Fijileaks: It suits Aiyaz Khaiyum so he can control and manipulate FICAC when it comes to settling scores or unleashing FICAC onto opponents
2 Comments
"Yes, in the sense the Supervisor of Elections controlled the budget of EC [Electoral Commission]. This man worked under us but we had to seek permission from him to defray costs and meet our expenses. I don’t think that’s appropriate. And also during the course of the elections the SOE in my view did not give sufficient respect to the Commission and also I think he had other bosses … bosses other than the EC." Professor Vijay Naidu Professor Vijay Naidu’s interview with Bruce Hill of Pacific Beat, Radio Australia ( more or less verbatim): VN: “There was a lot of issues relating to the Electoral Decree and the constraints on the Electoral Commission (EC) and the relationship of the Electoral Commission with the Supervisor of Elections (SOE). Hill: You mentioned conflict of interest. VN: Yes, in the sense the Supervisor of Elections controlled the budget of EC. This man worked under us but we had to seek permission from him to defray costs and meet our expenses. I don’t think that’s appropriate. And also during the course of the elections the SOE in my view did not give sufficient respect to the Commission and also I think he had other bosses … bosses other than the EC. Hill: Can you elucidate on which bosses? VN: Well, I think the Solicitor General and the Minister for Elections had some direct role in how the Supervisor of Elections perceived his position and I had issues with regard to that. As can be seen in his decision not to accept the reports and recommendation of the Electoral Commission in relation to the list of candidates that he approved without the support of the EC. He did not give us adequate attention or respect. Hill: You had some concerns with the Electoral Decree relating to Non Government Organisations and trade union officials. VN: Absolutely. Provisions in the Electoral Decree forbade non-government organisations that had received foreign budgetary support, from engaging in discussions relating to the elections, convening panel discussions etc etc. And also in [distributing] voter educational material for voter education without approval from the Elections Office and from the Commission. I was quite perturbed at the way NGOs were treated and in fact, the Supervisor got to FICAC to investigate a set of discussions that the Citizens Constitutional Forum (CCF) had instituted in partnership with University of the South Pacific. These sort of things left a very bad taste in my mouth, you know. Hill: You were on the EC. Anything you could do about it at the time? VN: The chairman of the Electoral Commission was also investigated. He raised objections to it but was told that FICAC is an independent body and they could do their work independent of the Commission etc etc. It ran its course but nothing came out of it, so I regarded it as a [series] of harassment by State institutions on the directions of the powers that be. Hill: Did you raise any of these concerns directly with Mohammed Saneem, Supervisor of Elections? VN: Oh, we had our discussions. You see the elections were on the way and where possible some of the Commissioners raised specific issues and tried to resolve them and this was done but, you know, I can’t say that in every instance the Commission [ was able to do that]. Hill: Where there any positive aspects to working of the Electoral Commission with the Supervisor of Elections? VN: Oh yeah, I think the most important thing is that we worked together and delivered the general elections. I think that was important and we had raised issues of time constraints that we had throughout elections, serious in terms of different logistical aspects of the elections which are all you know [prescribed in the recent constitution] but which we had recommended needs to be changed. Despite all the constraints and challenges, I think we delivered overall a respectable election, voting process and outcome. And I am happy with that.” PUNCHING ABOVE HIS WEIGHT: Saneem put FICAC onto Young "The chairman of the Electoral Commission was also investigated. He raised objections to it but was told that FICAC is an independent body and they could do their work independent of the Commission etc etc. It ran its course but nothing came out of it, so I regarded it as a [series] of harassment by State institutions on the directions of the powers that be."
DESPITE his laudatory announcement, Jim Ah Koy's plan to set up school for unemployment youth, mostly catering for native Fijians, is in BREACH of Aiyaz Khaiyum's much vaunted 2013 Constitution of Fiji. But neither Khaiyum, his side-kick Frank Bainimarama nor Education Minister Mahendra Reddy have pointed it out to Ah Koy. And what about the local media? They have run away with the story without reminding Ah Koy the contents of the Constitution, translated in the vernacular, and for the benefit of local journalists. Maybe the local journalists have not studied the Constitution, except Khaiyum's punitive provisions on the role of the media in 'New Fiji'?
The South African diplomat's alcohol level was a staggering 111 per cent and at the time of the fatal collision he was speeding at 200kmph: POLICE It is nearly two weeks since the grieving family of Ashneel Singh wrote to Frank Bainimarama's office asking for a meeting with Fiji's gallivanting Prime Minister.
Fijileaks: We are not concerned whether we win or not but for us the nomination means that we will be keeping alive the strangulation of the Fiji media on the world stage. You can follow the link below and NOMINATE individuals or organisations for Freedom of Expression Awards 2016; the closing date is: 10am on Tuesday 20th October. https://awards.indexoncensorship.org/#nominate-now Meanwhile, RUSSELL HUNTER, the former publisher and editor-in-chief |
editor@fijileaks.comARCHIVES
September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 |