"We must patiently endure and hold the line, while anticipating much more chaotic "leadership" until they are shown the exit door in 2022."
From The Fiji Times:
By NFP General Secretary Seni Nabou
In the Fiji First government and in Fiji’s contemporary history, Attorney General, Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, is the most powerful cabinet minister.
He wields more authority and influence in practice than the Prime Minister himself. It is for Mr. Bainimarama to one day explain why he has allowed this to happen.
The Prime Minister and his right hand man Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum have assembled a strong and comprehensive network of supporters in the public service to assist them in attaining their goals.
They also have a cohort of wealthy business owners committed to working with them on economic, commercial and investment issues. Many of whom have been donors of the Fiji First Party, and have benefited from government patronage.
The delusions of the Government
The Fiji First government led by both men, without parallel, have a deep and abiding belief in their own abilities.
The increasingly common perception is that they think they are always right, they are intolerant of dissent, and know more about issues of the moment than anyone else.
Witness recently their refusal to accept expert views from the World Bank, a leading British University and a number of professional academics and experts on the veracity of Fiji’s recent Household Income and Expenditure Survey.
They didn’t hesitate to sack the Mr. Kemueli Naiqama, chief executive of the Bureau of Statistics, because he did not agree with the way the survey had been conducted. Mr. Naiqama has now publicly stated that the report is sound and sensible.
They just don't think or listen
Unfortunately for Fiji, the Fiji First government has another characteristic. It tends to be incompetent and lacking in the ability to think things through properly.
The nation has seen mess after mess resulting from their mismanagement. Look at the economy. It was in dire straits before the COVID-19 outbreak.
They have refused to listen to advice on how to correct things. As always, they knew what was best.
The people of Fiji are now saddled with a huge debt burden to be paid by our children, and their children's children.
Their constant verbiage about the Bainimarama boom and unprecedented growth, has turned to ashes. Despite their claims about Fiji’s economic strength, the national coffers are empty because they omitted to build up financial reserves to carry the country through difficult times.
We’ve also witnessed the virtual collapse of the roading system, despite the expenditure of about 3 billion dollars in about 6 years.
Because of their influence with the Fiji National Provident Fund, many people have and will retire into poverty. The poverty rate before the covid1-19 crisis has risen by almost 30%. After the covid-19 pandemic and the destruction of the tourism industry, the poverty rate is now estimated to be about 50%.
Whither our environment?
Our national environment is in crisis but there’s been no concerted or genuine effort to restore it.
Our natural surroundings have become the playing field for rogues, bandits and deplorables as evident from shocking incidents fishing vessel beheading, drug related transponders in the water, and investors wreaking carnage on pristine reefs.
Still, Fiji intends to go to the upcoming COP26 meeting without the mandate of half the population of Fiji who voted for the opposition. Despite our repeated requests to have dialogue and talanoa on the recent bill, the government chose to railroad the climate change law into being.
Democracy has been depleted and Fiji is now seen by many as a police state. The processes of parliament have been made into an instrument of the two men's will. Legislation is rammed through with little debate. It’s very difficult now for petitions from the people to be tabled in the House. Democratic freedoms are being strangled.
USP also targetted
The heavy, authoritarian and inept hand of the two men rule is now being felt at the University of the South Pacific. Because they refused to accept democratic decisions relating to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia by the governing council, they retaliated in juvenile fashion, by withholding nearly $60 million owed by the Fiji government to the university.
The two men want Professor Ahluwalia out. They are refusing to recognize the reappointment of VC, as done in accordance with procedures of the University Council.
Additionally, they are demanding an independent investigation against Professor Ahluwalia. To round out the absurdity, they are now looking at organizing a commission of inquiry into the USP.
This assault on the university is without precedent. It stems from findings by Professor Ahluwalia of mismanagement by members of the previous USP executive administration. Some of whom were very sympathetic to the Fiji First government.
There was no way Mr. Bainimarama and Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum would tolerate any sort of crackdown on those they considered to be supportive of Fiji First Party. That’s why they have gone after the USP and Professor Ahluwalia, with such ferocity.
