Who made the decision to bar the media from the swearing in ceremony at State House of the reappointed Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro? And who requested it? Was it Radrodro himself? Radrodro’s wife, Sainiana, concerned about journalists scrutinising the body language between her and her love rat?
The Prime Minister wasn’t present so it’s unlikely to be him. But there was evidence of a special closeness in the relationship between Radrodro and the President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, almost of a conspiratorial kind. So perhaps it was the President who wanted to spare his little mate from any unnecessary embarrassment.
Whatever the truth, the media ban gives the lie to the Coalition’s claims of a new era of media freedom in Fiji. It is the same level of control that existed under FijiFirst but more insidious – a climate in which the mainstream media self-censors to either support the government on an ideological basis or to curry commercial favour. And it is the same drip feed – the government’s photographs and narratives pumped out on its Facebook page that become the public record instead of independent journalism. It is utterly perverse.
But yesterday was a day of perversion across a broad front, called out solely by the Labour Party leader and former prime minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, who may not be in the parliament but has supplanted the strangely silent FijiFirst as anything remotely resembling an opposition. Chaudhry certainly hit the nail on the head with this observation:
“This was another despicable instance where the Coalition leaders demonstrated their willingness to sink to the lowest to retain power”
Emeni.
Among the highlights of a day of “despicable” perversion:
1/ Just eight months after he had “brutal” sex with Lynda Tabuya in Room 233 of the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne on an official parliamentary visit – breaking all known codes of conduct – Aseri Radrodro was back being sworn in as a minister of state. It appears to be de rigueur in the Coalition government and a prerequisite for high office that you be rogering someone else’s wife.
2/ Another indispensable qualification is to have almost killed your former wife, the Prime Minister’s daughter, in a savage domestic violence attack. It means that the Prime Minister won’t attend your swearing-in because he can’t stomach the notion but it doesn’t bar you from being one of his ministers in charge of the destiny of the nation’s young people.
3/ Just eight months after Aseri Radrodro slipped out of the marital bed at the Windsor Hotel to roger Lynda Tabuya so hard that she complained that she could barely walk the following day, his wife, Sainiana, was by his side at State House looking to all intents and purposes as if it was all perfectly OK by her.
Sainiana Radrodro has clearly got over her rage at discovering her husband’s “brutal” infidelity by accessing his mobile phone and sending the now notorious text messages that exposed him and the Great Temptress to Victor Lal at Fijileaks. She continues to hold the “smoking gun” that would destroy both their careers in her digital bottom drawer – an email to her from Lynda Tabuya admitting to her affair with Aseri and begging for forgiveness.
That forgiveness is unlikely to be forthcoming after the humiliation Lynda Tabuya has visited on Sainiana. But she appears to have forgiven her husband – or at least now that he has regained the salary and perks of a minister. And of course, she has the virtual Sword of Damocles hanging over him in the form of that explosive email if he is tempted to stray again .
4/ The Prime Minister perversely continues to try to portray Aseri Radrodro’s reappointment as a three month “yellow card” – taking up the “sin-binned” sporting analogy first coined by Grubsheet – when it is a blatant lie. Radrodro is back as Minister for Education because he and the gaggle of political misfits who make up the SODELPA leadership threatened to bring down the government and hand power to FijiFirst.
But while Sitiveni Rabuka – the Houdini of Fijian politics – couldn’t avoid giving in to such blackmail at the risk of being thrown on the street, the wily old dog still had a trick card to play – restore Aseri Radrodro as Education Minister but deprive the new SODELPA leader of the position of deputy prime minister. Lover Boy might be back in the cabinet but he becomes the first party leader in the Coalition not to be a deputy PM. And he must suffer the humiliation of the man he supposedly knocked off – “Blinky Bill” Gavoka – being Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism while he is merely Minister for Education. What happens if the Martians come and say “take me to your leader”? Er, um, which one?
5/ It would be lese majeste to attach the word “perverse” to our Head of State but what gives with the Tui Macuata? The former President of FijiFirst seems even more well-lunched than usual but he is now sporting an oversized gold ring. Who gave it to him? His wife? A Chinese hawker passing by State House? Does it have magical powers? Is it the presidential version of Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s purple stoned-ring that according to popular myth, the ousted AG used to control Frank Bainimarama?
If so, Ratu Wiliame needs to rub it a lot harder. Because judging from the photos that emerged on the government’s Facebook page of yesterday’s swearing-in, it is Aseri Radrodro who has the President wrapped around his little finger, which clearly isn’t the way things should be. In the absence of any journalists being present, can someone please explain the intimacy that obviously existed between the two?
As I said at the start, a day riddled with perversity. It is now no longer just about how a Prime Minister and his rabble of a government are going to extraordinary lengths to stay in office. We have reached the point where the State has been compromised through its tacit acceptance of conduct that is way beyond the pale.
