Fijileaks
  • Home
  • Archive Home
  • In-depth Analysis
    • BOI Report into George Speight and others beatings
  • Documents
  • Opinion
  • CRC Submissions
  • Features
  • Archive

Traditional political pantomime resurfaces as Bainimarama rightly warns Chiefs not to mix party politics with development projects in Fiji

3/3/2017

5 Comments

 

Fijileaks: The Tui Cakau should be charged for abusing his traditional role in allegedly defiling an under age girl - her family wanted justice but a top Police Officer had covered up the case; coming soon, how another Sodelpa high chief conned a relative out of her land to contest election

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday hit out at traditional leaders who politicise development.

Speaking before he commissioned the $21.3 million Somosomo Hydro project, in Taveuni, he said traditional leaders (chiefs and vanua elders) should not use their political affiliations to hinder development for the people.

There was stunned silence from a marquee outside the powerhouse, where people were sitting.

Mr Bainimarama did not mention anyone by name. But Taveuni is home of the Tui Cakau and SODELPA president Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu. Ratu Naiqama is the paramount chief of Cakaudrove, also the home of SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka

Mr Bainimarama was referring to traditional leaders and landowners who had used their power to try to sabotage the project.

Speaking in iTaukei, he said; “Au sa dau tukuna wasoma tiko meda kua ni wakiavata tiko na noda tiko na Turaga ni vanua na noda politiki baleta ena vakaleqai ira na lewe ni vanua ena cakacaka ni veivakatorocaketaki.”
(I have said repeatedly that we should not mix our traditional positions and politics because it would jeopardise developments for the ordinary people)

Mr Bainimarama added; “Au tiko eke ena cakacaka ni vei vakatorocake taki e mai dola jiko ena yakavi nikua. Au vinakata meda kila jiko me matata tiko vei kemuni na veiqaravi ni matanitu ena noda vanua.”
(I am here to commission this development project today. I want you to clearly understand the role of the Government to provide service) .


He said they had been trying to get the work started on the project for the last 10 years, but it was through discussions with the Chinese Government that the project eventuated.

Mr Bainimarama added that they did not need to be accorded a full traditional welcome to perform their work in parts of the country.

“Au vakavinavinaka vakalevu vei kemudou na itaukei ni qele ni dou sa bole mo dou mai veiqaravi vei keitou na cakacaka vakamatanitu ena yakavi nikua. Ke via lagati na cakacaka ni matanitu ena veivanua kece era lako kina ena veiqaravi vakavanua , sa dua nai talanoa totoka, me kua ni kau mai na veitalanoa ni politiki me vesuki na veivakatorocake e na noda vanua. Au vinakata me matata vinaka tiko vei kemudou na Turaga ni Cakaudrove tou tiko ena yakavi n siga nikua ena nodatou I tikotiko

(I thank the landowners for welcoming me and my team today. If you want to praise the work of the Government through a traditional welcome then that is wonderful, but let us not use politics to hinder development in our country. I want to make this clear to all the Cakaudrove chiefs sitting here today.)

It was the landowners, Mataqali Bolatagane (Valelevu), who own the land where the power plant sits and where the commissioning occurred, who welcomed the PM and his delegation.

It is understood that some of the landowners who own land in other parts of the hydro scheme, were not present.
It was unclear what their reason was. There were things being whispered at the site but this was hearsay.

The only plausible explanation was that those who stayed away had been influenced by some of Mr Bainimarama’s political opponents in Taveuni. Source: Fiji Sun 3 March 2017
5 Comments
Gulong
4/3/2017 02:48:22 am

By making that statement Frank is himself being political. There is politics in all projects, at all levels. And there is nothing wrong with that as freedom of thought is assured in the Constitution. Frank is acting like a true fascist dictator. Fascism is about doing what u told and if u disagree u get shot.
Frank should just focus on achieving his goal of a gaining 100% renewable energy for Fiji and how he plans to make Taveuni 10O% renewable reliant because that hydro at Somosomo will supply only the needs of the commercial centre in middle Taveuni and not the rest of the island. U am sure the people will want to know what Govt plans for the rest of the island. But with no national development plan after 3 years in power Bainimara's party does not wish to readily share information about its plans with the public lest they be held accountable

Reply
Welcome Home
6/3/2017 06:11:04 pm

Why should this alleged case of defilement of a young girl not have been fully and properly investigated? It appears a crime has purportedly taken place and the crime has no statute of limitations. No one is above the law - surely? The family may feel aggrieved but of greater importance is the right of an underage girl to her physical and mental integrity. A violation of these would be a grave crime worthy of investigation by the Fiji Police and due consideration by the Office of DPP. We wait to hear on this.

Reply
Tomasi
6/3/2017 06:26:04 pm

I challenge Bai and Khaiyum to do the following for the sake of the people of Fiji:

1. organise a public forum that is televised to the world to discuss the critical national issued facing Fiji today.
2. allow full coverage by all domestic and foreign media outlets
3. the forum to cover issues such as the national elections, constitution, military coups, human rights, government, parliament, education, public health, trade unions, FSC,, FNPF, USP,
4. There could be a series of forums leading up to the elections
5. If Bai and Khai will not do it, yhen they must let the other parties organise these. The best option is have an NGO or one of our unversities do it

We meed to be able to have a free and public and private discourse on all matters that affect us deeply. Such an exchange will help us evolve a common understanding of the issues and challenges that face us as a nation.

An open and frank discussion/exchange is necessary so that the truth and the whole truth will be exposed. Many of us tend to look at the world from our own pigeon holes. Only a few are able to look at things from multiple perspectives. National progress is based on a few critical fundamentals, one of these is the basic freedom to meet, talk, discuss, think and act with due consideration of what is best for us all, even to agree to disagree without any malice or rancour.

Reply
Walker
7/3/2017 08:15:58 pm

If only reporters can sit down and have a tanoa or two or even three with those that were not there, especially the chiefs of Somosomo, then the context of what happened would have been made clear to them. Originally the ideal hydro was to have the project built on Mataqali Valelevu Cakaudrove (who live in Somosomo) land but because they we slow (from Govt viewpoint) in getting their 90 or so percent agreement of landowning unit members for the land to be used Government officials without first informing them had requested Mataqali Valelevu Somosomo (who live in Lamini) for permission to use their land. Mataqali Valelevu Somosomo agreed and Government by-passed Somosomo and dealt directly with Lamini. It is hardly surprising given this background to understand why Somosomo chiefs and landowners of the original proposed site failed to turn up to the opening. Grievances need to be resolved.....and until this is done for Fiji we will still face a lot of hurdles as a nation. It takes courage to face the devil....are our current leaders courageous enough?....and in my humble opinion unless one lives in a vacuum politics will be mixed with everything where an organized group of people live

Reply
Najib
8/3/2017 08:09:08 pm

Thank u Walker for revealing the truth about the Somosomo hydro project. Standards of journalism in the mainstream press have fallen, when the media do not spend time to investigate stories to bring out the hidden truth. Indeed. we are living in the post truth era and the mainstream corporate controlled media bears the blame. No reporter has asked Govt or the PM to explain by how much, for example, will electricity tariffs be reduced by the new hydro plant for those in central Taveuni who are connected to the power grid? How considtent will be the supply? Will the same privilege of granting royalty payments to Monasavu landowners based on KW of electricity generated be extended to Somosomo landowners? If not why not? As FEA is about to be sold into private hands like overseas based financial looters who will undoubtedly jack up tariff prices to earn a profit from their investment will the Somosomo landowners gain any benefits. So many questions remain unanswered.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Contact
    ​[email protected]
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture