Professor Wadan Narsey told Grubsheet back in September that he, me and Sashi Singh (host of the SS Talking Point program) “have a lot of grovelling to do to the Fiji voters for our support of Rambo before the 2022 elections”. He also said that he had stopped writing his once weekly column in the Fiji Times because of his utter disillusionment with the direction the nation was taking under the Coalition.
So imagine Grubsheet’s surprise to see Wadan Narsey suddenly pop up in Suva as a prominent member of the Electoral Law Reform Commission that is reviewing the three pieces of legislation that cover the way we elect our MPs – the Electoral Act 2014, the Voter Registration Act 2012 and the Political Parties Act 2013.
I don’t doubt Wadan Narsey’s sincerity for a moment. He has doubtless interrupted his semi-retirement in Australia hoping to influence the course of events in Fiji for the better. But it was still startling to see him lined up with some people he privately detests, and especially the Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga. He has also expressed bitter disappointment at the failure of Biman Prasad to use his influence to put a brake on some of the more extreme conduct of the Coalition and its negative impact on the minorities.
Still. Better, I guess, to be “inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in”, as the former US President, Lyndon Johnson once famously said. And perhaps Wadan Narsey can be the brake we so desperately need as the minorities find themselves facing the prospect of being increasingly marginalised in Fiji.
This includes the recent admission by the Deputy Prime Minister, Manoa “I’ll work harder if you pay me more” Kamikamica that the Coalition wants to restore the provisions of the 1997 Constitution, which would deprive the minorities of equal votes of equal value and a common identity.
Grubsheet was gratified to see Wadan Narsey – in his first public comment as a member of the Electoral Law Reform Commission – assert the principle of equal opportunity.
Er, “whatever we choose to call ourselves”? The 2013 Constitution says we are all “Fijian”. It is not optional. That is the supreme law which the Coalition wants altered to deprive the minorities of the right to call themselves Fijian and re-designate them as “Fiji Islanders”.
Is Wadan Narsey OK with that? Or is he saying that some members of the minorities might choose to call themselves Fijians but others can choose to call themselves Fiji Islanders in deference to the sensitivities of those indigenous people who do not want to share an English language word with their fellow citizens?
There is no room for such ambiguity in immigration queues, for a start. “What nationality are you?” “Er well, officially Fijian but the indigenous people think that belongs to them so I call myself a Fiji Islander”. “Oh really? You will put down on your arrival form what your passport says, mate”. Ergo, Wadan Narsey’s equivocation is a nonsense.
Yet the really disturbing thing about the convening of the new Electoral Law Reform Commission yesterday and Wadan Narsey’s presence there was the spectacle of its Chair – the former chief justice, Daniel Fatiaki – siding with Manoa Kamikamica and the rest of the Coalition in publicly calling for the 2013 Constitution to be abrogated. Not altered but abolished.
It has been a familiar refrain from Fatiaki in the letters columns of the Fiji Times but he now heads the Commission and suddenly has real teeth.
Note that the former chief justice is specifically saying here that the 2013 Constitution should be “removed” BEFORE elections are held. That means in the next 12-18 months. Which gives us a disturbing insight into what the Coalition is planning to do with its reference to the Supreme Court for an “opinion” from its resident stooge, the current Chief Justice, Salesi Temo.
So that’s the tiger’s den that Wadan Narsey has entered – publicly stating his own belief in the equal opportunity provisions of the 2013 Constitution and the common identity (sort of) but surrounded by people who want those provisions abolished.
With respect to the Professor, much as he might think that he can influence events, it’s a tightrope that is going to be virtually impossible to stay on without having to compromise his principles in the same way that the great appeaser and enabler, Biman Prasad, has done.
He should be mindful of that famous Winston Churchill saying: “You cannot reason with a tiger when you have your head in its mouth”.
We wish him well but Wadan Narsey is surrounded by tigers intent on devouring some of our most basic rights.
And then there is the overtly political nature of the Law Reform Commission, all bar one – electoral advisor Deidre Brookes – closely aligned with the Coalition and with no-one associated with the formulation of the existing electoral laws.
No wonder Siromi Turaga – the biggest tiger of them all – is grinning from ear to ear and flashing his teeth again. He’s even managed to get Wadan Narsey into his cage.
Churchill on reasoning with tigers. Biman Prasad take note.
UPDATE FRIDAY PM:
And lest anyone doubt the importance of winning the struggle for equality against the barbarians of the Coalition, we need only look at the number of Fijians voting with their feet.
Thank God for people of the integrity, vision and calibre of Nilesh Lal and Alefina Vuki, who are on the front line fighting for the principle of One Nation.
