Stung by successive Grubsheet articles revealing how the military wants changes to the government and also revealing the name of his designated successor, Frank Bainimarama has made an astonishing personal attack on me on the front page of the government-controlled Fiji Sun newspaper and on the government-controlled Fijian Broadcasting Corporation. (“PM slams claims made by ex-Qorvis worker”). While conspicuously failing to deny the substance of anything I have reported, the PM accuses me of trading in gossip and makes a number of snide personal references that are gratuitous and totally beside the point.
Once again, the PM has evidently been used by his Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, to engage in an ill-considered public relations blunder that elevates me personally and the substance of what I have written and drives even more Fijian readers to my website. Whether it was on the advice of my former colleagues at Qorvis Communications is an open question. One of them has already commented that: ” Someone should tell him (the PM) to keep a cool head. He’s doing his own negative pr by being so aggressively defensive”. If Fiji is going to pay Qorvis $800,000 this year in highly straitened circumstances on top of the many millions it has expended over the years, the Prime Minister and his de-facto number two could at least heed their advice.
Here’s the text of what the Prime Minister said to the Fiji Sun:
“It’s funny, people outside of Fiji often have the most to say and the least to offer the country. Graham is no different. I know him, and he did some work with Qorvis, but that ended sometime back.
I think I remember the stress was sometimes too much for him. I don’t know why he’s dealing in gossip these days, but I also remember even in the best of times he always seemed to find drama. And if he couldn’t find it, he’d make it up.
I have no idea what he wants now. Maybe attention, maybe a job. I really don’t know. I don’t care and we don’t want to give him either. But he needs to understand that an attack on Fijian democracy, our Constitution, any of our independent institutions, or any of my ministers is an attack on me.
If you’ve read our Constitution, you know Fiji is a democracy. We are not a dynasty and I do not handpick my successor. The only ones who choose the Prime Minister of Fiji are Fijian voters.
I know, because they have picked my government twice. As the leader of FijiFirst, I am appointed under our party’s constitution, like all our office bearers. And I will once again work hard to earn the votes of the Fijian people when I lead FijiFirst into the next election.
Until then, we have to recover our economy and get industries running again, get jobs back and get help to those who need it most. I am working on these issues every day. We don’t have time to waste on gossip blogs. But for old time’s sake, I wish Graham all the best in his retirement in Australia.”
And here is the text of the statement that I have released to the Fijian media in response and that it is obliged to publish under Fiji’s media laws guaranteeing the right of reply to criticism of this nature.
I thank the Prime Minister for drawing public attention to my blogsite – grubsheet.com.au – in that many more Fijians will know that far from me criticising him or eroding his position, I am in fact trying to strengthen it by calling for the government to re-invent itself so that it can win the next election.
I take it as confirmation that what I have said is fact that in his statement, the Prime Minister does not deny anything at all that I have reported over the past month or for that matter, dispute any opinion that I have expressed.
In relation to his comments about the Constitution, the Prime Minister knows that a political party such as FijiFirst decides its candidate as leader before the people get to vote on that selection. So his preference as party leader is critical and as I reported, he has told the Military Council that his designated successor is Inia Seruiratu.
While I thank him for his best wishes, I am far from being retired – being of the same age as the Prime Minister – and am working for his re-election to prevent him from going into enforced retirement himself. He remains a person for whom I have a great deal of respect and affection.
You may have hit a raw nerve here Graham
Well put with noble intension. I see no malice only best of intention.
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Bob Woodward ( of the Watergate scandal investigation fame ) said Ben Bradlee, the legendary Washington Post editor whom he credits with teaching him journalism, always told him to be ” tough on everyone … we’re not in the political game” ( HuffPost 18/9 ).
I wonder how many journalists in post coup Fiji approach their work in that independent and robust manner?
How many in the Fiji Sun and FBC?
Incidentally I wonder why ” people outside of Fiji have most to say ” about the prevailing situation in Fiji rather than the people inside Fiji?
Could that be because of the lingering climate of fear since the military takeover of the democratically elected government of Fiji?
Definitely hitting the right notes. Knowing that the PM doesn’t even know what GDP is, him stringing a few fancy words is definitely the AG knob polishing his balls and being his mouth piece as usual.
More power to you, keep em coming Graham. Wananavu.
Well bring it on Graham
We who comment on Fiji’s situation whilst living abroad, contribute to the economy through remittance; a major foreign income earner for the nation.
People from outside Fiji comment on Fiji’s situation on behalf of people inside Fiji who have been silenced by a repressive state and are fearful of reprisal should they have the audacity to speak out against the corruption, nepotism, favouritism, debasement of institutions of state through politization and patronage, and a sword of Damocles hanging over the free press in the country.
That is the political reality in Fiji’s post coup ” true democracy “. Now that Graham Davis, the former Fijian State propagandist, has the audacity to point out that reality he is being targeted. It’s a case of playing the man rather than the ball .
He has a fair point until you show us tangible evidence you are just peddling in gossip. Got any documents or anything at all?
Yes, Tim, I do. I have quoted from the Military Council document almost in its entirety. It is from an impeccable source and as we’ve seen, the PM doesn’t dispute its contents. Nor has he disputed the announcement of his designated successor, nor indeed any of the facts that I have reported over the past few weeks.