As we see it, the Fiji First government is holding the university and its students, many of whom are young people of Fiji, to ransom.
Their message to the USP is, either you do what we want, or you will pay the price. That price is the damage they can cause by reneging on Fiji’s commitment to paying its dues, of $60 million or more, to the USP. That damage will be felt in the university cutting back on hiring good quality staff; provide adequate resources for learning, teaching and valuable and necessary, research & development.
Their persistence with this foolhardy, grossly irresponsible attack on the USP will in the end hurt our young people and those in the region, and their futures; the development of Fiji and our neighbours; and Fiji’s image and reputation. Already student leaders are branding Fiji as a bully.
A joint statement by the Association of USP Staff/The USP Staff Union see Fiji’s actions as vengeful and reprehensible. They quite rightly described Professor Ahluwalia’s deportation from Fiji as Gestapo-like, and point out that various investigations have cleared Professor Ahluwalia against all allegations against him.
And now The Forum
There is another aspect to this shocking business. Mr. Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of Fiji, recently became by rotation chair of the Pacific Islands Forum.
The Forum has very strong links with the USP. The Forum is a member of the USP’s governing council. Eleven members of the USP council are members of The Forum. This strong mutual relationship puts Mr. Bainimarama in an invidious position.
USP is a member of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agency, under the aegis of The Forum, that has been mandated by Leaders along with other regional agencies to improve cooperation, coordination, and collaboration among the various intergovernmental regional organisations to work toward achieving the common goal of sustainable development in the Pacific region.
Mr Bainimarama recently announced that as Forum chair, he would be taking the lead in attempting to bring about reconciliation with Micronesian countries that are planning to leave the Forum. They feel marginalized. Up until recently, neither Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum nor the Prime Minister seem to be in any great haste, or be compelled by any genuine concern, to contain this split.
Suddenly Mr. Bainimarama is seeing himself as the pacifier who can bring the Micronesians back into the Forum. But he is taking on this role at the same time as his government, led by Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum are pushing forward relentlessly and aggressively with their campaign against the USP.
This also has an impact on the Forum and its members.
The USP and The Forum Nexus
Nauru and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are also 2 co-owner member States of USP, and they are also part of the 5-member Micronesian bloc who have made plain their intention to withdraw from the Forum.
Does Mr Bainimarama not see that this makes his position impossible? What will he say as chair in Forum meetings when someone wishes to bring up the USP standoff? If he refuses to entertain debate, he will be immediately seen as self-serving and compromised. In situations like that, a chairperson would normally step down.
What will he say to Micronesian leaders when he’s attempting to negotiate with them to stay with the Forum if some of them raise the issue of the USP? The President of Nauru, Lionel Rouwen Aingimea, has been particularly outspoken on the USP issue.
Mr. Bainimarama must take responsibility for the recent failure of the Forum to issue a statement of congratulations to the USP on its rating from the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) University rankings. This was a big moment for the USP, staff, students and stakeholders. Congratulations came from many people and organisations including regional governments.
But with Mr. Bainimarama as Forum chair, the organization was silent. Was that deliberate on the part of Mr. Bainimarama? Surely he must have known that Forum members would be happy about the USP’s accomplishment, but he did not see fit to speak out for them. He is conflicted.
No doubt he and Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum noted the comment from a THE representative, Mr. Phil Baty, raising a question about the interpretation of the significance of what the USP achieved. However, Mr. Baty also stressed that the USP’s rating achievement was “fantastic”.
For now, Mr. Bainimarama and Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum are standing by their ransom threat. They do not appear to be moved by the damage that might be inflicted on the university and its students. It’s just another example of the attitudes of their two men fiefdom, which has created so many problems for Fiji.
Now they are ferociously intent on extending that to the region.
Hold the line
What we continue to observe is mess upon cascading mess, emerging from incompetence, the inability to compromise, and dictatorship.
We must patiently endure and hold the line, while anticipating much more chaotic "leadership" until they are shown the exit door in 2022.
