First it was the Assistant DPP, Laisani Tabuakoro, attacking the Labour Party leader and former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry – something that prompted the former DPP, Christopher Pryde, to terminate Tabuakoro’s services only for her to be reinstated by his corrupt successor, Nancy Tikoisuva.
Now it is the Deputy DPP, John Rabuku, attacking the opposition MP, Premila Kumar, for daring to do her job in demanding accountability from the Rabuka government over the secrecy surrounding the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Commission.
For a senior officer of state who is unelected to challenge a sitting MP and accuse her of being “irresponsible” for doing her job on behalf of those who elected her is an outrage and cannot be tolerated. And if he has any remaining credibility at all, the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, must insist that John Rabuku be sacked.
Premila Kumar was a member of FijiFirst – which won more votes in the 2022 election than any other party – and she has continued to sit in the parliament as an independent after FijiFirst imploded. Whereas John Rabuka is someone who having been found guilty of professional misconduct, was barred from being appointed DPP by the Supreme Court yet wound up being made Deputy DPP with the patronage of a Chief Justice who stands accused of perverting the course of justice..
You would think that John Rabuku would be sensible enough to keep his mouth shut. But not so. Those supposedly independent officers of state at the ODPP headed by the miserable Nancy Tikoisuva don’t regard themselves bound by any of the usual strictures to keep their opinions to themselves. John Rabuku – like Laisani Tabuakoro before him – thinks they are entitled to be political players and to conduct themselves as such.
Examine the following evidence for yourself, Fiji. And reflect on the tragedy that over-promoted iTaukei officers of state in the criminal justice system such as John Rabuku are demonstrating beyond reasonable doubt that they are totally unfit to hold their positions. They have no idea of the separation of powers that ensure the proper functioning of our democracy. They think they can do whatever they like.
And that is the legacy of Sitiveni Rabuka‘s government – a bunch of wannabes who might have been schooled enough academically to be appointed to senior positions yet have no judgment and are hopelessly compromised and hopelessly out of their depth. And who are degrading our institutions and the governance of the nation in a manner that would have been unthinkable in previous administrations.
If there is any justice left in Fiji, John Rabuku should be dismissed for the following exchange. But of course that won’t happen because the wannabes – those incapable of civilised conduct which respects the nation’s institutions and protects their integrity – are, thanks to Sitiveni Rabuka, now in control of everything.
__________________
First Premila Kumar’s perfectly legitimate and typically reasoned Facebook posting.
It is patently cogent and well expressed, Yet even if it wasn’t reasoned, she has been democratically elected to say it.
And then John Rabuku’s response, for which in any other democracy he would be dismissed. But not in good ‘ol Fiji.
A couple of people at least take John Rabuku on.
But is anyone going to reprimand the Deputy DPP officially and tell him that he is way out of line? Is anyone in authority going to stop this outrageous assault on the integrity of our institutions of state?
Was that another pig flying over Suva?
So when will we finally get to see the CRC Report? Not yet. Unless it is leaked, of course.
POSTSCRIPT:
Charlie “Homer’ Charters speculates on Facebook that a pair of black panties that blocked a sewer in Suva belong to me.
Though judging from the size, they’re much more likely to be his.
Finaly we seem to have a candidate in Ms Kumar worth voting for.
Resistance is futile,as the Daleks would say
I hear no ITaukei voices air views to support Premila Kumar and her ilk
The privileged lot are in a feeding frenzy
The 87 coup was a Fai’t Acompli anyway
Indo Fijians who remain should join the exodus and not wait for the elections for a messiah
Save what one can of your dignity and assets
ITaukei prefer anyone but the FBI( Fiji Born Indian ) as it will be proving them wrong .
Ain’t no way they will acknowledge that.
Fortunately, there is now one prominent iTaukei voice in support of Premila Kumar (and Mahendra Chaudhry ) – Savenaca Narube. See my subsequent posting.