Because if the mass exodus continues, it’s going to be Viti Lailai – Little Fiji – a nation reduced to beggar status and a shadow of its former self, let alone what might have been if we hadn’t lost four decades fighting among ourselves.
Lest we forget, Fatiaki has an axe to grind given his fallout with the FFP government and he is another piece of the puzzle.
Fatiaki is one of the many shadowy figures in the background who are responsible for finding some mechanisms to get rid of the 2013 constitution. He, along with others will back Temo with enough ammunition to allow the government to change the constitution without the votes of the people and those in parliament.
Revolutions and coup d’etat’s are usually done by the people. This is another unique aspect of Fiji: The government is planning one this time and will abrogate the constitution illegally. Is this defined as self-harm or self-pleasuring?
Good team to review the illegal 2013 constitution enforced to the Fijians in 2013 without their full consultations, that is the crunch of the matter – get the constitution correct first then everything should fall into place…
Justice Fatiaki is a distinguished lawyer and with Professor Narsey’s academic and rational thinking should devise a best way forward for all Fijians including the Indigenous Fijians…toso Viti!
So what is getting the Constitution “correct”? Please explain. Or your argument doesn’t fall into place at all.
Well said unhappy kaiviti. Even the military are asking for greater clarity on their constitutional role per S. 131 (2) of the 2013 Constitution.
So thats one area that needs to be fixed.
Distinguished as a rat in a sinking boat.
Fact is, the snake is hiring loyalists.
There is no greater embodiment of a loyalist than Fatiaki, a two-timing summa beech ethno-nationalist coward. Turns tail and runs first sign of trouble.
Funny how things go in Fiji with bigot worms coming out the woodwork as soon as there is a hint of enthonationalism. All of them carrying prejudiced baggage.
Wadan is merely there to add a false sense of legitimacy. He will be bulldozed by the supremacists. Baiman is ready to sell out already to stay out of jail.
The rest know exactly what they want. The turncoat rat will make it so. This is all a charade.
Wadan just wants his 20% pension rate backdated so he can eat into others’ superannuation or taxpayers’ funds. It’s all snouts in the trough at the moment. He’ll get the moolah and be out of this shithole relaxing in Australia while the rest of the citizens suffer due to his folly.
Wadan is another self vested person who is back in fiji, selling his morals for a few dollars. What difference is he going to make in the den of racist lions – him and the most disliked NFP leader will become prostitutes in the lions den, paid well for their services, come out bleeding, satisfy the hunger of power hungry lions – all in the name of consultation – as Clint Eastwood said “ for a few dollars more”
A typical example of an Indo Fijian expert making all the right noises from afar..until snout in trout opportunity beckons. He should be transparent as he goes along each step of the process. Noone else in that group will.
Whoever might think that there’s an ounce of integrity in this group of appointments is daydreaming. After Richard and other fellow NFP cronies taking their share of the pie, now Wadan is in for his bite.
Eventually Wadan joins to earn some extra cash and to become bit relevant. It’s all about money and fame and nothing to do with the ordinary and struggling people of Fiji. Lots of committees will be formed with sidekicks in it. Millions of dollars will go down the drain by paying these bullshit committee members whereas hospitals, roads and poor infrastructures will remain as it is. Nothing has changed from last government to this one.
Where is, what happened to the commission of inquiry re: aunty barbwire titti?
To be fair, if there is to be any Indo-Fijian on such a commission, Wadan would be one we could hedge our bets on. He has shown himself to be someone with balls to stand up to bullying, bias and is a fierce advocate of fairness and rights, of course defined according to him!
True he owes Biman, who earlier launched his book favours, which is obvious from his glaring lack of commentaries on the recent digressions of the embattled NFP Leader.
As is obvious from the initial shots fired by Fatiaki, we need someone who can confront the tiger head on and we just hope Wadan will not compromise his largely positive legacy. After all, it was his late brother-in-law Brij Lal, who was one of the key architects of the 1997 constitution. And he has been Rabuka’s golfing mate.
He was also a victim of the NFP SVT partnership which saw it trounced by the FLP.
We wish Wadan the best and suggest he does get down from his often arrogant and high-horse vantage point and is able to reflect the opinions of Fijians who are rightly concerned by the ethno-nationalist agenda of Rabuka and the Coalition.
Hear, hear.
Many of the negative comments about Wadan and greed for money are so unfair and totally unfounded. These commentators obviously don’t know the Professor.
Very true Subhash. Talk is cheap.
Politics is a game of expediency that teaches us all some hard lessons when we blindly put too much political capital in “good” people.
