Ever keen to pass the buck for any setback, the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, blames poor advice rather than telling a deliberate lie for the debacle in which he misled the nation by saying the parliamentary emoluments decision could be revisited when it has already been gazetted and become law.
He doesn’t say where the bad advice came from. Under normal circumstances, he has an Attorney General in the form of Siromi Turaga whose specific duty is to advise him as chief law officer of the state. But Rabuka doesn’t like him, has already tried to remove him once in last October’s abortive cabinet reshuffle and will do so again as soon as he gets the chance.
Did he rely on the advice of his protégé, rumoured one-time paramour and Chair of the Emoluments Committee, Lynda Tabuya? Because while she is a lawyer, that would be the height of stupidity when Tabuya is so bereft of judgment about anything and is damaging the public standing of the Prime Minister and the entire government by the day.
Yet here’s a possible answer to explain this entire debacle. And it is rooted in the close personal and traditional relationships between three men at the top who have all shown poor judgment at one time or another but together are the worst possible combination in this crisis. They are Sitiveni Rabuka, his high chief – the Tui Cakau and Speaker of the Parliament, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu – and Ratu Naiqama’s brother-in-law, Pita Wise – the man Rabuka handpicked to be his chief advisor as Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s office.
Yes, Fiji, that’s what the politics of the vanua brings you – a power clique of three who support each other, enrich each other and protect each other’s back. The Prime Minister chose his own high chief to be Speaker and has now bestowed an astonishingly generous package on him in the emoluments increases, including $220,000 a year and a house (see below). Ratu Naiqama can naturally be expected to do everything in return to support his “subject”. That appears to include stalling on his constitutional duty to replace the 17 FijiFirst MPs who have been sacked for defying the party’s instruction to vote against the package.
More pertinently, Rabuka chose the Tui Cakau’s brother-in-law to be his Permanent Secretary and chief advisor – a man with a reputation for heavy drinking and having a wandering eye who jealously guards his access to the Prime Minister, rules his office with an iron fist and continues to have the PM’s ear despite having a record of giving him woeful advice across the board.
How else to explain the shocking handling of the emoluments debacle and the total absence of any sensible crisis management or communications expertise? According to insiders, the mercurial Pita Wise is convinced he knows best. And even if the Prime Minister is gradually coming to the realisation that Wise is giving him shockingly poor advice, his hands are tied because Wise is Ratu Naiqama’s brother-in-law. And as Sitiveni Rabuka evidently sees it, taking the risk of offending his high chief by replacing his Permanent Secretary is a bridge too far. So the dysfunction in the Prime Minister’s office that is fuelling the current crisis will continue.
Who on earth has advised the Prime Minister to suggest that he can sack Biman Prasad from the Coalition, which is the main thrust of today’s front page story in the Fiji Sun? There is no comparison at all with events in the 1990s when Sitiveni Rabuka dispensed with his deputy, the late Taufa Vakatale, for defying him. She was from his own party. Biman Prasad heads a separate party which holds the balance of power in the Coalition.
He has the Prime Minister over a barrel. In an instant, the NFP leader could take his five seats off the table and Sitiveni Rabuka would be gone. So it is the height of madness for anyone in the Prime Minister’s Office or the PAP to encourage a front page like today’s. The schism within the Coalition – made worse by Lynda Tabuya’s attack on Biman Prasad – needs to be healed if this crisis is to be resolved. Instead these dunderheads are making it worse.
If the Prime Minister thinks he is getting bad advice, then he needs to start getting some good advice. But as with so many things, he is a prisoner of those around him. He is unable to move with decisiveness and good judgment to resolve problems because of iTaukei ties of kinship and obligation that are chronically making those problems worse. When is he going to get rid of them? He can’t. And it is a key factor in the collapse of proper standards of governance that has the whole nation shaking its head in disbelief.
Today’s front pages also give us a fresh example of the tribal instincts of the two main papers. Once again, the Fiji Sun concentrates on the crisis within the Coalition and the Fiji Times concentrates on the crisis in FijiFirst.
It is no more healthy for the national interest than the tribalism at the top of government. Where are the sensible men and women with judgment capable of providing the nation with proper leadership? There aren’t any. At least not in the corridors of power and sections of the media as Fiji goes to hell in a handbag.
POSTSCRIPT: A reader reminds us of something Grubsheet has reported before – a familial link between Sitiveni Rabuka and Pita Wise.
Wise is the brother of the Fiji Times reporter, Margaret Wise, who had an affair with the then Prime Minister in the 1990s that produced a child. That makes the Permanent Secretary the uncle of Sitiveni Rabuka’s illegitimate progeny.