Another member of the disfunctional ODPP who in this instance gets it wrong in the case of the CRC. If he listened he would heard the PM say ” The report will be released after it has gone to Cabinet” So the public and the members of Parliament will be reading it at the same point in time.
So, to suggest that MP’s will see it before the public is entirely wrong, unless of course he is talking about Ministers.
Stay in your lane John Rabuku and out of politics. If you want to be a politician resign and contest the next election!
You’d think that Homer would have got the message by now that he gets bested every time he comes after you.
Hilarious.
Couldn’t help but contribute to give some of you a bit of insight into how this works…
The review commission is generally legally bound to submit its final report and draft constitution directly and confidentially to the Head of State (e.g., the President) first. This is often a legal requirement to maintain the integrity of the process until the formal review begins.
Upon receiving the documents, the Head of State typically forwards them to the executive branch (such as the Prime Minister and Cabinet) for initial consideration. This stage allows the government to deliberate on the recommendations before they are made public or proceed further. The report is usually not released to the public during this phase.
After cabinet deliberation, the documents are generally presented to the legislature (Parliament). At this stage, the report and draft constitution are often officially published (e.g., in the Gazette) and made available to the public. This transition marks the shift from a confidential government review to a public and legislative one.
Once in the public domain, the documents undergo detailed scrutiny. This includes:
· Parliamentary Debate: The draft is debated in Parliament, often through multiple readings, where members can propose amendments.
· Public Participation: Many processes include a formal period for public comment and consultation, allowing citizens to engage with the proposed changes
In many countries, the final step is a national referendum, where the public votes to approve or reject the new constitution. If approved, it is formally enacted, typically through a final assent by the Head of State.
Perhaps this will clear the air as to why the public, media and some of the members of opposition are confused on the matter.
Thank you for this. It’s a shame this hasn’t been explained by the government right from the outset.
Question: In your view, is there time for all of this to be completed by the first week of February, the last possible date for an election if the 2013 Constitution is to be honoured?
Considering the parliament doesn’t sit until the end of this month (Sept 28) to even begin its deliberations on the CRC document, by my calculation that leaves just four months in which all this can be completed.
How can there possibly be enough time under the circumstances if there’s to be a proper process along the lines you’ve outlined? Thoughts please?
Hon Premila Kumar has been a breath of fresh air, articulating on issues, important for Fijians. In the absence of any other views, be it from the official Opposition or NFP, SODELPA etc she has established herself as a powerful and progressive voice of the people.
So, it is hardly surprising to get the usual ethno-nationalistic views with the usual tone of racism from people like Rabuku, who have zero credibility. It may even be a case of jealousy or envy!
Her response to Rabuka’s call for ‘calm’ was spot on. What is in the report that would cause such a level of disquiet that the PM has to appeal for calm? Surely we have a right to know.
Also Rabuka has established himself as someone devoid of any trust, changing his opinions and subsequent actions on nearly every important national or foreign policy.
Even Premila’s or MPC’s well nuanced views will not shame our Hon PM. His slight hint of changing his spots reminds us of how we were fooled in the lead up to the last election.
Once bitten twice shy, Siti. Don’t hold your hopes too high!
Yes, it’s feasible .With Parliament not sitting until September 28, and the constitutional election deadline under the 2013 Constitution falling on February 6, 2027, there are roughly just over four months (October to early February) to complete:
· Parliamentary debate and passage of constitutional amendments
· Passage of a separate Referendum Act (still pending committee)
· A nationwide public referendum
· Post-referendum enactment
· Issuance of election writs (must be issued by December 24 under the Constitution)
· Full general election campaign and polling
The only potential delay could be by way of a Referendum Bill. If I understand correctly, Fiji doesn’t have a legal framework to conduct a referendum , yet. This Bill MUST be passed BEFORE a referendum can be called.
In summary, the process of constitutional change is as important as the final document. While the timeframe is tight, rushing it can create legal uncertainty and political instability. Delaying it without clear legal basis can create a profound crises of legitimacy. Let’s hope it’s a smooth process.
