N0104. THANK YOU, NO THANK YOU, RATU NAIQAMA.
Coup 4.5 has released a statement from the Gone Turaga na Tui Cakau dated 3 January offering to help Government.
These extracts capture its essence:
“The Tui Cakau wants to open a dialogue with the PM to show him “the reality of what is happening in Fiji, [assist him] with an alternative set of advice from that which he is receiving at present [and impress upon him the] “the folly of disregarding the role of the Great Council of Chiefs and its role in national affairs in times of distress:- eg. 1874, 1987, 2000 and the present.” [my emphasis]
Comment
The Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, seems to think all the Cakaudrove vanua are behind him (which is certainly not so) and that the only way forward is to reconvene the Great Council of Chief, several of whose members were party to the 1987 and 2000 Coups.
The GCC was so politicised during the time of the Qarase government that it did nothing to warn against or stop the divisive and racist legislation that was a major factor in causing the Bainimarama coup. Indeed, Ratu Naiqama held several portfolios in the Qarase government including Fijian Affairs and he personally was instrumental in advancing the proposed legislation.
Ratu Naiqama was also a leader of the ultra-nationalist Conservative Alliance (Matanitu Vanua) party that included prominent Speight coup supporters and chiefs.
Its policies called for Fiji to be a declared a Christian state and for the offices of President and PM to be held solely by ethnic Fijians. Many members also thought the British government should repatriate Indo-Fijians to India!
To avoid splitting the ethnic Fijian vote (and because it was deeply in debt with legal costs arising from defence of the 2000 coup plotters), his party dissolved after the 2001 elections in which won six seats. Its more prominent members joined the Qarase's SDL party.
In 2003, while a Cabinet Minister in the SDL government, Ratu Naiqama is reported to have called for an overhaul of the country's constitutional institutions, saying that political authority should be returned to the chiefs. As a first step, he called for the abolition of Senate and its replacement by the Great Council of Chiefs.
So last month's statement is not the first time he's made the same incredible suggestion.
Ratu Naiqama is head of the Tovata Confederacy (Qarase is one of his subjects) and one of Fjii's three paramount chiefs. In early 2006 some chiefs wanted him to become President or Vice-President but the Great Council of Chiefs, wisely on this occasion, re-elected Ratu Iloilo and Ratu Madraiwiwi.
His latest public statement should fool no one of his true intentions.
N0105. LANDOWNER PAYMENTS SYSTEM SHOULD BE RE-VISITED. Two readers have raised concerns about the NLTB new system of distributing rent money.
Rusi Baleisale says "It would not take much for each family of a tokatoka or mataqali to have a bank account for family members and this is how most landowners read Frank's [earlier] announcement. Giving a lump sum to each trustee account is only continuing the past problems but shifting it from chiefs to trustees. Tinkering with the problem does not solve it. I already know of two trustees who are going to forward the normal percentage to their Ratu. The rest of the trust members are too timid to protest and claim their share."
Cicero raises the question of the NLTB 15% administration charge: "Can you think of anywhere at all in the world where 15% would be considered a 'reasonable' rate to deduct for admin costs? Those responsible would be sacked then and there! Outsourcing should be imperative and it should be done NOW! 3% MAXIMUM for administration. Who is creaming off this fat? It would merit a riot anywhere else.
I take back my hasty comments on this issue, apologize to Fiji Today, and urge government to address these very legitimate concerns. Why can't money be paid into family accounts, and how inefficient — or grasping — is a government rental agency that it charges this exorbitant 15% admin charge?
11 comments:
Frank and his regime think this counrty is behind which they certainly are not, given that they have no free hand to excerice any disagreement or voice an alternative view, assemble freely or publish anything remotely critical. It my recollection that during the 1987 and 2000 miltray coupd there were memebers of the military involved and recycled members of this current regime too?? It is also my recollection that it was this regime that ,although appointed by the GCC, sacked VP. The word 'politicised' is used ad nauseam to rubbish previous governments, the GCC et al. presumably the regime will outlaw opolitics and demand everyone hold the same view, or else.The checks and balnaces of this are a truly free media, an indepenandt regime and a police and military with very specific mandate. NOT a media that has been muzzled for the convenience of a regime, a judiacy that was illegally appointed and lives with the knowledge that their contracts can end tomorrow, a police that goes on 'religeous crusades'?? and militray that beleives it has all the answers, applies laws as it sees fit and will not brook any civilan oversight or scrutiny. Ignoring and intimidating opposition and demanding compliance is destined to fail.
