And so what many people in Fiji suspected might happen has happened. The Draft Constitution prepared by Professor Yash Ghai’s Constitutional Commission has been altered before it reaches the Constituent Assembly. Its members – when they are announced – will still decide the final Constitution document but within a much narrower framework than Professor Ghai and his team envisaged. How has it come to this? Why is the Bainimarama Government taking some provisions of the Draft and referring them to the Constituent Assembly and not others? What does it all mean for the only thing that really matters – the introduction of a genuine democracy in Fiji in 2014? These are questions that much of the country will be asking as Fijians contemplate the events of Thursday evening – the unprecedented back-to-back statements by the President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, and the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama.
Some, of course, will accuse the Government of disregarding the advice of the constitutional referee it appointed because what he came up with didn’t suit its purposes. Others who appeared before the Commission or lodged submissions will be aggrieved that the views they expressed are being ignored. Yet as the Bainimarama Government sees it, there are sound reasons for it to take the course it has and also to be aggrieved about many of the provisions of the document bequeathed to the nation by Professor Ghai and his fellow Commissioners.
Right from the outset, the Government was looking for a simple, straightforward constitution that established a workable, sustainable democratic model based on the principle of equal votes of equal value. It would be the first genuine democracy in Fiji’s history. And the Government wanted Parliament to be the sole and supreme authority in the country. It would be made up of people who contested the 2014 election and won their seats fair and square in a clean contest. From among these individuals, a government would be formed and preferably one that was much smaller than the 71 seats that the Ghai Commission has recommended. Even if that figure was reduced to 51 seats, Fiji would still have more MPs per head of population than New Zealand. So why on earth would a developing country with scarce resources require such a big parliament?
The Government also envisaged right from the start that a leaner parliament would also be the real power in the country, its authority supreme and uncontested. What did we get instead? Layers of power and influence involving far too many people who are unelected and not accountable to the Fijian people. In the case of the 144 member National People’s Assembly, 72 of these would be “civil society” representatives, including many NGOs who receive their principal funding from overseas. And under the Ghai blueprint, it would be they, not the members of parliament, who would choose Fiji’s Head of State, the President. To whom would they ultimately owe their allegiance, the nation or their foreign backers?
When the Draft Constitution was sent to senior Government legal officers before Christmas, there was – by all accounts – a collective shaking of heads. What on earth was this document and why was it so big? It’s not only the size of the Fiji telephone book but goes way beyond the scope of the constitutions of many of the world’s great democracies. As the lawyers poured through its pages, they realised that much of the Ghai blueprint was laying down rules and regulations that ought rightly to be formulated by the new parliament. Fiji would be governed not by laws enacted by its elected representatives but by a flawed prescription formulated by the five members of the Constitutional Commission, two of whom were foreigners.
Worse, some of it undermined the most basic principles of the reforms the Bainimarama Government has instigated and got in the way of its desire to formulate a genuine democracy. When the lawyers toted up the number of all the “people’s representatives”, they were astonished to find that unelected representatives outnumbered elected representatives. And the simultaneous restoration of the Great Council of Chiefs – people who hold their positions by virtue of birth, not merit – suggested to them only one possible conclusion. That the Ghai Draft Constitution was ultimately a document not for ordinary Fijians but an elite. It concentrated power and influence in elite and unelected groups at the expense of the country as a whole.
It gradually sunk in at the highest levels of government over the Christmas and New Year period that the draft document was inappropriate in the Fiji context. Yes, some of its provisions were sound and could readily be adapted into a revised draft that was more workable. But others were clearly an impediment to good governance in a small country like Fiji. According to senior Government sources, it was faced with three choices:
(a) Proceed with the Ghai blueprint and send it to the Constituent Assembly as per the original plan. The problem with this was that the Government feared many months of intense argument over its provisions, a delay to the proclamation of the final document, a delay to the start of the political phase of the election countdown and perhaps even a delay to the election itself, taking it beyond 2014.
(b) To proceed with the Ghai blueprint in revised form, removing those sections that were inimical to parliament being the sole and supreme authority – plus a range of certain other provisions – and send that to the Constituent Assembly for discussion.
(c) To junk the Ghai draft altogether and start again.
In the end, the Government opted for Plan B. And thus we had an announcement to that effect last evening by the President and Prime Minister.