Ratu Wiliame Katonivere knows precisely what the man he swore in again yesterday has done – the domestic violence, the illicit sex, the insubordination, the disobedience, the disloyalty, the plotting. But his body language tells us he doesn’t give a damn. And neither, it seems, does the Commander of the RFMF, Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai. Or he would be acting to defend and protect the interests of Fijian young people – as he is constitutionally required to do – from a domestic violence abuser and “brutal” love rate being imposed on them by a corrupt government.
God help us, Fiji. Because as Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest, the State totters.
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Photos: An unusual degree of intimacy.
Now that is some ring. Does it have special powers?
For love or money, Sainiana sucks it up.
Big man, big ring.
Could those rings perchance be related?
The ubiquitous Susan Kiran looks as if she’s rather be anywhere else.
Yes, well done, Your Excellency. The nation’s children deserve him.
What a happy little gathering. Where’s Lynda?
Without question, the Fiji Times buys into the Prime Minister’s Big Lie.
Called out only by Mahendra Chaudhry. The FijiFirst Opposition remained silent.
Like Jesus, the unseen guest at every meal. The Minister for Women and Children, in common with the Prime Minister, stayed away from the swearing- in ceremony. Obviously for different reasons, though with the common theme of historical brutality.
Sainiana’s theme.
That gold ring – wow! Its huge! Where DID he get it from? Its not every day you see the president of a country waltzing around in public with his bling on. Even pimps don’t have rings as big as that.
With that ring and the size of the man, he looks like a brother from the hood who’s living the life selling the white stuff that makes you crazy.
The media wasn’t invited or the akward questions would have been asked about the who saga and Sainiana definitely wasn’t in the mood to have questions asked about Aseri and Lynda leaving cracks in the hotel room wall they were in.
I would loved to have been a fly on the disgusting wall inside the PM’s office when he was being pressured to give Aseri back his role.
The President looks happy though – like the cat who got the cream. And he’s getting the best cream because they’re all crooks. From the top gun with his new gold bling down to every permanent secretary who’s getting a share of the cream.
One can only wonder when this government falls in the next election and FFP (may) return what atrocities will be uncovered for the world to see? Baimaan is doing everything he can to make enough money to retire because he knows his voters will spit at him and throw him out.
For now though, it seems the winds have once again gone in the favour of Rabuka and his pirates on the Jolly Roger… for now.
Where is his Kadavu poweress? Nowhere to be seen.
Mrs Radrodro looks rather distanced. Her choice and colour of attire shows she is not bothered but just there.
Kindly keep your children away from abusers. Just yesterday, we saw a reminder of what family violence can do when a young person was killed in Suva.
Radrodro has no place in the Cabinet as a violent woman beater and abuser.
Speak up as a nation. Say no to all this.
I read with sadness yet another murder of a young mother in Suva yesterday.
Then I see this.
An abuser given accolades or a leader of a party and Minister of Education in Fiji.
Congratulations Fiji.
We have done well.
I know it’s low, but since we are discussing wearable items, what is wrong with these ladies? They don’t own a solu jaba that matches that they can wear to important events? Why are they all wearing what appears to be ill fitting old lady dresses from the second hand in Waimanu Rd with skirts underneath? Most unbecoming and showing a distinct lack of taste and protocol.
What is a yellow card Rabuka?
This PM thinks he employs the nation. Dumbtard. We, the taxpayers, employ you. Where did you get a yellow card employee rights from? Does this apply to all public servants now?
Graham, there is no media freedom in Fiji.
The freedom they were crying for is called laziness and bribery. They have both now.
The media are scared as shit. They all report by the bribes they receive. The corruption has permeated and ingrained in society now. I know the media people are all protecting their jobs from the highest office to the lowest office and they report on things for which they are bribed. The whole culture in Fiji is truly f*cked.
Why isn’t anyone marching on the streets like they all wanted to during the previous government? Because they know this is not a vulagi government so it is not a good look to march against their own kind. They will just grin and bear the bullshit because they are the ones who “elected” this bunch of prostitues and whores. They will just put up with these pimps and whores as there is no one else to replace them.
The people and children of Fiji are truly blessed.
Nice gold ring Mr President.
You look like you’ve been enjoying plenty of LOVO while your people are struggling to survive.
Show a little restraint.
You are President and you sit there smiling at this adulterer and wife beater like you are just thrilled to reinstate him as Minister for Education!! Failure to speak up and do something makes you in on the corruption. Silence is deadly. How do you not see how disturbing this is?
What a strange, strange photo of unsavoury characters.
What a travesty!
My oh my. If only there was someone else you could quote than Chaudhry.
‘This was another despicable instance where the [Coalition leaders/Fiji Labour Party] demonstrated their willingness to sink to the lowest to retain power.’
Had Chaudhry and his acolytes been similarly principled in 2005-2008 and not sacrificed all of their anti-coup principles in the rush for a share of power, Fiji could have been saved the wrecking ball that was Thug One and Thug Two.
Old habits die hard pretty much, yet pretty tame compared to FFP who were brutal on the media muzzling due to tinier egos and bigger avarice.