Seni Nabou is the General Secretary of the National Federation Party. The views expressed here are her own and not necessarily shared by this newspaper
In the Fiji First government and in Fiji’s contemporary history, Attorney General, Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, is the most powerful cabinet minister.
He wields more authority and influence in practice than the Prime Minister himself. It is for Mr. Bainimarama to one day explain why he has allowed this to happen.
The Prime Minister and his right hand man Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum have assembled a strong and comprehensive network of supporters in the public service to assist them in attaining their goals.
They also have a cohort of wealthy business owners committed to working with them on economic, commercial and investment issues. Many of whom have been donors of the Fiji First Party, and have benefited from government patronage.
The delusions of the Government
The Fiji First government led by both men, without parallel, have a deep and abiding belief in their own abilities.
The increasingly common perception is that they think they are always right, they are intolerant of dissent, and know more about issues of the moment than anyone else.
Witness recently their refusal to accept expert views from the World Bank, a leading British University and a number of professional academics and experts on the veracity of Fiji’s recent Household Income and Expenditure Survey.
They didn’t hesitate to sack the Mr. Kemueli Naiqama, chief executive of the Bureau of Statistics, because he did not agree with the way the survey had been conducted. Mr. Naiqama has now publicly stated that the report is sound and sensible.
They just don't think or listen
Unfortunately for Fiji, the Fiji First government has another characteristic. It tends to be incompetent and lacking in the ability to think things through properly.
The nation has seen mess after mess resulting from their mismanagement. Look at the economy. It was in dire straits before the COVID-19 outbreak.
They have refused to listen to advice on how to correct things. As always, they knew what was best.
The people of Fiji are now saddled with a huge debt burden to be paid by our children, and their children's children.
Their constant verbiage about the Bainimarama boom and unprecedented growth, has turned to ashes. Despite their claims about Fiji’s economic strength, the national coffers are empty because they omitted to build up financial reserves to carry the country through difficult times.
We’ve also witnessed the virtual collapse of the roading system, despite the expenditure of about 3 billion dollars in about 6 years.
Because of their influence with the Fiji National Provident Fund, many people have and will retire into poverty. The poverty rate before the covid1-19 crisis has risen by almost 30%. After the covid-19 pandemic and the destruction of the tourism industry, the poverty rate is now estimated to be about 50%.
Whither our environment?
Our national environment is in crisis but there’s been no concerted or genuine effort to restore it.
Our natural surroundings have become the playing field for rogues, bandits and deplorables as evident from shocking incidents fishing vessel beheading, drug related transponders in the water, and investors wreaking carnage on pristine reefs.
Still, Fiji intends to go to the upcoming COP26 meeting without the mandate of half the population of Fiji who voted for the opposition. Despite our repeated requests to have dialogue and talanoa on the recent bill, the government chose to railroad the climate change law into being.
Democracy has been depleted and Fiji is now seen by many as a police state. The processes of parliament have been made into an instrument of the two men's will. Legislation is rammed through with little debate. It’s very difficult now for petitions from the people to be tabled in the House. Democratic freedoms are being strangled.
USP also targetted
The heavy, authoritarian and inept hand of the two men rule is now being felt at the University of the South Pacific. Because they refused to accept democratic decisions relating to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia by the governing council, they retaliated in juvenile fashion, by withholding nearly $60 million owed by the Fiji government to the university.
The two men want Professor Ahluwalia out. They are refusing to recognize the reappointment of VC, as done in accordance with procedures of the University Council.
Additionally, they are demanding an independent investigation against Professor Ahluwalia. To round out the absurdity, they are now looking at organizing a commission of inquiry into the USP.
This assault on the university is without precedent. It stems from findings by Professor Ahluwalia of mismanagement by members of the previous USP executive administration. Some of whom were very sympathetic to the Fiji First government.
There was no way Mr. Bainimarama and Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum would tolerate any sort of crackdown on those they considered to be supportive of Fiji First Party. That’s why they have gone after the USP and Professor Ahluwalia, with such ferocity.