Sara'ssista, I see you've used the word ad nauseam in your latest posting. Such a refined sense of self-awareness! The perfect description for your own tedious contributions about almost everything. I wouldn't mind if you argued a cogent case for or against something. Anything. But it's always the same, stock- standard anti-regime rant. Ad nauseam. And nauseating for anyone seeking a reasoned debate. Why not give it a rest on the weekend. Shut down the computer and put your feet up. You need the break and so do we.
To think that the present Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama, holds the same office as the late great Ratu Sir Penaiia Ganilau. What a tragedy for his own subjects and for Fiji. Ratu Ganilau stood for a thriving, modern, multiracial Fiji. Ratu Naiqama stands for indigenous supremacy and his own grubby self interest. Along with the degenerate Cakobaus, this guy is a great advertisement for shutting down the Great Council of Chiefs for good. There's no longer anything great about it at all. Just a bunch of freeloading hereditary throwbacks who've squandered their inheritance and are a burden on the rest of us. Through their own actions, they've forfeited their mana and their once respected place in national life. The best thing to do with Ratu Naiqama is to ignore him and hope he dies out with the rest of them.
@yawn , i am consistent , what exactly is your contribution to the debate to date? Your only contribution is this? why on earth would you bother.
Sara'ssista, you're right. You are consistent. Consistently tedious. My contribution? To highlight the bleeding obvious; that anyone trying to understand WHY Fiji is in the mess it's in and HOW we can get out of it, isn't going to get any answers from you. You talk about contributing to the debate. All we get is a stream of repetitive anti-regime propaganda that, yes, induces slumber in anyone who isn't a welded-on SDL supporter. Croz Wash keeps asking you to provide cogent reasons why you argue certain positions. That is a debate. Instead, all we get are declamatory statements from The Mount. It's not good enough and I, for one, suspect you don't give those reasons because you can't. All sulu and no tarausese. Labasa!
Fiji is in this mess because the mukhtar, vested interest perpetuate the coup culture and get away with it without any ramifications. The only people who consistently wear the effects are the people. I have been more than sufficiently tolerant with those who can identify with is but do not have the patience for those who look past this and seem to think that the military is the key to the solution. Until such time everyone from rebuke on to the current regime is held to account, we still have Nother coup around the corner no matter what garbage this regime pro ports to cobble govern to justify their own immunity. I have have also said ANY attempt at consituional or electoral reform is doomed if is created by an illegal regime. MY solution has consistently been a government of national unity with wel respected and untarnished citizens eg former vp madraiwiri , be part of a commission to look at a new constitution and electoral reform. Unfortunately , coup apologist tend to take the weak, convenient and spineless attitude of 'baini say no so that's it then', pathetic. Otherwise known as the military 'my way or the highway' reform agenda.
@Sara ca... Still no suggestions from you then? So your comment adds to the debate....oh dear.
@ Sara- Soapy Solutions........
If you mean former Vice President Ratu Jone Madraiwiwi why not say so? Instead, this half-baked stream of unhelpful, unconstructive and essentially ill-thought through comment fails to add anything to the debate - a most important debate which must eventually lead to dialogue. But what dialogue might be had with the 'Torrents of Spring'? For that is how it appears. Noise for the sake of noise.
Your tone speaks volumes...about the REAL dialogue you expect. You seem like military. A shame. Your self interest and dismissive attitude reads like someone else I loath. All for fiji ....what garbage...look after me first, protect me...then assue me immunity. A great start to the so called debate that citizens inn their own country are not allowed to voice or read about unless properly 'directed' by amiltary regime.
BTW...eventually have debate? Who is anyone to tell me what I may discuss openly without threats.
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