As we all know, Professor Ghai is a constitutional authority of considerable standing. When the Fiji Government engaged him, he came with an unparalleled international reputation. But unfortunately – in the eyes of the Government – he failed to live up to this reputation with his work for the Fijian people. His philosophy in writing the document and behaviour after the process concluded in leaking it has been highly questionable. To many eyes, he has displayed an appetite for self -aggrandisement and a desire to burnish his image in the eyes of the international academic community at the expense of the Fijian people.
Naturally enough, the Government now faces a period of opprobrium from elements in Fiji and in the international community. But it’s been determined all along to resist any draft that is essentially undemocratic and concentrates power with the Fijian elite and unelected groups. Now the revised draft will go to the Constituent Assembly for its consideration. The countdown to the election continues unimpeded but with the people ultimately having the dominant voice. As both the President and Prime Minister stressed, it’s in the interests of every Fijian – for the sake of the nation as a whole – to make a positive contribution towards making that process work.
Thats a good lesson to the truthers, keep our ears and eyes open, the FAT CATS and bamboooo gunners will always sneak in one way or the other.
Yes Plan B is the most suitable alternative and one that can bring things to a conclusion quickly so elections is held by 2014.
I believe the CA will be able to sort things out and we shall have a good Constitution.
May God continue to bless and guide my beloved nation.
It was always expected that Ghai’s draft was to be amended. The elites have always been cunning and clever. I think the old system needs to kept at a distance with a really big stick!! We move onward to a better future. I really dont care much about what the other countries and NGO’s feel because we can only move forward. God bless this country. We look ahead to the elections. Hoping the big stick stays in power longer so that those that miss the old system can feel the transition happening.
Democracy has to be the only game in town. Not a half-baked version where unelected, urban-based, chardonnay-sipping ‘elites’ get to have a greater say than the poor simple farmer out in the field or the villager working his dalo plantation.
Unelected and undemocratic institutions like the Great Council of Chiefs and the Peoples Assembly should have no say in the affirs of running the country.
Wonderful irony Komai, thank you.
Dear Graham
I understand your analysis but what I cant comprehend is why the Ghaii Draft was not sent to the Constituent Assembly as stated by our Prime Minister? For, after all, it was the Prime Minister who was going to select a list of members from the applications he received – about 300, wee were told. Why all these issues were not debated in the CA and changes and amendments made? Unless you are telling us that the Prime Minister could not trust his own selected CA members? Again, under what powers did the President act? He was merely to receive the Ghai Draft and send it onto the CA for debate? Are you telling me that once the President read the Draft, he took it upon himself to decided that it cant be passed – if so – why should an unelected President – who is doing a good job – at his own whim and fancy “spike” the whole Ghai Draft? I just cant follow the logic? Keep up the good work but please, inform us, of the questions. God bless!
@ Confused,
I know life can be a misery if confusion takes over. One only has to visit c4.5, not that I would encourage anyone from going to that blog…well maybe just once to see what I mean.
So here’s a manual on how to avoid getting confused.
1. Get down from your high horse.
2. Get down from your high pedestal.
3. Take a walk down Laucala Bay road and say “Bula” to those vegetable and fruit sellers.
4. Buy a piece of sliced pineapple and notice the smile on their faces.
5. Say thank you.
6. Go to McDonalds opposite USP and buy a soft serve for the security guard who has just opened the door for you.
7. Read Fiji Sun while there.
8. Ok now have a little chat with the young family sitting on the mat at Nasese waterfront with their children..say bula and have some family talk …about how lovely it is to see families together…something never seen prior to 2006. You will hear them speak of the boundless opportunities that await them in this environment of peace and stability. You will also hear that violence, threats and intimidation affects everyone and not just one community of people. You will hear of hope. You will see the young mother stroking the little girls soft hair, smiling and seeing hope that one day she will be the prime minister of this country.
Are you still confused?
Yes!!!!!……..Ask the stray mongrel on Fletcher road, Vatuwaqa and he will say “you’re fu@#ed”
(ps. those are the words of the mongrel and any offence caused by this writer is regretted)
I love this post, Chand. Vinaka.
Confused, I will try to leave you less confused. Senior Government people have told me they were concerned that because the Ghai Draft was so complicated, it might take up to eight months to debate some of its provisions, assuming that the Constituent Assembly is made up – as promised – of people across the political spectrum. This would have pushed the constitutional/ election timetable back until August. Then the political phase would have begun far too late to guarantee that an election could be held before September 2014. Remember,everyone would have been starting from scratch – parties, candidates, election arrangements and a formal campaign.