As we see it, the Fiji First government is holding the university and its students, many of whom are young people of Fiji, to ransom.
Their message to the USP is, either you do what we want, or you will pay the price. That price is the damage they can cause by reneging on Fiji’s commitment to paying its dues, of $60 million or more, to the USP. That damage will be felt in the university cutting back on hiring good quality staff; provide adequate resources for learning, teaching and valuable and necessary, research & development.
Their persistence with this foolhardy, grossly irresponsible attack on the USP will in the end hurt our young people and those in the region, and their futures; the development of Fiji and our neighbours; and Fiji’s image and reputation. Already student leaders are branding Fiji as a bully.
A joint statement by the Association of USP Staff/The USP Staff Union see Fiji’s actions as vengeful and reprehensible. They quite rightly described Professor Ahluwalia’s deportation from Fiji as Gestapo-like, and point out that various investigations have cleared Professor Ahluwalia against all allegations against him.
And now The Forum
There is another aspect to this shocking business. Mr. Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of Fiji, recently became by rotation chair of the Pacific Islands Forum.
The Forum has very strong links with the USP. The Forum is a member of the USP’s governing council. Eleven members of the USP council are members of The Forum. This strong mutual relationship puts Mr. Bainimarama in an invidious position.
USP is a member of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agency, under the aegis of The Forum, that has been mandated by Leaders along with other regional agencies to improve cooperation, coordination, and collaboration among the various intergovernmental regional organisations to work toward achieving the common goal of sustainable development in the Pacific region.
Mr Bainimarama recently announced that as Forum chair, he would be taking the lead in attempting to bring about reconciliation with Micronesian countries that are planning to leave the Forum. They feel marginalized. Up until recently, neither Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum nor the Prime Minister seem to be in any great haste, or be compelled by any genuine concern, to contain this split.
Suddenly Mr. Bainimarama is seeing himself as the pacifier who can bring the Micronesians back into the Forum. But he is taking on this role at the same time as his government, led by Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum are pushing forward relentlessly and aggressively with their campaign against the USP.
This also has an impact on the Forum and its members.
The USP and The Forum Nexus
Nauru and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are also 2 co-owner member States of USP, and they are also part of the 5-member Micronesian bloc who have made plain their intention to withdraw from the Forum.
Does Mr Bainimarama not see that this makes his position impossible? What will he say as chair in Forum meetings when someone wishes to bring up the USP standoff? If he refuses to entertain debate, he will be immediately seen as self-serving and compromised. In situations like that, a chairperson would normally step down.
What will he say to Micronesian leaders when he’s attempting to negotiate with them to stay with the Forum if some of them raise the issue of the USP? The President of Nauru, Lionel Rouwen Aingimea, has been particularly outspoken on the USP issue.
Mr. Bainimarama must take responsibility for the recent failure of the Forum to issue a statement of congratulations to the USP on its rating from the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) University rankings. This was a big moment for the USP, staff, students and stakeholders. Congratulations came from many people and organisations including regional governments.
But with Mr. Bainimarama as Forum chair, the organization was silent. Was that deliberate on the part of Mr. Bainimarama? Surely he must have known that Forum members would be happy about the USP’s accomplishment, but he did not see fit to speak out for them. He is conflicted.
No doubt he and Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum noted the comment from a THE representative, Mr. Phil Baty, raising a question about the interpretation of the significance of what the USP achieved. However, Mr. Baty also stressed that the USP’s rating achievement was “fantastic”.
For now, Mr. Bainimarama and Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum are standing by their ransom threat. They do not appear to be moved by the damage that might be inflicted on the university and its students. It’s just another example of the attitudes of their two men fiefdom, which has created so many problems for Fiji.
Now they are ferociously intent on extending that to the region.
Hold the line
What we continue to observe is mess upon cascading mess, emerging from incompetence, the inability to compromise, and dictatorship.
We must patiently endure and hold the line, while anticipating much more chaotic "leadership" until they are shown the exit door in 2022.
Seni Nabou is the General Secretary of the National Federation Party. The views expressed here are her own and not necessarily shared by this newspaper
