Blog Archives

Fiji First Party: Beddoes slams Supervisor of Elections re objections!

31/5/2014

Bijai Prasad had to tick YES or NO: "Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment of more than six months"; now Supervisor of Elections Saneem is trying to wriggle out
by citing the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1997; BUT even The AUSTRALIAN ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS TRIBUNAL, 1993, refused to apply the ROA when it stripped Prasad of citizenship: "On the basis of the applicant's own evidence I find that, when he applied for permanent resident status, he not only concealed his conviction but also the employment in which he was engaged when the offence was committed."

June 1 2014

The Registrar of Political Parties

Elections Office

Suva

Dear Sir

Your findings against my objections

Dated May 30th 2014

I refer to your emailed decision regarding the registration of Fiji First and the grounds on which you made your ruling against those objecting. My response is outlined as follows:-

No of Complaints

Please read my 2nd document sent to you again and you will note that it is headed Supplementary Information to be added to my only and signed objection lodged at your office and stamped, on Saturday 24th 12.39pm.

It was not a 2nd complaint that required my signature; it was information to be added to the only SIGNED objection that I lodged at your office.

Therefore your reference to the supplementary information being an unsigned letter is incorrect and your conclusion that it failed to meet the particulars of Sec 9 (3) is also incorrect.

My objections were also sent to you via your personal email and the website email

Complaints to the Police & MIDA

It is clear from your response to this that you never had any intention of picking up the phone and enquiring with the Police or MIDA to firstly ascertain if indeed I had lodged complaints as I have claimed and to enquire about its progress or otherwise.

The fact that your other government agencies such as the Police and MIDA are either deliberately dragging their feet or inefficient is not the fault or concern of the complainant, but rather a reflection of the level of incompetence or bias of those organizations charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and ensuring a fair and balanced Media.

In addition, you are the registrar of political parties, not me, so it’s your job to investigate my claims to determine if they are factual and a little effort on your part would have resulted in you being able to conclude that the complaints I referred to are factual and investigations stalled or otherwise are underway.

Fiji First 2006 elections

I concede [as only democratic law abiding citizens do] that there was a typing error in the date of the elections I stated. It should have been 2001 not 2006 and the Fiji 1st party contested these elections under its original name The Girmit Heritage Party. This does not alter the fact that all references to the Fiji 1st party name change, including the gazette date as well as minutes and correspondence involving two current Fiji First officials are all true and do point to the existence of Fiji 1st as a political party.

Illegal use of the Fiji Coat of Arms

You totally ignored my objections to the wrongful use of the Fiji coat of arms? Why, I also provided you details of the Prohibition of the use of Coat of Arms legislation. You made no comment or ruling on this which goes to my point that you have relied totally on the response of the applicant Fiji First for your grounds of rejection rather than taking responsibility and conducting your own investigation.

False Declaration of Bajaj Prasad

Although this was another objection of mine, you also failed to address this in your response to me, so I will assume that the response and decision you gave to Dr Tupeni Baba who also raised this point would be your response to my objection had you given one.

You state in your decision that quote ‘Mr Bajaj Prasad was convicted in 1982 and in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders (irrelevant Convictions) Act 1997, the said conviction is no longer relevant. Secondly Mr Prasad had, since the matter was raised, resigned from being the Vice President of the applicant. Having pursued the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1997, I am bound not to discriminate Mr Prasad on the basis of his irrelevant conviction. I accept he has resigned from the applicant as well and in light of the law, this objection is also dismissed’ Mr Baba, in raising the irrelevant conviction is in contravention of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1997’ unquote

I put it to you Mr Registrar of political parties that you have erred in your decision on this particular point for the following reason:-

The breach I refer to is not about the previous conviction, jail time, record, duration of imprisonment or the time lapse since the conviction of Mr Bijay Prasad. The breach of the decree is all about his ‘false declaration’ plain and simple.

But given that you are obviously unfamiliar with your government’s own decrees allow me to restate it for the record.

Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Decree 2013 (Decree No 4 of 2013) says and I quote:

Sec 27 (1) A person who-

(a)     Fails to furnish particulars or information required to be furnished by a political party or by him or her un this decree

(b)    Makes a statement which he or she knows to be false or which he or she has no reason to believe to be true ; or

(c)     Recklessly makes a false statement under this decree, commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both

(2) Where a political party commits an offence under this decree, every office holder of the political party shall also be deemed to have committed the offence. Unquote:

I am not a lawyer but I do understand simple English and according to Sec 27 (1) (b) and (c) Mr Bijay Prasad has committed an offence, plain and simple and that’s what you are supposed to make a determination on, nothing else.

Mr Bajaj Prasad is not guilty of an offence involving his previous conviction; he is guilty of knowingly making a false statement to the question of a previous conviction.

The fact that he resigned after the matter was raised is irrelevant and does not absolve him from having committed the offence by knowingly or recklessly making the false statement about a previous conviction at the time of ‘lodging’ of the Fiji First application to register.

It has not escaped my notice and I am sure the country’s that you seemed to have based your entire grounds of dismissal of our objections on the applicant’s Fiji First’s response.

I am sure, the fact that the Fiji First official, [the person] General Secretary Mr A. Khaiyum who just happens to be the AG, Minister for Justice and a few others as well as Minister of Elections and therefore your boss, has nothing to do with your determination in this matter, even though as the Minister responsible for elections [the person] Mr Khaiyum and his Boss and your grand Boso [the other person] Frank Bainimarama both have a vested interest in the outcome of this application and your decision.

For the future, I would like my response to you today to be properly recorded and filed so that in the event that an independent Judicial accounting of the conduct of the 2014 Election process and procedures is undertaken by the new democratic government of Fiji, our views are clearly recorded.

Yours faithfully

[The person]

Millis M Beddoes

9 Comments

In Pursuit of the Criminal Mind of Aiyaz Khaiyum: He drafted the Political Parties Decree to stifle Opposition parties and yet as general secretary of his secret Fiji First Party he had forwarded the name of a convict to be party Vice-President

31/5/2014

5 Comments

Now, responding to the objection that Bijai Prasad who was convicted of larceny and sentenced to prison in 1983, Khaiyum told his lap dog Saneem that Prasad has withdrawn his name from the proposed
Vice President’s name which means that this is now a non-issue.

He did not withdraw, he was exposed on 6 May; just imagine if Fijileaks and other pro-democracy blogs had not sprung up to hold the dictatorship to account; Prasad went to Tappoos coffee shop in Nadi before 10am on Thursday. A body guard of Khaiyum went inside to give him his resignation letter. Prasad signed the letter and waited for Khaiyum who arrived 20 minutes later and Prasad gave it to him.

Fijileaks Editor: Khaiyum should have called upon Saneem to prosecute Bijai Prasad for violating his (Khaiyum's) Political Parties Decree; of course, he did not, for he was accessory to furnishing the false particulars as general secretary of the proposed Fiji First Party

Khaiyum also dismissed Beddoes objections saying HE (Khaiyum) regards this as a desperate attempt by Beddoes to conjure objections in the hope that the application is not granted. The proposed FijiFirst also stated that they had received no official communication from Police or Media Industry Development Authority

The above is abstract from the Constitution of the now registered FijiFirst Party

5 Comments

NO HONOUR AMONG THIEVES: Fiji Regime appointed Registrar of Political Parties/Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem registers Khaiyum/Bainimarama's Fiji First Party under S16 of their Decree!

30/5/2014

17 Comments

Fijileaks Update: Fiji 1st Party slams Saneem for acting against letter of the law; and for not forwarding Khaiyum's response for counter-reply!
Fiji 1st to Saneem: 'You have illegally registered Khaiyum's party; his objections TOTALLY lack MERITS and are a PACK OF LIES!

PREVIOUS STORY BELOW:

Khaiyum to Saneem: "Fiji 1st Party application was made in 2008 however no such registration was made or completed..no gazette notice was published which confirms that the Fiji 1st was never registered as a party."

FIJI 1st PARTY to Saneem: "The certificate of registration of our Fiji 1st Party under the Electoral Act 1998 should be in your office...Our Fiji First Party is/was a duly registered political party under the electoral provisions of the 1997 Constitution, having fulfilled every requirement encumbered upon us by the then Supervisor of Elections, M/S Felicity Heffernan...our party name cannot be snatched or stolen from us."

BLUE BLOODED THIEVES!

General Secretary of the now registered Fiji First Party Aiyaz Khaiyum argued objections lacked merit. What about the name he brazenly stole from Fiji Ist Party and secretly registered the domain name and e-mail account in 2009 while holding citizens down under his PER?

(a) Khaiyum said that a Fiji 1st Party application was made in 2008 however no such registration was made or completed.
(b) He said no gazette notice was published which confirms that the Fiji 1st was never registered as a party.
(c) He said that only the application of the Fiji 1st Party was published in the December 2008 gazette.
(d) He said notwithstanding the fact that the Fiji 1st Party was never registered in law as a political party, the proposed party also wishes to highlight that the name of that party is different from the name which has been proposed by the FijiFirst.
(e) He also said that the logo is also substantially different from the symbol that was contained in the application for registration by the Fiji 1st Party in 2008

WHAT DID THE ORIGINAL FIJI 1st PARTY TELL REGISTRAR SANEEM; On 7 May, Saneem had written to the Fiji 1st Party: "In accordance with section 10 (3) of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Decree, please furnish the Fijian Elections office with the Gazette notice of the certificate of registration of your Party under the Electoral Act 1998."

FIJI 1st PARTY to Saneem: "The certificate of registration of our Fiji 1st Party under the Electoral Act 1998 should be in your office."

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Beddoes files objections against registration of Proposed Fiji First as Political Party and its use of Fiji's Coat of Arms as party symbol!

30/5/2014

0 Comments

Supplementary Information to be added as part of my Objections to the registration of Fiji First as a political Party Lodged at your Office on Sat May 24th 12.39pm

May 25 2014

The Supervisor

Elections Office

Suva

Dear Sir

Fiji First is the registered name of a previous political party that contested the 2006 General Elections:

In addition to the specific details contained in Part I of my objections dated May 24th 2014 which referred to the following specific details as evidence that Fiji 1st was already registered as a political party and therefore cannot be used by the proposers of Fiji First such as:-

The Government Gazette No 92 Vol 8 Fri 12 Dec 2008
A letter of invitation from the Prime Minister’s office to the officials of Fiji First dated 16 March 2009 requesting names of Fiji First delegates to the President’s Political Party Dialogue Forum
The minutes of the Political Parties Dialogue Forum meeting of March 9th 2009 Chaired by the proposed Leader of Fiji First & Prime Minister and the exchange between the Chair and representative of Fiji 1st Mr Amit Singh

I further submit that

Just 8 months following the exchanges between the proposed Leader of the Fiji First Frank Bainimarama referred to above, with the legal owners of Fiji 1st Party, the proposed General Secretary of Fiji First, Attorney General Mr Aiyaz Khaiyum registered the Domain Name FIJI FIRST.COM on November 11th 2009.

He updated the registration on January 21st 2014

Approval of the use of the proposed name Fiji First would be a breach of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) (Amendment) Decree 2013.(Decree No 11 of 2013) which was effective on Saturday 16th February 2013 and in particular:

a)       Section 8 amended

3. Section 8 of the Principal Decree is amended by inserting the following new paragraph after paragraph (g) –

(h) The name of the proposed political party, the abbreviation or acronym of the name or the

      symbol is the same as the name, the abbreviation or acronym of the name or the symbol of:-

(i)                                       An existing political party that has not made an application to register in accordance with the provisions of this decree;

(ii)                 An existing political party that made an application to register in accordance with the provisions of this decree, and the Registrar has made a determination that the application by the existing political party to register as a political party should be refused; or

(iii)                A political party which has been deregistered or wound up by the Registrar under this Decree or any repealed law governing registration of political parties.

The existence of Fiji 1st as a political party since December 12th 2008, the exchanges involving the principal members of Fiji 1st and the proposed leader of the proposed Fiji First on March 16th 2009 and the discussion about the name as recorded in the minutes of March 9th 2009 makes it absolutely clear that Fiji 1st is an existing party and in accordance with the provisions of the decree its name cannot be used by the proposed Fiji First.

Ongoing Police Investigations

The supplementary information I which to provide you with regards to my complaints lodged with Police on March 31st 2014 and the second complaint on April 10th 2014 which is currently ongoing and the outcome of which will have a direct impact on the proposed Fiji First party and in particular its officials, I again refer you to Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) (Amendment) Decree 2013.(Decree No 11 of 2013) which was effective on Saturday 16th February 2013 and in particular: Section 3 Amended:

2. Section 3 of the Principal Decree is amended by inserting the following new subsection after subsection (2):-

“(2A) If any media organization reports, represents or holds out an association of persons or an organization as a political party when that association or persons or an organization is not registered as a political party under this Decree or when its application for registration has not been determined by the Registrar, then the Directors of the media organization and the editor and publisher or the Chief executive officer of that media organization, as the case may be, commit an offence, and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or both.”

I have lodged 2 complaints with MIDA and am awaiting the results of their investigations the outcome of which could have a direct effect on members of the proposed Fiji First party.

Given the seriousness of the breaches and the pending Police and MIDA investigations currently underway, I respectfully put it to you that the only conclusion that can be drawn to protect the credibility, transparency and independence of the off of the Supervisor of Elections is to refuse the application in accordance with Section 4 Amended Sec (3) and (5) respectively.

Yours faithfully

Millis M Beddoes

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DOUBLE STANDARD FROM REGIME AND DIXON SEETO: "ARE YOU CAMPAIGNING FOR PROPOSED FIJI FIRST (THEFT) PARTY? IF NOT, WE WILL STRIP YOU OFF YOUR DESERVED SCHOLARSHIP!"

29/5/2014

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"MTA (Ministry of i-Taukei Affairs) reserves the right to terminate your scholarship if a report is received from your institutes, or from a law enforcement agency concerning a breach of regulation"
Fijileaks Editor ([email protected]): Who or Which Institution
reported the student's political activities?

Tavenisa Tofinga was with the regime-backed Fiji National University

Recall this story in Fijileaks on 14 April 2014:

"I own Fiji so you will get a six year scholarship. It doesnt matter if you had not applied or were rejected before - its called affirmative action for i-taukei students before the September general election. Its a gift from Fiji Theft Party"; with the Chairman of the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board, Dixon Seeto sanctioning the illegal bribe.

http://www.fijileaks.com/home/o-dictator-our-sovereign-how-majestic-is-your-treasonous-power-all-over-fiji-i-came-here-with-high-hopes-of-getting-an-accommodation-scholarship-but-the-pm-gave-me-a-full-scholarship-for-my-six-years-of-studies-scholarship-recipient-former-dr

PDP leader
Anthony

PDP: Government Tramples on Youth’s Political Freedom; wants chairman of the loans scheme Dixon Seeto to explain why student was stripped of loan for supporting independent candidate Deo!

"The People’s Democratic Party condemns outright the denial of political freedom and rights to students who wish to participate in the political process of the country. As reported in the Fiji Times of Wednesday 28th May, a student’s scholarship has been terminated by the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board for simply supporting or being an activist with the Independent Candidate Roshika Deo. This Government has denied a large section of our community from actively participating in the political process including Unions, NGO’s and public servants. This is plain denial of fundamental rights and must be condemned. Scholarships must be assessed on qualifications, need and academic performance solely and not on one’s political affiliation. This is clearly a case of victimization. I am sure that if any student supported the government’s yet to be registered party, the student would probably be given a five year scholarship at once. This decision by the Board will instill fear in our young people and discourage them from participating actively in politics. It is not good enough for the Chairman of the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board, Mr. Dixon Seeto to refuse to comment on the issue. He has accepted the position and must be made accountable for the Board’s decision or for following instructions from powers that be.The students and the people of Fiji deserve to know why the scholarships given are conditional on students remaining politically neutral or support only one party. On one hand we have this government saying that people over 18 years are free to vote yet on the other hand make it a condition to remain politically neutral if they have been given a government scholarship. Where is the sense in this policy? Our young people must be encouraged to participate in the political life of our country. The PDP has a policy and rule that 20% of all its office bearers must be youth. It will also have youth candidates in its election line up. It is important that we do not only pay lip service to our young people but include them in the mainstream of the political life of our country. I call on the Chairman of the Tertiary Scholarship Board to explain why the scholarship has been cancelled and why the Board has adopted a policy to deny fundamental political rights to our young people. The PDP urges the Chairman to reconsider this decision and ensure that the student’s academic progress is not hindered in any way by this unfair decision. His scholarship must be reinstated." - Felix Anthony, PDP Party Leader

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LOCK UP YOUR SCHOOLGIRL DAUGHTERS: Pressure mounts for the convicted sex pervert - former school teacher and Fiji Sun Managing Editor/News Maika Bolatiki - to step down or be SACKED!

28/5/2014

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As the Methodist Church pours over a Fiji High Court ruling that has ordered the church to pay more than $28,000 to a school teacher and his father, in an alleged witchcraft case, many are calling for the convicted sex pervert former schoolteacher Bolatiki to step down and if he refuses, for the Fiji Sun to sack him.

One happened during prayer session and another during exam session:
"Reverend Banivanua said the church had been linked to the case [alleged witchcraft and sorcery] because the pastor allowed a Suva prayer group into his area of pastoral jurisdiction in Navacanadi, Gau, in 2007. He said the group, led by a woman from Rewa, held a prayer session. The group claimed that during the session it received spiritual revelation that a school teacher and his father were practising witchcraft. The group leader accused the teacher of witchcraft and worshiping a skull inside his house. Group members then ransacked his house...The Reverend said the pastor was back at work..."
Maika Bolatiki reporting in Fiji Sun, 28 May 2014
______________________________

Convicted sex pervert Maika Bolatiki of Fiji Sun had indecently assaulted the 14-year-old at this Bucalevu School

Justice Bain, Fiji High Court, while upholding sex pervert and Fiji Sun Managing Editor/News Maika Bolatiki's conviction, 3 September 1997:

"The complainant was a 14 year old school girl at the time of the incident. She was one of 18 students in a classroom sitting an examination. The appellant [Maika Bolatiki] was supervising the examination. The complainant was sitting at a desk in the front row. She said that the appellant came and stood beside her on her left. She looked up and the appellant touched her breast with his left hand. She sat up and the accused slid his left hand down her stomach and right to her private part. He then rubbed her private part. He denied touching her breast or private parts. However, the actions of the appellant as described by the complainant in her evidence were something that would not necessarily have created attention. The other pupils in the room were writing their examination papers. The Appellant was standing alongside the complainant in the front row and such conduct would be expected to have been done as surreptitiously as possible...The learned Magistrate made a clear finding that he accepted the evidence of the complainant as truthful. An appellant Court would need very compelling and cogent reasons to interfere with that finding. There are no grounds to do so in this case...The appeal against conviction is dismissed"
Justice Pain, Fiji High Court, 3 September 1997

Fijileaks Editor: We are still waiting for a comment from Mr Bolatiki. The judgment can be accessed at: http://www.paclii.org/cgi-bin/sinodisp/fj/cases/FJHC/1997/124.html?stem=&synonyms=&query=bolatiki

AND Fiji Sun's 'Coconut Clueless' Dickie Bird has his wings wrapped between his legs, turning a BLIND EYE to a convicted sex pervert in his own newsroom, while blaming anti-bloggers and politicians who are standing up to dictatorship in Fiji:

"WE ARE THE WORST": Fiji Sun journalists have abandoned their journalism ethics and standards and have become shameless regime lackeys and propagandists; Dickie Bird fails to mention the murder of innocent CRW soldiers on that fateful day, 2 November 2000!

http://www.coupfourandahalf.com/2012/03/details-of-death-of-crw-soldier.html

http://www.fijileaks.com/home/bloody-2-november-2000-the-day-bainimarama-wanted-mutinous-soldiers-punished-some-innocent-thirteen-years-ago-kicked-to-death-police-wanted-to-question-him-before-coup

HISTORY LESSON FOR FIJI SUN's "Coconut Clueless"
DICKIE BIRD FROM HIS OWN NEWS TEAM, 2007/2008:

CRW soldier Selesitino Kalounivale was taken to Bainimarama at the Naval Base (where the dictator had fled during the mutiny) who instructed his soldiers to take Kalounivale to Central Police Station. He was later taken out of CPS by soldiers and battered to death; Kalounivale had taken no part in the mutiny; he was home attending to
his sick child on mutiny day

4 Comments

UNDER the Microscope: Doctors, Dictator and Debate on Health System

27/5/2014

4 Comments

Narsey

Letters to the Editor: Consumer Council, Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Health

Dear Sir,

The CEO of Consumer Council (Mrs Premila Kumar) very responsibly informed the public (Fiji TV, 26 May 2014) that consumers keep making serious complaints about the Ministry of Health due to:

* bad and insensitive attitudes of the staff,

* inefficiencies

* gross negligence

* with some patients even dying

* and with the Dental and Medical Councils not responding to consumer complaints, even when the complaints came via the Prime Minister’s Office.

Although Mrs Premila Kumar quite understandably praised Bainimarama for raising this health issue (just four months before the elections), sensible tax payers must be mulling over many questions:

(a) Why would Mrs Premila Kumar tell the country that she was working very closely with the Prime Minister’s Office on this health issue?

(b) if most problems in the country are being solved by the Prime Minister’s Office (as it seems from the media) does this indicate that all other Ministries are not doing their respective jobs, and should everybody (following Mrs Premila Kumar) make a beeline for the Prime Minister’s Office?

(c) if the Minister or Permanent Secretary of Health have not responded to Mrs Premila’s complaints after eight years, should they both do the honourable thing, and resign?

(d) why have the Dental and Medical Councils not addressed the complaints and should they all resign?

(e) given the numerous media statements by the impassive and impressive Permanent Secretary of Public Service (Mr. Parmesh Chand) about their many initiatives towards improving the efficiency of civil servants (such as retiring civil servants at age 55 and sending everyone for training to China), have all these efforts been a failure as far as the Ministry of Health is concerned, and should Mr Chand resign?

(f) given the seriousness of complaints from the CEO of Consumer Council, should Rear Admiral (retired) Bainimarama himself resign, given that his government has been in charge for eight years now (the lifetime of two normal governments), given that he has determined his own salary, and given that the buck should stop with him in more ways than one?

(g) or is the real fundamental problem that the Ministry of Health budget has been severely constrained for the last eight years, the salaries of doctors and nurses have been totally inadequate, they have been over-worked, and the funds for medicines and equipment have been grossly inadequate, because of the Bainimarama Government’s other spending “priorities”?

(h) for instance, would the $230,000 of public funds, unnecessarily paid to Fiji Sun to print the 40,000 signatures for the registration application of Fiji First Party (when only 5,000 was required), have been better spent on medicines for the Ministry of Health?

(i) Or why was not a mere $10 million reallocated to Health in the last budget, out of the massive allocation of $1 billion (i.e. $1,000 millions) to FRA over the last two years?

Professor Wadan Narsey
Suva

NFP leader Prasad

Medical Decree will be reviewed under NFP Government:

The leader of Fiji’s new National Federation Party, economist Professor Biman Prasad, has pledged to review the controversial media decree and pass a freedom of information law if it gains power in the September general election.