The Prime Minister is determined to deliver on his promise of a democratic election before September 2014. Can you imagine how the international community would react if he didn’t? Already lots of people are saying there isn’t enough time as it is. The Government assumed that the Ghai Commission would come up with a reasonably compact constitution that could be considered by the people’s representatives quickly. When that didn’t happen, it made the case for overturning some of the Draft Constitution’s provisions even more attractive. Hope this goes some way to addressing your confusion.
Bula Mr Davis,
I did not particularly like the Ghai draft for many of the same reasons that the government lawyers gave.
I thought the Parliament was too large and I did not see the point of the national assembly: I could be mistaken because I cant speak as to the reasons behind its inclusion – but I do recall a submission by a group of Fijians of Indian descent, the only one I recall specifically is a lecturer at FNU, Rohitash Chandra – who made a suggestion for the National Assembly as a replacement for the GCC.
As for the re-establishment of the GCC, it is probably because that was a recurring submission of almost every single group of rural iTaukei that came before the commission.
That is a simple matter that could be left for the Constituent Assembly to debate. As I read it most rural Fijians want the GCC back, maybe it could be de-politicized instead? Like removing the role of choosing the head of state and senators?.
In the past village headmen (turaga-ni-koro – who are distinct from the village chief or Liuliu/Turaga ni Yavusa) would represent the interests of the village to the Bose-ni-Tikina (District Council), each district would send reps as Mata-ni-Tikina to the Bose-ni-Yasana (Provincial Council) and each provincial council would send three people to represent it on the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (GCC). The GCC presented the issues dear to the iTaukei as a group to the Parliament through its senators or by issuing statements of its own.
I had debated this point with Mr Chandra (that I mentioned above) on a facebook discussion forum – we were arguing about the GCC – and he said he was going to present a submission suggesting a national council which could have reps from the provincial councils but would also include civil society and other community/ethnic groups.
I think the commission was trying to balance the overwhelming submissions from the iTaukei groups who made representations regarding the GCC and the views of such submissions as Mr Chandra.
If I had not spoken to Mr Chandra (albeit online), I would have been wondering where the idea had sprung from as well.
If one were to look at the submissions made to the commission, you would understand why the document is so unwieldy….those safeguards that make the document too unwieldy and should be left to Parliament were issues that were raised by groups making submissions. I think that the commission erred when trying to address it in the constitution, an easier way would be simply to reaffirm commitment to the principles of international human rights conventions which would allow the courts to use them in decision making…although that might give too much power to the judiciary….I dont have any easy answer…
Just some thoughts…
Graham,
You are too funny for words. The way the direction of spin has changed over the last 2 weeks is risible.
1- Ghai was not independent
2- Ghai was breaking the law
3- It was too expensive to have 71 MPs
4- It was undemocratic
5- It will devastate Fiji financially thanks to changes in Natadola and Momi decrees
6- Now it would take 2 long to debate.
Make your mind up which is the chosen direction of spin.
Or just admit the truth that a true democracy is run by the people for people and not by the military for a dictator
2 Reasons for your disorientation:
1. You are spinning around because of confusion
2. You are confused because you are spinning around
Ask the stray mongrel on Fletcher road, Vatuwaqa and he will say “you’re fu@#ed”
(ps. those are the words of the mongrel and any offence caused by this writer is regretted)
I agree that Plan B is the best alternative – unless someone can come up with better options – which I doubt very much.
If someone disagrees with this option then please inform us all as to what other options are available.
Please don’t dream of the impossible – be practical.
@Chand
I know life can be a misery if confusion takes over. One only has to visit Grubsheet, not that I would encourage anyone from going to that blog…well maybe just once to see what I mean.
So here’s a manual on how to avoid getting confused.
1. Get down from your high horse.
2. Get down from your high pedestal.
3. Leave your glass of wine behind in Australia
4. Fly to fiji
3. Take a walk down Laucala Bay road and see how expensive the fruit and vegetables are and marvel at how locals can possibly afford to pay for them. We do not all have Australian dollars in our pockets.