All of which makes this the astonishing statement that it is. Ask yourself this: If I was so unimportant and prone to fits of melodrama, why is this the most prominent story in the Fijian media today – not only the pro-government FBC and Fiji Sun but Fiji Village/CFL and Fiji One News? It is because I was a witness to the inner workings of the Bainimarama government for six years up close and wrote much of its narrative. And someone is extremely worried about the damage being done to his own position and what may be to come.
Threre is no such thing as bad publicity.
Thanks, Marc. As Rick said to Louis in the closing scene of Casablanca: “This could be the start of a beautiful friendship”. I shall keep a candle burning in the window.
Graham does this reinforce your belief that Frank is the best person to lead Fiji? You can’t entirely blame ASK for the mess Fiji is in.
Tom, I’m not in the blame game so much as hoping, like many Fijians, that our leadership is up to the task of getting us through the next few months and years in relatively better shape than seems evident. And right now, I’m a lot more confident in the ability of a re-invented, revised FijiFirst government to do that rather than a divided and unfocused opposition.
My dream team – based on the PM’s comments to the Military Council is this: AG out and sent to the World Bank, IMF or some diplomatic outpost. PM: Bainimarama followed by his designated choice, Inia Seruiratu. Deputy PM and Attorney General: Mere Vuniwaqa. Minister of Economy: Jone Usamate assisted by Filimoni Waqabaca and Jitiko Tikolevu -who are brought back from abroad to assist the admirable Makareta Konrote and with input from Savenaca Narube and others. The rest spread around the various portfolios based on competence, not loyalty to the AG.
We cannot keep rewarding Bainimarama, Rabuka and Coup Financiers by granting them Immunity from Prosecution; Abolish the 2013 Constitution and reinstate a Bicameral Parliament.
Good point Tom the “viavialevu” and “veibeci” attitude of the ffp govt that Graham refers to has its roots Bainimarama himself. Its his attitude that has rubbed off onto his peers in govt. Remove him and khaiyum and that solves that.
Just expose all the rotten in this illegal regime, the ordinary people of Fiji especially the indigenous Fijian community wants this AG out, he is a very ignorant person and does not have any idea how to run the affairs of our economy
And they shoot the messenger, talk about hitting a nerve where it’s all attacks and no denials similar to Trump’s arrogant behaviour.
It’s obviously clear that Frankie is allowing Khaiyum to control him.
If Grubby was ignored, then GD wouldn’t be so relevant. This however adds more basis of why FFP is doomed to fail if they don’t start making changes by removing that one individual.
keep up with the good work.
I am asking myself the question; why is the PM wasting his time commenting on gossip? It must be hurting that GD is telling some truth for truth does hurt, no? As for the PM’s dismissal about people residing outside of Fiji having the least to do for Fiji? Hello! Fiji is being kept afloat by the finances being transferred to Fiji on a weekly basis by those residing overseas. I would watch what I say if I were smarter and less reliant on a conman AG.
The puppet master playing the puppet again and you still respect him and want him as PM? Thanks for the intell but I think we’ll find ourselves another PM.
We learn from a Reuter’s article published in The Fiji Times 22/9 that ” More than 100,000 people marched through Minsk on Sunday on the sixth straight weekend of protest against President Alexander Lukashenko, keeping up the pressure on the Belarusan leader to quit. Many walked in a vast column that stretched back several kilometres, decked out in red-and-white opposition colours and chanting ” go away “…
The protesters say Lukashenko rigged the election to claim a landslide victory to cling to his 26 year hold on power .
” The loyalty of the security forces is crucial to Mr Lukashenko’s ability to cling to power. Their faces are often obscured by mask,balaclavas or riot helmets…”
Wanting a rogue leader to ” go away ” is something the people of Fiji can well relate to . And they can also understand how the leader’s ability ” to cling to power ” is so reliant on ” the loyalty of the security forces “.
The parallels are astounding, including the claims of rigged elections by the opposition.
Hope you have empirical evidence Mr Davis. I believe you are more than eligible to stand for the 2022 elections. Ordinary Fijians needs to wake up….On point.. Truth hurts..
Bill, I am not eligible to stand for the Fijian Parliament on two grounds. No-one with dual citizenship can stand ( I am Fijian and Australian ) and you have to be resident in Fiji for at least two years before being eligible ( and my main place of residence now is Australia).
These provisions were concocted by the AG to prevent members of the diaspora from returning to Fiji to contest the 2014 elections. In the same way that he only appoints FijiFirst candidates who owe their complete loyalty to him, however lacklustre they may be, he doesn’t want anyone cleverer than him coming from overseas and knocking him off his perch.
You’ll remember that these provisions came back to bite the AG when he tried to put Naziah Ali into the parliament as a star candidate in 2018. The estimable Naziah – wife of Roy Krishna, the football star – was only found to have failed the residency test after her candidacy was announced with great fanfare.
So we already have a situation in which the provision has embarrassed the AG and someone who would have been a big asset to the parliament was excluded because of this section in the Constitution. It is completely ridiculous in the modern age when people come and go all over the world ( under normal circumstances, at least) and is depriving Fiji of people with get-up-and-go in the Fijian diaspora, who are clearly being disadvantaged by this provision.