That will depend on what they intend to alter in the 2013 Constitution.
The Prime Minister refuses to rule out abolishing the secular state which is contentious enough and will be strongly opposed by non-Christians in particular. But if they also alter the common and equal citizenry and common identity provisions, this is going to be far from smooth. Indeed Fiji will be entering a period of intense political, social and religious conflict.
And all this at a time of grave uncertainty anyway in terms of the economy and global outlook and a “once in a generation” El Nino effect that increases the threat of an extreme weather event just as all this plays out.
Investor confidence in Fiji is critical at the present time. So pushing through changes to the supreme law which are hotly contested could be disastrous for national stability and the country’s image as a whole.
Seriously that Fat Slob Charlie Charters has so many health issues. He should be looking after his Marama instead of acting like a qauri.
The knickers probably belong to Lynda, discarded after a session practising for her new job!
“Please stay calm, ladies and gentlemen,” Rabuka said. “Mr Prime Minister, please lead your team down the right,” That was Rabuka telling the Government MPs to stay calm while depriving them of their jobs and livelihoods at gunpoint on 14 May 1987.
39 years later he’s asking people to stay calm while he’s plotting to deprive a significant section of the population of some of their rights.
More and more people should open their windows and yell as loudly as possible “”I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” and plan to vote him and his party OUT.
Rabuku needs Rabuka to survive.
Hypothetically speaking the secular State would be scrapped entirely if BOTH sections 4 AND 22 were scrubbed. As it stands it seems that the government is more than likely to retain section 22. In doing so the secular State is still preserved. Individual beliefs and religions are maintained as the State cannot impose its self via any means that would impinge the beliefs , religious or otherwise of the individual. If you understand how to interpret the provisions of the 2013 constitution then you will see that there is a lot of double handling. It certainly could be slimmed down.
Here is my take on the possible motives of scrapping section 4 (assuming that were to be the case): The government would be free to favor, disfavor, promote or discourage particular religious beliefs or practices, a power it does not currently possess.
As most people in this forum have jumped the gun and assumed that the the Government is only interested in promoting Christian values, listen to my interpretation of the reasoning.
The government has every right to act as it sees fit in the current circumstances . If that means restricting religious activities that may not be in the best interests of the masses then it NEEDS the power to allow it to do so. Scrapping section 4 is the only way it can prevent religious activity from becoming an issue by CONTROLLING it if it does get out of hand.
Now I can already hear the Opposition supporters crying foul by claiming that the scrapping is only motive to endorse Christianity. That’s a valid assumption but like my own it’s only an assumption. Clearly the Rabuka government had support at the polls when they were elected (coalition aside). Those that voted for them know what they are about. To say the voters only wanted “anything but Fiji First” after 16 years of dictatorship would be disingenuous.
A government can go about enacting policies in a myriad of ways but it’s duty, first and foremost is the safekeeping of the nation. Without control , it cannot do that.
Section 22 still maintains protection from coercion. Individuals would have zero compulsion to accept any other religion/belief than their own. No one can be forced to participate in religious observances, receive religious instruction or act against their beliefs. While the State might be able (not will) to endorse a particular religion , it could NOT COMPEL adherence to it , a luxury not afforded to muslim nations!
If the State chose to recognize the historical importance of Christianity it is free to so so just as a person is free to read their bible of choice. The govt can promote but CANNOT COMPEL. I believe that is the crux of the misunderstanding here.
I would rather have a constitution that provides its public safety with a back stop (enabled by scrapping section 4) than letting any religion loose by way of equal treatment. That is sensible governing.
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On Rabuku’s comments.
Any public servant can break any rules as long as it helps the snake win the next election.
He is already lining all the ducks, sorry I mean all the crocodiles.
We have Inia and then we have Premila.
One is as silent as a post while the other is clear about what her supporters expect from her.
She would have the perfect Opposition Leader Fiji because she speaks without fear of losing her salary.