Grubsheet readers will also recall that Margaret Wise had to take Sitiveni Rabuka to court to get child support and he denied paternity until a DNA test proved he was the father. Classy.
Such is the rich seam of complex relationships that runs through the Prime Minister’s life. There is nothing whatsoever that is straightforward about this man. And especially his chronic tendency to put his willy before his brain and his passing acquaintance with the truth.
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“Don’t blame me. I was given bad advice”:
What the Prime Minister has gifted his high chief: $220,000 a year plus the following benefits:
The front pages up close:
And guess what, Fiji? Fred Wesley is still talking about anything other than what the whole nation is talking about and is taking up most of his paper. Incredible.
The Motibhai Patels have also lost it.
Sitiveni “ I gave myself the authority to do the coup” ought to know something about the processes having been in politics for over 30 years. He is a cry baby of course but can still ask good questions to his advisers instead of acknowledging that he is a lazy PM dependant on “advice”.
Whilst I am not a fan of Mahendra Chaudhry anymore given his motor mouth and judgements being his own demise and that of people who put trust in him, at least he seems to know all the constitution inside out. That is a basic expectation of a parliamentarian to know the process or care to learn it.Forget about getting paid let alone pay increase if you don’t know the basics.
I would ask the PM to continue down the rabbit hole which is his decision (advice or no advice) and lead the nation to an early election as a result.
Oielieee kalou… our dementia-ridden PM. Reminds us of Shaggy’s song “it wasn’t me”!
This guy is the joke of the century… anything to hoodwink and BS the people lol
Any amazingly some people actually buy into his nonsense… how dumb do you have to be!
Ok so the PM got clouded by greed and so did his fellow cabinet Ministers including “lawyer” Lynda that they didn’t bother getting proper legal advice for such a major development in their salaries? Who you kidding mate?
Whilst you ask taxpayers to “tighten the belt” you all reward yourselves with the pretty generous increase in salaries and perks … so taxpayers tighten their belts to pay for your lavish lifestyles… it’s like a kick in the gut of the common man.
What a mess! These idiots need to go, and I don’t use the word idiot lightly. An idiot is one who sees the obvious mess streaming down the street but still agrees, and then rushes to swim and bathe in its filth. Rambo and Co it’s time to go!!!
Coup is a character of Lucifer for wanting to coup the THRONE OF GOD, THE CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH!
He is actually exposing himself of the lies and he thinks he will get away with it; not this time!
Administrative civilian rule is totally different from military rule whereby in military leadership role, what you say goes!
A true leader does not put the blame on someone else but on himself!
He is not a good strategist as well! His strategy is being put into confusion!
You deserve what’s coming to you Baiman … regardless of the weak and pathetic “leader” Rambo is at least he is looking out for the ITaukeis whereas you never stood up for the very people who put you there. You are a self-serving opportunist who only looked after yourself, your family and friends. Once in office you didn’t give a hoots about the common man.
That means, FEO will deregister Fiji First if parties constitution not changed by 28 June
I remember those days when one can borrow money from bankrupt NBF. Even a horse was fine for guarantor
Apply in the morning, collect money in the afternoon
Was known as “Dre” mai na Baqe
Those biscuit people working there were schooldropouts without a minimum qualification and were being promoted to senior positions within the bank left,right and centre.
Isa those old good days for some.
I was in a que at NBF in Samabula, waiting to be called inside
This was my second visit as I wanted to extend my house and needed some loan
The officer asked me to get a guarantor ,so I had my car as security
Those days only us were asked to stand in the que,military officers could just walk in anytime
Many came in military uniform and it looked like a military pay office
I ran into my class mate ,who was a military officer, he new what I was there for but I told him that the officer asked for security for my loan
My military mate told me their security was their “uniform”
After a year NBF was a big news
Imagine when you hear a bank goes burst
Than I knew biscuit in Fiji had another meaning.
Amazing, I can only imagine collapsing the Countries National Bank as it was before my time. But during times passed that behaviour is inline with old sayings, it’s not what you know it’s who you know. And finally, only in Fiji!
It is always someone else’s fault with this clown and crackpot. Always has been since 1987. And that is why all the idiot voters of Fiji love him. They all want an idiot to rule over them. If that is not true then why did they make him PM after 37 years of documented episodes of his idiocy and filp flopping. The people of Fiji are stupid, unquestionably. What has he ever done for Fiji in the last 37 years?
And then the idiots voters all complain! A lot. Really, whose fault is it all in the end?
Perhaps the crackpot should have got some guidance from God? I guess it is all selective depending on the situation at the time.
Hey, stop using the word idiot.
