"They were announced by the Constitutional Offices Commission (COC) chaired by the Prime Minister, and are simply "jobs for the boys". As chair the Prime Minister has given these important state positions to known members of his inner circle of military men. One of them, Francis Kean, is his brother-in-law, so the practise of nepotism continues unabated...All of them are known abusers of human rights. That alone disqualifies them from taking up these crucial posts. Brigadier General Qiliho, in particular, has many questions to answer about allegations against him."
They were announced by the Constitutional Offices Commission (COC) chaired by the Prime Minister, and are simply “jobs for the boys“. As chair the Prime Minister has given these important state positions to known members of his inner circle of military men. One of them, Francis Kean, is his brother-in-law, so the practise of nepotism continues unabated.
Mr Kean became Commissioner of the Fiji Corrections Service; Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto was named Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces making him the most politically powerful person in Fiji; Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho became Commissioner of Police.
All of them are known abusers of human rights. That alone disqualifies them from taking up these crucial posts. Brigadier General Qiliho, in particular, has many questions to answer about allegations against him.
The independence of the Police Force in any democracy is critical.
"I also consider the appointments as a further consolidation of the military’s grip in Fiji. We are a militarised state. Democracy - government by the people for the people - is being pushed back to be replaced by a new form of dictatorship.
The operations of the COC are a farce. They fall woefully short of the standards of democratic governance Fiji needs and deserves and are not consistent with the Constitution.
The decisions of the COC should be made by all the constitutionally appointed members of the Commission. They are not and the reasons for that lie with the government.
The COC functions at the moment without the Leader of the Opposition because I have withdrawn from it in protest against the amateurish and haphazard manner in which it conducts its affairs and a lack of consultation. The independent member I nominated, the prominent lawyer Mr Richard Naidu, resigned last year. He had no desire to become “an electronic rubber stamp”.
Although I was criticised by some of my own colleagues for my decision to appoint Mr Naidu, I believed then, as I do now, it was right." Ro Teimumum Kepa