He has also called on Fijians to shed their fear and become involved in the election process.

“Our people are still afraid. Our youths are afraid. Our civil servants are afraid, our farmers are afraid, our women are afraid,” professor Prasad said in a speech at a party working meeting at Tamavua the weekend.

“Our businessmen are afraid. They are all afraid of participating actively in the campaign.”

Professor Prasad called on the Fiji government to “stop the threats, stop the victimisation, stop the intimidation of anyone – including media from participating and articulating their views” in the lead-up to the election.

“I call upon the people of this country and come out and be part of the election and campaign process.”

While the state privileges decree and the media decree remained in place, the 2014 general elections “cannot be free and fair – period”.

Heavy fines
“The media decree with its heavy fines and penalties make it impossible for the country’s journalists to cover issues openly and without fear. It makes it impossible for us to project our messages to our people.”

He praised the country’s journalists who “in spite of these harsh restrictions are doing their best to keep our citizens informed”.

“To these journalists, let me say a big vinaka vakalevu. The stakes have rarely been higher and weight on your shoulders so heavy.

“The national owes you its profound gratitude as you take real risks to help project our messages to Fiji citizens.”

Professor Prasad cited a paraphrased message from a regional media and elections training programme: “Freedom is when people can speak. Democracy is when government listens and the media is the messenger”.

He said the NFP did not fear the media.

“If the Bainimarama government has nothing to hide and if it has the moral courage to do the right thing, it should lift the media restrictions with immediate effect.

He said the NFP in government would “remove all of its unreasonable provisions including the fines and penalties”.
Professor Prasad also pledged to enact a Freedom of Information – “right to information” – bill.

“We no longer live in the dark ages where governments habitually kept secret, public information such as salaries paid to our leaders, and allowances they are paid on foreign junkets,” he said.

Source: Pacific Scoop
Report – By the Pacific Media Centre news desk

READ NFP leader's full speech: Kick starting Fiji’s Stalled Economy: Our commitment for a better and secure future

4 Comments

COLLECTIVE LIABILITY: Vice-President Bijai Prasad's false declaration about his past criminal conviction means the proposed Fiji First Party's application should be thrown out by regime's Supervisor of Elections!

26/5/2014

10 Comments

THE United Front for a Democratic Fiji says a false declaration by the regime leader’s proposed political party has legal consequences for every one of its initial 40,000 members. Last week, Rear Admiral Frank Bainimarama’s proposed Fiji First party submitted its registration papers, which included the name of one supporter, Bijai Prasad, who wrongly claimed to have no criminal record – an offence that can incur a fine and up to five years in prison or both. The political parties decree says if a party commits such an offence, every officer of the party is deemed to have committed the offence. The Front’s co-ordinator, Mick Beddoes, says the breach will be a test for the new Supervisor of Election who is tasked with enforcing the decree. “Because there was a false declaration, that offence applies to all of the applicants of Fiji First plus the 40,000 signatories. They have all committed an offence according to that decree.” Mick Beddoes says he believes the decree, which is one of many unreasonable decrees, was drafted with malicious intent.

10 Comments

SODELPA: Secrecy, Tyranny and Dictatorship - The Balance Sheet!

26/5/2014

2 Comments

Dr Baba

By Dr Tupeni Baba for SODELPA

It was Robert Heinlein who is attributed with well - known statement about Secrecy   which goes like this:

          “Secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. Not force but secrecy….

           censorship. When any government or any Church undertakes to

           say to its subjects, ‘This you may not read, this you must not see,

           This you are forbidden to know’ the end result is tyranny and

           oppression, no matter how holy the motive”

Secrecy is about the lack of disclosures or the suppression of information about the truth and it is designed to keep people in the dark about some decisions or information that   normally should be available to citizens in a democracy. Secrecy leads to censorship   in the newspaper for example, and in other forms of media like radio, TV, and in various forms of expressions like public meetings, open debates, films etc.

Heinlein says that secrecy is related to tyranny which is about cruel, unjust or oppressive use of power or authority and is usually associated with tyrants or people who obtain complete power by force. Military dictators are tyrants in that sense.

Over the last few weeks, for example, there has been questions raised about the salary of Ministers especially of the Head of the Regime, Mr Bainimarama and his Attorney General. It is said by no other than the former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry in the column of the Fiji Sun last week that the salaries of all Cabinet Ministers were public knowledge. This was so until it this was removed from the Treasury and given to a Suva Accounting Firm managed by the Attorney General’s Aunt, Nur Bano Ali.

The issue of interest here is that the salary suddenly became a secret, and it disappeared from public view. In its disappearance, it infringes the principle of transparency and there is speculation that it has been increased to well over a million dollar a year for both Bainimarama and the Attorney general.

