest of us to follow the law while he and the rest of the sorry ass government thumbs its nose at every court direction, COI, the constitution, and continues to have a rogue CJ.
Compromised judiciary, compromised police, compromised ficac, compromised odpp, compromised head of state, and the baboon worries about public comments. What rubbish.
Rabuka is indeed no different than Satanyahu. Both are racist fu*kwits who have a history of murders, rapes, killings and forced displacement of people from their homeland – including ethnic cleansing.
God – please throw them in hell so that this Earth can be cleansed of their deeds.
Is this a rare case of the Fiji Times accurately reporting something?
What’s next a full expose on how Fiji Water got a tax holiday?
I won’t hold my breath.
Siromi is an incompetent dickhead. Check his academic transcripts and his so called legal career. This clown is nothing but a failed racist lawyer. He is so bad that he had to be replaced as AG for his continued bad legal advice. The only reason he is back in that post again is because there are no competent legal advisors in the Coalition govt.
Even monkeys and chimpanzees have more brain and intelligence than Siromi.
Where are the international media and why aren’t they hounding the snake PM for some answers about setting up an embassy in Jerusalem. Perhaps the snake is too smart and is slipped and slithered away from the media throng.
It is reported that the decision to set up the embassy was made in the 1990’s when he was PM. What a load of bollocks bloody liar. He is making out as if he has unfinished business from his previous term 30 years ago. He seems to have conveniently forgotten about his agreement with SODELPA and the only reason he is now PM.
What a fiendish liar and conman.
But where is the international media?