4. Buy a piece of sliced pineapple and notice the smile on their faces.
5. Say thank you.
6. Go to McDonalds opposite USP and buy a soft serve for the security guard who has just opened the door for you.
7. Read Fiji SUNk while there and see what the latest line of spin is from Graham Davis
8. Ok now have a little chat with the young family sitting on the mat at Nasese waterfront with their children..say bula and have some family talk …about how lovely it is to see families together…somethings never seem to change. But they will tell you they are living on this mat as they have been evicted because they could not pay their rent to a Chinese landlord. You will hear them speak of how the husband has just lost his job as a road builder with the PWD. You will also hear that violence, threats and intimidation affects only those who oppose the military. A word of advice Chand, take a condom in case you meet Ben Naliva who wants to shove his rifle where the don’t shine.
You will hear of hope but it is getting less that one day we will have a democratically elected Prime Minister of this country.
Are you still confused?
Yes!!!!!……..Ask the stray mongrel on Fletcher road, Vatuwaqa and he will chase you to Nabua and make you run around the parade ground at QEB
(ps. any offence caused by this writer is meant)
Originality my friend, originality.
Original thought process comes naturally through life experiences and not cut and paste…oh the cut and paste business……that is why the running of the show should be left to the ones with original ideas and people with real life experiences.
Oh the cut and paste business…..oh dear i can now understand where you come from…..always looking for a short-cut to life eh…miss all the handouts!!! Cannot produce some thing original??? No life experiences…….missing the gravy boat and condoms on platter….master of profinity!
Pretending to fight for the downtrodden under the guise of democracy……pretending huh!!
Let the stray mongrel on Fletcher Road, Vatuwaqa tell you your future
Hahahaha ……………good one Chand!
I was wondering how you’ll get off the corner you’ve been pushed to and am really amazed at how good your writings are.
Well shame on that Spin Doctor…………….must be still spinning confused.
Hahahahahaha………………………thank God it’s Friday …………… beer time mada!
Cheers Chand and all you good fellas!
@ Chand,
Vinaka bro. The cut and paste job only reflects their inability to come up with a plausible alternative. It is indeed, a shoddy piece of work.
Keep up the incisive comments bro.
Just a note, I’m not referring to the content of either of your posts….just a thought on cut & paste:
Its actually a pretty well-established practice – many of the decrees published in Fiji are amended versions of legislation we find abroad, an example might be the reforms to the Marriage Act or even the Domestic Violence Decree.
Even before the coup, this was common practice, take for example the Copyright Act.
It is quite normal to use an existing template and tweak/amend to suit the circumstance.
As to the content of what you are discussing: if you speak to people about this government, they wait to see which way you lean before commenting.
I make a habit of talking to market vendors in Suva and Nausori….and taxi drivers as well……sometimes the same person will change their stance depending which way YOU steer the conversation…taxi drivers in particular are funny, some recognize me from a previous trip but don’t recall our conversation…I can often get one driver to say he is completely anti-Bainimarama on one trip and a day or so later he is strongly pro-govt…
I think the vast majority of people keep their true feelings close to their chests and it will be interesting to wait and see how elections will turn out…
Yawn. Please it’s Friday night and it’s been a long week. Have you anything at all original or interesting to say?
Just a little comment if you don’t mind GD.
Thank you Pres and PM. Sirs, we the people of FIJI agree with you on the path you have taken us. Thanks for ensuring we have Elections by 2014 under a good and more democratic Constitution that will ensure good governance, equality and respect for all.
We thank you indeed Sirs,
Whoever Chand is he is a great breath of fresh air for the Fiji lovers and a ice cold wave for hate bloggers, NGO types, politicians,doomsday prophets and 4.5 spin doctors. If you want to know how messy the issues were going to be please read Crosbie Walsh who has summarized them for those of us who haven’t read the infamous draft yet.I hope the end draft has the National NGO Assembly taken out- WHAT A WASTE OF TAX PAYERS MONEY.
Vinaka, brother Graham! Chand, just shut up and mind of your own business – you did not write that article, Graham did, and he has explained it to me; brother Graham, as i asked you, where did the president get his powers to take the action he did – since Fiji no longer has a written Constitution
@ Confusion,
Frankly bro., I like Graham’s piece (and I always look forward to new postings) and a lot of other bloggers on this site. A lot of the people have constructive ideas about how to move Fiji forward and sometimes we spend a lot of time and resourses to explain to the doubters, ignorant and the confused.
And sometimes we fail, not because we don’t make sense but because the other parties have completely blocked out their brains. We can only do so much and our lives will go on regardless.
And that brings me to the life experiences and the thought proceses that enables most of us to “pen” and share with other bloggers.
My friend the only thing I copy are the words of the stray mongrel on Fletcher road, Vatuwaqa and he says “you’re fu@#ed”
(ps. those are the words of the mongrel and any offence caused by this writer is regretted)
I hope in time we can prove the mongrel wrong.
The mongrel’s in your court now.
In the big scale of things … In the great big picture … what is a year or two or three extra when we are talking about creating a Fiji – how the world is supposed to be?
What is the hurry? Who are we attempting to appease? Saka Ghai got it wrong. Possible? … Yes … possible.
Will we be happy to found the future of our country on the advice of someone who is not entirely truthful/honourable … to someone who, apparently, does not have the very best interests of our country at heart??
I say do it all again. Do it all again three times – as many times as it takes to get it right.
We all have a chance to do it right, not just for us but for generations to come.
Please do not rush into this. Let’s take our time and get it right!
Now we have ONE of the ONLY two international community,Kiwi(Bird that can’t fly)the other is “Jolly jumper”(Aus’) have given it’s 1cent piece that the OUR Gov’ have gone backwards by “trashing” a new draft constitution prepared by Professor Yash Ghai and his independent Commission. he is pissed off because his 1cent piece got deleted, thats one of the FAT CATS, folks, so anybody who is against the amendments is a FAT CAT, thats my logic.
What on earth are you trying to say?
Wot u smoking bro?….
You don’t make sense at all……
Komai, I think Vincent may have been somewhat tired and emotional, having posted this at 11.53pm. He normally makes much more sense. 🙂
It really is very simple.
People either believe the Government made the right choice for the right reasons to help Fiji and its people
Or
The Government made the wrong decision for the wrong reasons to keep themselves in power.
If you are paid by Qorvis you spout the former, even without believing it.
If you have even the smallest amount of independent thought you know the regime reached this decision because they were worried about losing their grip on power.
Spin it whatever way you like. Just remember the people of Fiji know a spade is a spade and a dictator is a dictator.
Spend as much money as you like bribing the people of Fiji. Remember they will never vote AG, tikoitoga or Bainimarama into power.
Bula Graham.
I’m not new to your site and i quite enjoy reading your very informative, in your face response to those who oppose the Fiji Government’s progress to creating a modern country where all citizens have equal opportunity.
I wish to contribute because it appears that while we progress, there are people who are hell bent on getting us back in to dark pre-2006 era.
Conspiracy theory websites offers the alternative view to mainstream knowledge disseminated by the mainstream media. Coupfourpointfive would fit this category in Fiji situation but in reverse. I not sure about the general public but i can’t help but notice that this blogsite is run by a well managed network of local and international Journalists. Some noticeable features of the site include:-
1. The style of writing and reporting is similar to what you’d read in the newspapers or hear in the news.
2.They have access to the latest news and events before you hear or see it in tomorrow’s newspaper. They now lay claim to news scoop’s for stories before they appear in the mainstream media. Today’s example is the arrival of the former head of one of Australia’s powerful Union’s to attend the launch of one of Fiji’s political parties.
3. The photos posted on these blog site is a dead giveaway! You can tell that most pictures are often taken up close and often at the press conference with government ministers or officials.
4.Incredibly, they type a rumor and reinforce their bullshit by inserting comments and quotes from various notable persons to back them up.
5. The site draws its strength from all the haters who spew nothing but profane language to peddle their cause.
Wouldn’t the public like to know who these Journalists are? They are seriously peddling false information.
For coup4.5, it’s all well and good to claim freedom of opinion but the elephant in the room today is that democracy they claim to fight for is being created steadily by the Bainimarama Government and as we forge towards 2014 they have lost the right to represent democracy for the people of Fiji.
Contrary to local and opposition views, major governments of the world see courage and wisdom in Frank Bainimarama and his leadership. They trust him not with local affairs but leadership of world bodies – G77 plus China for instance. Regionally, PNG forced a small ‘coup’ in order to host the ACP-EU head-office just, just so that Fiji gets to be part of the trade negotiations. These are just two of many instances where the world leaders look to our courageous PM for leadership. Suffice to say, we the citizens are in good and capable hands.
Can anyone imagine the same for the local homeboys of Chaudry, Qarase, Felix Anthony, Mick Beddoes, Attar Singh and others being called upon by world leaders to lead the any world body? Not now or ever – they just to have that quality.
If the Bainimarama Government will give free and fair democracy to the people by modifying the Ghai Constitution draft, where does this leave coup4.5, political opponents, NGO’s and foreign aggressors?
There can only be two genuine reasons.
• Foreign nations like Australia and New Zealand are modern day colonists that exert control on Pacific nations for their benefit – think “Pacer Plus trade agreements”. Australia and New Zealand have no control frank Bainimarama government and this leaves them very badly crippled. They need Felix, Chaudry, Attar Singh, Mick Beddoes and others to apply their “divide and conquer” form of democracy for them.
They create NGO’s to exert their control over Fiji. They nearly did with Ghai’s Draft. Look at Fr. Kevin Barr, a local catholic priest. His NGO is funded by the Australian Government to conduct a phony home building experiment in a squatter settlement in Raiwaqa! How f#$%ed up is that. Fr Barr of course must jump up and down to defend Australia’s input into Ghai’s constitution. Make no mistake, NGO’s are paid millions to exert Australia and New Zealand’s political influence in Fiji.
• Local politicians don’t have career but they need a job! So they badly need Australia, New Zealand, coup4.5, the NGO’s and other lost causes to force them into power. I think that is the new coup in the making.
So to all you so called freedom fighters…who you fighting for?
To me, two news events in Fiji this past week told of the same story – of a growing gulf between what the government would like the Truth to be, and what the rest of us know it to be.
In the first story, a group of experts came to Fiji to consider a project that (on paper) could have transformed the country. Initially there were more doubters than believers. I was one of them: ‘no way will this happen’. That was what I thought when I first heard what they were trying to do. It was too improbable, what these experts said they were going to achieve, and the locals warned, behind their hands, that the whole thing was a sham, a put-on, designed to impress the international community. Yet us naysayers had to accept that these were experts, international experts, and they said that they had worked in far tougher environments and been successful. It helped that they were paid for largely from overseas and that, in return, the government appeared to be giving them full support. And so they worked on, talking to locals, trying to find the right way to work within the tricky local conditions. Despite the apparent enthusiasm of the Government for the work that was being done, the disbelievers continued to tut-tut, said it was a waste of time and money, and in a number of pro-government blogs those same disbelievers were lambasted for their defeatism and for their failure to Dare to Dream about a better future for Fiji.
It turns out that the nay-sayers were right all along. I am not talking about the Ghai Commission.
This week we learnt the truth about the project I am referring to, when the Divisional planning officer north Alipate Bolalevu confirmed that the government was formally cancelling plans to build a bridge across the waters between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Even though such a bridge was patently nonsense from the very beginning it had Govt support (see ‘Look North’) perhaps because it helped to gussy up to their supporters in Beijing. Thus the Chinese experts were given every Govt assistance to study this possibility and that possibility – while the rest of us looked on and thought the whole thing was a complete charade. And so it came to be. After months of expensive work, it turns out that, er, there were problems. One of ‘a few things that made the project unsuccessful was the depth of the sea along the proposed stretch for the construction — which is very deep indeed,’ confirmed Bolalevu. Very deep. Which should hardly have come as a surprise. Also Bolalevu said, a 60-kilometre bridge would be too expensive, also hardly a surprise, and it would be ruinous to those individuals and companies whose livelihoods depended on inter-island boat traffic (see Fiji Times, January 10 2013).
There is a sameness with the whole process around the Constitutional Commission. This was the Government’s very own construction, elaborately stage-managed in order to invoke maximum international kudos. The Attorney-General picked the good Professor, his team of commissioners and then created all of the enabling legislation. Many of us thought the whole process was a sham, that no matter what was promised, the government could never afford to allow the commissioners a completely free hand. Oh no, the pro-govt blogs sccreeched, you cynics, you bien pensants, NGO-loving elitists and racist reactionaries. You don’t understand this government’s commitment to a true multi-racial future for the country. And so we watched, as the commissioners did their work in good faith, canvassed all of the opinions they reasonably could and then began to draft their document. (And there were no dissenting voices amongst the commissioners – this was an ‘extremely thoughtful’ document, according to the former parliamentarian Satendra Nandan, widely but perhaps unfairly criticised as a Govt stooge). But come submission day, what happened … oh, gosh, [with a general sound of foreheads being slapped in astonishment in government circles] these commissioners had come up with a plan that was just too darned expensive to implement, was not what they were looking for after all, misunderstood key aspects of the country, was flawed from the beginning etc. etc. But rather than have all of that be sorted out in the moderating, revising process of the Assembly (it’s sole purpose), the government took the draft away in a huff of finger-pointing at Professor Ghai, and is cobbling together it’s own document. As we all sort of suspected was the intention from the get-go.
Charlie, I don’t see the relevance of the bridge in relation to the constitutional debate but here’s a thought. If some Chinese guy came to me, presuming I was in government, and said “let’s build a bridge between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu” would I say “don’t be stupid, get out of here”? I’d think ” mmm, who am I to say it can’t be done? Go for it”. Why? because can you imagine the huge leap for Fiji’s development if it could be?
It’s not as if the Chinese haven’t done this kind of thing before. China’s longest sea bridge is 26.4 miles or 42.4 kilometres. So, yes, on paper there was plenty of evidence that this wasn’t just a dumb idea. Maybe it could have been done. Whether it was economically feasible is another matter. But you can’t blame the decision makers in Fiji for at least allowing for a serious examination of the possibility.
Folks will remember in the 70’s and early 80’s, in the days of no internet and tv’s, the “WOW” factor created by the foreign journalists….”wow..sa dina…eio saka”…..”aare such baat bole gora yaar”…(true because the white man says so)
And we’ll see him in the streets of Suva with multi-coloured pens in shirt pocket thinking…”wow…plenty pens…must be smart…gonna write big stories maan…wailei sa dina.”
And then he will flash out the Parker…”wow man…..he’s got parker pen….gonna write great story.”
And the arrogance was accepted as something being “Englandi”…wow must be true….aare gora bole , right hoi yaar…..England ke hai…. ”…(true because the white man says so…from England).
And the gullible will say ‘there’s my girl”. And then we will see him in the 4 wheel drive in the streets of Suva, with the white plastic bag deliberately stuck in the door, half hanging and blowing in the wind with only “HOT..B….” in red visible.
“Wow man…4WD…the writer….must have a hot babe inside…..sa dina”
And then come the 90’s and 2000’s and folks became more informed through the introduction of internet and TV’s and networking. And the facebook/twitter and the likes.
And now folks, not me but the stray mongrel down Fletcher Street, Vatuwaqa will tell this guy “WTF”
..oilei sa dina.
…mongrel such bole
Lately FLP described media as ‘cowardly’ over the Ghai draft constitution reports.
If journalists are cowards, than mahen chaudry is crooked, based on his non-disclosure of $AUS2million in Australia thought to been raised in the name of poor but shamelessly pocketed by the man himself.
The FLP’s asha lakhan who wrote the offensive press release should know journalists are not there to serve FLP and the political agenda of its leader mahen.
After all, mahen is a turncoat. he supported the coup and was interim finance minister. Now he is coup critic. This flip-flopping indicates the nature of the man who is motivated by vested interests.
As PM mahen was strongly anti-media. Now his minions have the nerve to describe journalists as cowards. How self-serving and hypocritical. That’s typical fiji labour party for you.
Hi all,
Just back from Fiji, some observations.
1. Gujji house wife’s with diplomatic passports.( as I stood on the line they just went to the special line at customs)
2. Fijian business company’s bringing more employees from India to work for them.
Can somebody explain please
Just because u are rich can buy you diplomatic passports.
What’s the rule in Fiji for hiring foreign workers.it’s hard to believe that locals are not qualified enough to fill the vacancies, when 3 unis are spitting graduates every year.
I am very sad as it looks like some people are really untouchable even after the clean up,
Oh well hope military council is really differentiating between real and fake cleanup campaigners.
God bless Fiji.
@ vinny
How sad. The implication is that a woman of Indo-Fijian Gujerati descent can never be entitled to a job in Foreign Affairs, nor can her husband ever work there, thereby getting diplomatic passports, because these are jobs reserved for the middle class itaukei? Even sadder is that workers are coming here from India, and that this is undesirable. Dear child, workers have been coming here to work in businesses in Fiji from Australia, New Zeal and and Canada for years, and no one complained. It is only Indian expatriates you object to? A racist takes two seconds to reveal herself.
Ok , good to know 70 plus women works for our foreign service.
Wise choice.
And my grandfather was brought from India as a slave and toiled the land till he died and I have a chip on my shoulder and fakin proud of it and we never robed anyone by selling one item and writing ten items in the books and making poor uneducated farmers sign for it. Fakin proud
Yes we should repatriate Indians and Chinese and stereotype all old Indian ladies in the immigration queue. Poor sad deluded racists, who can only describe people on the basis of their ethnicity. One Indian steals, so all Indians are thieves. One is corrupt, so they are all corrupt. Even Gandhi must have ripped off his people eh? After all he was gujerati too.
Ho him, hows business under banimara govt , can not steal that much, oh well start shifting your operations to png , another virgin place to corrupt.
as you people can not do business without corruption and give your real name .
Tell the truth , then u are labelled a rasist , oh well so be fakin it.
@ Vinny-I think your question is off the subject of the discussed topic here but in saying that everyone should have the freedom to air their opinion/s. Just sad that ChandFanClub and Ho Hum have decided to label you a racist eventhough you are a Fijian yourself with Indian origin (just reading between the lines and I maybe wrong so I do apologise before hand).
Read today that the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, some Kamlesh guy was not happy with the way the draft constitution by Ghai was handled by the gov’t.
Yeah right, you’ve said it, your masters are happy, your pay cheque is ready and now piss off.
Oh…. and did you want the constitution to be like the Indians have? The shameless dynastic politics, communal vote banks, divide and rule under the guise of democracy.
Where quite a large number of politicians have criminal records, nepotism is rife and where even women cannot live with dignity….I can give you more!!
Where the foreign minister delivers a speech in the UN written for Portugal…… really !!! and you want to talk about the Ghai draft….to be imposed on the people of Fiji….chutiy saala.
And I can understand where Vinny is coming from.
Make up all the excuses you like Mr Davis, but the truth is that Bainimarama wants a constitutions that:
a) Saves him from prosecution – very brave of him
and
b) Gives him and his military control of parliament – very scheming of him.
Fiji is just a laughing stock when episodes like this happen. Ghai is appointed to draw up a draft constitution and yet when he draws one up, it is burnt because bainimarama and his henchmen don’t like the contents of it. Honestly folks, you can’t make this up. It is seriously laughable.
Dear All Indo-Fijian friends
It i time we woke up – in our blind fanaticism we now have a serious problem re party decree – those against mahend and others cant go to small parties for they will not have 5000 members
@ Dhaniya,
You need help man, you really do. We could all come and attack you for your naiveness and down-right stupidity but today we will help you.
Dhaniya, this country is bigger than Mahen and the likes and even the so called Indo Fijians you are referring to (you may or may not be an Indo-Fijian and we have seen the likes before).
This week was a joy for me and the thousands of other Fijians seeing the PM given the chair for the 137 emerging nations plus China. I believe this is on a rotational basis and we didn’t have to wait for 137 years. Given the hue and the cry by the so called democracy advocates, 137 nations plus China had the confidence of Fijian leadership to the dismay of our neighbours.
Today I urge you (whoever you are) to get out of the clutches of communal thinking, the I, me and my mentality and stop doing the dirty bidding for the cunning and the deplorable.
The racist and divisive attitude must stop. You will eventually be caught. You are a minority and such mongering will not be tolerated by right thinking citizens.
If you need courage, then have a look into the eyes of your children and say “I will not let my children be like me”, then look in the mirror and say “wtf……f@#k you Mahen”.
(ps. You will now notice that you have got balls)
Chand, when you looked in the mirror, you allegedly had bainimarama’s pyjamas on. We have reason to believe that you are still wearing his undies. Please take them off, they might be needed for evidential purposes when voreqe’s indictment is read out in court.
Thanks,
@ Terry… umph eh Petelo,
Looks like when Tui finished his business with you in the plantations, he pissed on your head.
I mean when tui thinks you’re a scum, what are we to think of you????
Even the stray mongrell wouldn’t comment on species who feed on his droppings. He turns around, looks at his arse, wags his tail and says “nah…wtf…not him…not my type…I will not lower my dignity”
Why can’t the Indians vote as human beings and even vote for (surprise!) people of all other races? Parties should be formed on issues not races.
@ vinny
Just because someone is Indo-Fijian doesn’t mean he can’t be racist. Some Jews dobbed in their own people to the Nazis because they thought they could be saved. Bad mistake.
it was a waste of money from the beginning getting Ghai- or any other expert! Why we have had so many experts write Constitutions for Fiji in the past that has not worked. If we get a 7 , Form 6 students together to read all the Constitutions we now have and get them to give us a new one based on several new concept for Fiji ie voting for the best candidate etc etc-we will have a solution in a month! Saved the money the time and all the wasted resources! If it doesn’t work out well what have we lost just some Form 6 students time!
My homepage … site; Paul,