Fiji’s most recent history is littered with examples of “good” people betraying their own. Baiman anyone? Agni, Sashi, “I have the means” Naidu, Shame-imma, et al., Choran, the three stooges led by kripple-brains Kirpal.
The AG was hailed as a new broom and turned out to be all hat and no cattle. A real racist and opportunist who lazily blamed Indo-Fijians for the itaukeis backwardness.
“Good” people, all.
Wadan has no clue what the rest of the commission’s real agenda is.
No one , not one person has bothered to explain what exactly is wrong with the constitution. Neither has Wadan.
We’ll see where Wadan stands when the dust settles after all the ethno-nationaliat punches have been thrown. Fatiaki is intent to “throw out” the constitution, already flashing the entho-nationalist card. Wadan will merely cut the deck.
Easy for one academic to claim another is a good man.
100% of the snake rolex Rabuka’s support base will tell you about his ‘goodness’. Ditto your high chief the pedo president, CJ, Baboon Just-us, checkered Manoa, tavale Bulitavu, and many more.
As a boxing aficionado, Subash will know what Mike Tyson said about everyone having a plan.
Kudos to Wadan for having the balls to be in the cage with the Tigers.
When faced with the tiger, you either lay down and let walk all over you or you jump on it and ride it.
This is the time to set the course right. Through collaboration, through dialogue, through consultation. Not the happy charter forum by Bai packed with handpicked people whose input to Ghai’s draft was burned by his boy Kai.
An article from Professor Nilesh.
“Fiji continues to grapple with issues of racial discrimination and inequality, with increasing worry about so many people leaving the country and around 100,000 have left the country in recent years, the vast majority being Indo-Fijians.
This has been highlighted by Dialogue Fiji Executive Director Nilesh Lal during the 60th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination today.
Lal says this migration reflects a deep sense of discontent, raising questions about whether Fiji is truly a place where all its citizens feel valued and included. “
It is at the bottom of the latest story.
“Professor” Nilesh is in bed with Biman and the Coalition – quite literally on the think tank payroll. That doesn’t mean he’s wrong, but take it with a splash of ghee.
He’s (quite deservedly) NOT a professor. Yet.
Wadan and Fatiaki are good choices. Seni Nabou is not, being a former NFP Secretary and recently failed election candidate (2022 General Election 305 votes). Not fair on the other political parties.
You are worried about fairness of political parties!!! Does that include FFP or are you only thinking of Sodelpa and PAP?
Do you have preconceived ideas and prejudices like the chairman of this commission?
What about fairness of the vulagi or does that not matter?
Go check with the Fiji Elections Office, if FFP is still registered. What vulagi you talking about? Is that a new party?
In all sincerity, someone like Ian Simpson should be part if this commission that otherwise seems to have a predetermined outcome.
Simpson might well keep them honest at least. As long as he does not go off on his one party tangents.
There is no independence in this commission. Nabou is there to toe Baimaan’s line.
So much for consultating the people.
Kamkamica is clearly out of his depth. On one hand, he claims they are following the law in changing the constitution, citing the Speaker’s ruling, even though the Speaker erred by prioritizing Standing Orders over the constitution. If the constitutional provision is so clear, why then did they introduce such an illegal Bill?
On the other hand, Kamkamica accuses the opposition of being undemocratic. But why did he and his supporters lobby the opposition to back the bill instead of presenting a clear case in Parliament about the specific changes they wanted to make?
The Leader of the Opposition (LOP) made an effort to engage in bipartisan discussions, but Rabuka stalled that. Instead, they used their influence and party-hopper Bulitavu to work with his former, weaker colleagues, offering political bribes to gain support.
If they were genuinely concerned, they could have called for an adjournment of the Bill and had further discussions with the opposition. They needed to provide clear, specific information on what changes the coalition government wanted. But they were in such a rush to weaken the constitutional amendment provisions, so they could alter the constitution at will. It also shows that Coalition has a hidden agenda and likely working against the Indo-Fijians and other minorities.
Now that their lobbying efforts have failed, they shift the blame onto Inia Seruiratu and the opposition MPs. This is nothing more than a childish tantrum.
Kamkamica and the government’s narrative seem to suggest that the constitution is undemocratic, illegal, and imposed on the people of Fiji. But if that’s the case, why have they contested three elections under this so-called “illegal” constitution and taken an oath to protect it? Isn’t that hypocrisy? They’ve used the constitution when it suits them, yet now they have the audacity to call it illegal. Does that make all government MPs illegal? They should resign immediately.
The Coalition seems to have an agenda to elevate iTaukei people as the superior race through the constitution they seek to introduce. Unfortunately, in their lust for power, Biman Prasad, as the leader of NFP, and other Indo-Fijians on the government side are so blinded by ambition that they fail to see the harm this will do to Indo-Fijians and other minority groups.
Now we hear that Daniel Fatiaki has been appointed as the new Electoral Commissioner—someone who has openly criticized the former government and is likely motivated by a desire for revenge. His views are already known; he has publicly called for the abrogation of the 2013 Constitution. How can he be impartial?
He is also the chair of a politically biased team that will review the Electoral Act of 2014, the Voter Registration Act of 2012, and the Political Parties Act of 2013. Such reviews should be conducted by independent experts, not political allies like Wadan and Seini, both of whom are aligned with the NFP. Wadan, a former professor from USP and the brother-in-law of the late Brij Lal, is a political opportunist.
Although Wadan has expressed dissatisfaction with Biman and the Coalition government in the past, it will be interesting to see how he plays his cards. Will he have the courage to stand up for Indo-Fijians and other minorities, especially when he is based in Australia? Time will tell. Can he think differently than Biman, or will he just rubber stamp what Rabuka wants?
Daniel Fatiaki has already demonstrated a clear bias against the Constitution and other Acts. The LOP and other political leaders must oppose the composition of this team, as it is politically biased and does not represent the interests of the people.
Once again, Rabuka is recycling old, retired individuals—his and Biman’s allies—to determine the future of our younger generation, who have no voice in these decisions.
Meanwhile,many youths remain unemployed because of lack of opportunities due to declining investor confidence, and the people of yesterday are deciding the future governance model for tomorrow. This must be opposed in the strongest possible terms.
… declining investor confidence ‘ ???
Hey Danny boy, you need to pull your head out of your arse and have a chat with Dr Kishti Sen a respected ANZ economist who, in today’s Fiji Sun, says the opposite of what you are preaching.
Sen predicts stronger economic growth by 2027; that the underlying drivers of the Fiji economy remain sound; and that there is strong private investment etc.
Stop the lies bro.
Ah, yes. The ever ready Dr Sen. Biman’s favourite economist who tells the world precisely what the Finance Minister wants to hear.
You should start talking to a few investors directly instead of believing this self-serving BS.
Too many professors and intellectual ivory tower residents are expected to be able to fix a ruptured sewage pipe. Need a hands on, roll up your sleeves type with solid old school wisdom. Who cares about their university degrees and honorary doctorates? – if they are very capable to see the problems and provide practical fixes, are over 40 years of age but only have high school education or even less. Far too many educated idiots who can’t do much useful.
The panel should be of the likes of 52 year old Mr Ernest Whippy boatbuilder of Ovalau, Mrs Ram Kumari retired school teacher of Taidum Lautoka and Mr Simione Latu, former PWD supervisor of Nasekula Labasa. You get the drift. (Names are fictional).
All the lack of impartiality, lack of transparency, prejudice, preconceived ideas and so on have become the norm in a real Third World, third rate country. No one is questioning anything. They are all in it proud to be impartial and prejudiced, totally unaware that they are learned idiots .
Did you see the photo opportunity of the commissioners of the TRC with the PM. It was a proud moment for them. They are totally unaware that they are idiots. What will become of Fiji???
This will be the first high level government appointed board where 3 of its 4 members have clear conflicts of interest.
Remember Qarase went to jail for not declaring his conflict of interest.
Wonder whether these members will have the presence of mind to declare their conflicts or the potential for a conflict of interest at their first meeting and at every discussion before they open their mouths.
Rightly they should vacate the room. That would make the committee a complete farce.
Forming this Commission is another part of the orchestration of the Government to have Fiji revert back to the 1997 Constitution and with to the previous electoral system.
It will undoubtably recommend that the existing proportional electoral system that elects Parliament be scrapped and the country return to single member electorates with first past the post voting. This will benefit the PAP and disadvantage small parties. The point is how the electorates are decided? Will it see the return of ethic-based electorates and voting? Given the make-up of the Commission that seems entirely possible!
The former CJ has already made his position clear – scrap the current Constitution, nothing like being impartial is he! The only two people on the Commission who have not come out supporting this position are electoral advisor Deidre Brookes and Wadan Narsey. So the dye is already set!
The chair is also dubious and had a dvro taken out against him. Is this government so attracted to domestic violence abusers that they are being hired in prominent roles?
Mr Narsey trying to be relevant in Fiji and make some cash while doing it. All the white enjoying the good life in Australia. In his dreams he thinks he is still very connected to grass roots issues of contemporary citizens of Fiji. A fool or a tool?