As one commenter reminds us: You can take a flying leap with your attitude. The vast majority of Fijians I know are highly educated and intelligent. When you refer to idiocy being in their DNA one can only assume you are referring to itaukei. I take such offense to that- End quote.
So there. While the voters may perhaps have less understanding of governance, or may perhaps be less informed or whatever else, remember this: Fiji voters are the most intelligent lot there is.
So Rabuka is saying is that he is illiterate and added to that he is an idiot for listening to bad advice. So PM’s defence is that he is utterly incompetent. If only the opposition had half a brain they would be relishing the gift that is the coalition of chaos and greed.
Dear Graham ( Eden )
We are in the Pacific rugby paradise of God’s own garden of Eden.
Instead of a Spanish Inquisition type uncovering of our governance and state of affairs, can we instead hear of more important matters ….like the Day 1 result and predictions of whether we can win the Spanish leg of the IRB rugby 7s in Madrid this weekend.
Also not forgetting the mighty Drua…are we going to make it further in this competition…we are wide awake for commentary on this and our fervent prayers and thoughts with the team. In depth post match analysis should the Drua lose is the foreign referee and tmo are to blame and the Colonial masters who don’t want island teams to succeed. The coach has to go if the Drua lose…but the PMs job is safe never mind the result after one two three or fours years of leadership ..he is our saviour..Vinaka PM and your coalition Govt.
You don’t need me, mate. It’s all in the Fiji Times. And if you think Sitiveni Rabuka is your saviour, you are one of the other lemmings on the rocks below.
Idiot.
Sarcasm 101 is an idiot, but he has no idea that he is an idiot. There are many hundreds of thousands like him in Fiji. They all need to be told that they are idiots oneby one so that they can become aware and then they can do something about it.
Their attitude is that the do not need vulagis telling them what to do. They do not want progress. They are happy to eat dalo and cassava and moli tea and live off the land. This is their country and they will do as they want without outside interference.
They do not have a problem with an idiot leading the country as long as he is iTaukei. Why else would they vote for a well known senile idiot and a dinosaur from the past?
But they do complain a lot.
You cannot change a donkey into a horse. Rabuka tried to and fooled Baimaan in the process, but now he has been found out.
One should not be too hasty in calling out someone an idiot, especially when one may not have paid too much attention in language and literature classes. Least the mirror mirror on the wall may self reveal who the real lemming and ulukau is!
However no offense taken personally as the sticks and stones were misdirected , unless ‘Yes that is right ” still does not know their right from the left or even worse – has a vacancy in the left and right sectors of the region between the ears.
Obviously the parody was missed..by a mile!
Highlighting the Fijian culture of obsession with rugby overlooking everything else plus the ethno nationalistic / provincial loyalty overriding any good sense of leadership abilities.
My apologies. I no longer know whether I am Arthur or Martha. It is a hall of mirrors down the Rabbit Hole with Lynda and, er, I can’t tell whether I am a rabbit or a lemming. Happy to hurl myself off the cliff in contrition.
For not blaming the ref (Rugby) or the previous govt for your misread of my post your apology is accepted, albeit reluctantly and sparingly. Others may be confused between Graham and Graeme (Eden) ( Rugby) but you know who you are. A man of your calibre is expected to have pinpoint accuracy as the legendary Jonathan Davis (Rugby).
And the Drua (Rugby) have won that’s all that matters so all is forgiven . Thank god for rugby Ha ha hah
Apart from the recent debacles and the squabbles withing the Coalition, Rabuka is doing untold damage to Fiji’s reputation internationally. There has been no consistency and its foreign policy is in tatters. He has been shooting from the hip, right from his appointment as PM, and is a huge embarrassment to Fiji on issues ranging from Fukushima discharge, deep sea mining, unqualified support for Israel, climate change policy, Pacific’s stand on common issues such as AUKUS, China, French colonialism, Papua etc etc.
His advice from Peter Wise explains part of the problem. The man is not open to any good advice. He has been putting up with Biman & NFP for his own survival. He is through and through a racist and the Indo Fijian community, in particular, do not have an iota of trust in him. He has lied and hoodwinked his way through and it is time to call him out. A wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing. A slithering snake indeed.
His attempt to try and act like a ‘statesman’, with his hollow peace crusade. He thinks he can fool the Pacific leaders into believing that he is some sort of a regional leader, but he has been become a laughing stock. At least Bainimarama was able to read Fiji’s statements on many issues at international platform with authority, conviction and confidence.
Graham it’s not only Peter Wise. His partner in crime, rumored to be his lover Vukidonu Qionibaravi a graduate lawyer but not a practicing one is the legal adviser to PM on this issue !