In its disappearance from public view, like most other information that have been removed from public view, there is suspicion on the part of the public or citizens that it is linked to some attempt by the Dictatorship   to pervert the public interest   and instead, promote its own.

The reply by Mr Bainimarama that his salary was going to be revealed at a later date has prompted Mr Chaudhry to say that that Mr Baimarama must provide also an audited accounts of his salary and it should be certified by the Auditor General and the Permanent Secretary of Finance. Mr Chaudhry added that it must also be backdated to early 2010, which was the period when Cabinet Salaries were handled by the Treasury.

There are also various examples of secret deals which have been questioned by members of the public because they run counter to   procedures   based on the principle of transparency .There has been for example, many accusations of very senior appointments in the Public Service made by the Regime which breach the procedures of the Public Service. These procedures, according to public comments, has enabled the Head of the Regime to appoint his relations such as his   brother in law to being a Permanent Secretary of Works despite his criminal record.

There have been other appointments for the members of the military to senior posts in the public service and the secrecy of the procedures here and the manner in which they have been done have created distrust, as these are not in accordance with transparent procedures set down which safeguard the interest of the Public Service itself and the appointees.

Recently for example the political parties have challenged the appointment of the Supervisor of Elections   and the thrust of their criticisms was based on the procedures adopted and in particular his qualifications falling short of what was advertised. This also raised questions according to the political parties the power and the independence of the Electoral Commission. As if this was not enough, the revelation that the Attorney General himself was also the General Secretary of the proposed Fiji First Party of the Regime added further complications. This is bound to create a lot of distrust from the perspective of all the political parties which will continue to affect the credibility of the AG and his role in the whole elections. It also throws a lot of questions of the provisions of the Electoral Act which provides for consultations between the Electoral Commission and the AG.

All these issues and the negative vibes that come out of them will affect in more ways than one the image and credibility of the Regime in its attempt to get elected. In my view all these negativities will undermine the efforts of the Regime to provide a clean image which they have been trying very hard to promote. Next week , we will deal with the issues of Censorship, Tyranny and Dictatorship.

Secrecy exposed: Aiyaz Khaiyum secretly registered Fiji First party domain name and e-mail account as far back as 2009; during his own PER decree.

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MIRROR Reversed: Beddoes questions Bainimarama's new make-over?

24/5/2014

4 Comments

Malice and Deceit or Love and Affection?

It’s very noticeable that Frank Bainimarama’s image-makers from the Qorvis PR Company have been busy redefining the coup leader’s image. They are trying hard to portray him as a kind and gentle father figure, thinking only of the wellbeing of the people, always ready to lend a helping hand and a completely devoted servant of all things good and true. His old Blue Bus, bare feet and shorts are props to show him as a leader with the common touch.

The latest tactic in the remaking of Bainimarama is an attempt to place him on a very elevated political level. This involves his preaching to the political parties in a recent Fiji Times article by Nasik Swami about the need for them to campaign with honesty, sincerity, love, and – get this – “affection without pretence”.

It gets better. He says his rivals should tell people about their policies in a positive manner, putting the interests of Fiji first, before their political careers.

And then: Everyone must work together to change the culture of “malice and deceit” that many older parties and politicians have practiced and continue to practice. We should all embrace sincere leaders who truly care for everyone. I wonder if he has anyone in mind?

Now, we have all experienced Frank’s repressive military rule and his dictatorial and threatening ways. This not only makes the latest Qorvis Bainimarama p.r. gambit hard to swallow. It stretches credibility beyond breaking point. This time Qorvis have crafted an image too far.

What they conveniently omitted from their scheme – for sound professional reasons no doubt - is that Frank Bainimarama has ruled through fear, persecution, intimidation and abuse of rights.

Fear is his prime weapon of choice to keep the populace under control. He was a master of threatening statements and gestures. I know because I’ve been on the receiving end of many.

Who can forget him, not so long ago, grim-faced in military gear, leading armed soldiers through the streets of Suva? This was pure intimidation aimed directly at the people.

We are in charge, we are armed and dangerous and don’t you forget it. This was the message of honesty and sincerity Frank sent out.

He told us on television, when he was starting to talk about public consultation on a new constitution, that his government would not tolerate an “iota” of dissent. When that kind of comment is made by a military dictator who remains in power by force of arms the meaning is clear. There is no affection and love in that threat.

When he urged massed ranks of his troops to be “professional, determined, tenacious and physically fit” in their support for his government’s efforts to bring about change, he was not expressing gentle thoughts.

It was under his watch that Sakiusa Rabaka, Tevita Malasebe and Nimilote Verebasaga were beaten to death. This was malice in its most hideous form.

We must not forget that many citizens, including Felix Anthony, Kenneth Zinck, Laisa Digitaki, Virisila Buadromo, Jacqueline Koroi, Pita Waqavonovono, Sam Speight and Richard Naidu, to mention just a few, were subject to special and extremely unpleasant treatment. Na Marama Bale Na Roko Tui Dreketi, Ro Teimumu Kepa, was locked in a cell in the dead of night.

His reservoir of affection in these episodes was empty but his bucket of malice and abuse towards his fellow citizens was overflowing.

Few of us will ever forget the shocking images of a prison escapee and his accomplice undergoing the most savage beating by thugs who appeared to be members of the security forces. This was seen worldwide on You Tube. This certainly did not portray love in paradise. And Frank Bainimarama supported the perpetrators. His men, he said, were doing their duty. His feelings of affection and love were again absent.

Those who were on the Bainimarama regime’s travel ban experienced a very unpleasant type of persecution. They usually did not find out until they were at the airport that they were not allowed to travel. No affection there.

Frank Bainimarama has an unhealthy obsession with pensions. Several thousand hapless pensioners lost a large part of their income because he thought their legally-agreed pension contracts should be changed. Then just to rub it in he enacted a law preventing them from seeking legal redress.

A cruel decree is still in place that gives Frank Bainimarama the power to stop the pensions of retired members of parliament. He used this against former parliamentarians presumably as a form of control and punishment.

Pension entitlements of former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase is still being withheld today, 8 years on. There are no administrative reasons why he has not being paid what he is legally owed. I believe the payout was approved last year, but the file still sits on someone’s desk in the PM’s office, why? How can a single straight forward pension entitlement take 8 years to process? Do they seriously expect us to believe this is the level of ‘competence’ in processing a single pension in the office concerned? Or perhaps this is what he means by honesty, sincerity, love and affection without pretense? Or is it more likely nothing more than someone in power being mean spirited and filled with malice & deceit.

The other pensioners who lost out are unlikely to feel that he was motivated by care, love and affection when he slashed their pensions for a problem that is still many years away and could have been resolved progressively over a period of time.

In view of his new image, what does Frank Bainimarama have to say about the fouled-mouth abuse he directed at a priest? What was this about? affection without pretense? Or was it just Frank being Frank?

It would seem to me that the reality of this new personality that Qorvis is projecting can be found in the raft of repressive decrees and measures that remain in place today that restrict liberties and rights of the very people whose votes he now seeks. He might even use one of them to punish me for responding to him with this article.

Until he voluntarily forfeits all protection he has given himself under his immunity provisions and willingly subjects himself to the same laws every citizen voter is subject to, and lets due process to take its course, he is hardly putting the greater interest of Fiji before his own.

He cannot offer proof that older politicians and political parties practice malice and deceit because there is none; he’s made this up. I challenge him to name just one of those from this group whose conduct has been as remotely malicious and deceitful as his.

In fact it is fair to say that malice and deceit accurately reflect the governance style of Frank Bainimarama and many of his associates.

The best example of this is Frank Bainimarama’s treatment of our chiefs. He poured unprecedented scorn on them, told them to “go and drink home brew under a mango tree” and then abolished their institution the Great Council of Chiefs. In fact he has virtually said he aims to destroy the chiefly system.

Now he is chasing after them for their votes?

Perhaps there is love and affection growing in his heart? Or maybe it’s still laced with malice and deceit?

Lest we forget.

Mick Beddoes

Sabeto

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﻿Fijileaks Update: Fiji 1st Party slams Saneem for acting against letter of the law; and for not forwarding Khaiyum's response for counter-reply!Fiji 1st to Saneem: 'You have illegally registered Khaiyum's party; his objections TOTALLY lack MERITS and are a PACK OF LIES!﻿

Recall this story in Fijileaks on 14 April 2014:

AND Fiji Sun's 'Coconut Clueless' Dickie Bird has his wings wrapped between his legs, turning a BLIND EYE to a convicted sex pervert in his own newsroom, while blaming anti-bloggers and politicians who are standing up to dictatorship in Fiji:

"WE ARE THE WORST": Fiji Sun journalists have abandoned their journalism ethics and standards and have become shameless regime lackeys and propagandists; Dickie Bird fails to mention the murder of innocent CRW soldiers on that fateful day, 2 November 2000!

﻿﻿HISTORY LESSON FOR FIJI SUN's "Coconut Clueless"DICKIE BIRD FROM HIS OWN NEWS TEAM﻿﻿, 2007/2008:

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Fijileaks Update: Fiji 1st Party slams Saneem for acting against letter of the law; and for not forwarding Khaiyum's response for counter-reply!
Fiji 1st to Saneem: 'You have illegally registered Khaiyum's party; his objections TOTALLY lack MERITS and are a PACK OF LIES!

HISTORY LESSON FOR FIJI SUN's "Coconut Clueless"
DICKIE BIRD FROM HIS OWN NEWS TEAM, 2007/2008: