Former military man to head Information
01 JUN 2008
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| Fiji’s former military spokesman Major Neumi Leweni will head the Information Department as its deputy permanent secretary.
No official announcement was made but the move was confirmed by the Public Service Commission.
PSC permanent secretary Taina Tagicakibau said the move was normal and a transfer for Major Leweni and Eliki Bomani who formerly held the post.
“He (Leweni) is already in the system and Bomani has already got another position within the civil service. It is a reshuffle and people at the same level can take up the same post anywhere,” she said.
Tagicakibau said they did not always announce their decision to reshuffle senior civil servants as it was a normal procedure.
When contacted yesterday, PSC chairman Rishi Ram said he was not aware of the reshuffle as he did not attend to the Commission matters on a day to day basis.
Efforts to obtain comments from Major Leweni yesterday were futile. |
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Soli Vakasama 
June 1, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Well, their actions speak louder than words.
June 1, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Just another thought, does Rishi Ram truly believe people believe his statement, that he wasn’t aware of the reshuffle?
He is their ‘yes man’ and will do whatever they want because he became Chairman of PSC without merit and will do anything to desperately to hang onto the position.
June 1, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Bula again.
This is taken from FBCL as Bainimarama tries to justify their appointments. My question is whether his men will voluntarily return to barracks and lose out on all the perks they are now enjoying, including Bainimarama himself?
I recall the late Taniela Veitata relating to the time the late Ratu Mara was invited by Rabuka to head the Interim Government.
The condition the late Ratu Mara gave was for the dissolution of the Council of Ministers and he chooses his own Interim Ministers. Veitata said ‘once you have walked the corridors or power and tasted the fruits of power, it is very hard to give up your position voluntarily.’
Now read Bainimarama’s feeble explanation:
Interim PM sides with officers
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Taken from / By: Fiji Broadcasting Corporation
Interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has taken side with military officers taking up executive posts in government.
Commodore Bainimarama had already stated that none of his military officers will benefit from the coup.
He says the military officers are called in to strengthen loose ends in ministries.
Bainimarama says the reason for the call was based on the travel bans implemented by the Australian and New Zealand governments.
He says the travel ban kept qualified people out the reason why the officers were called in.
Bainimarama stressed – his man will all return to camp after the elections.
Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Limited
June 1, 2008 at 9:14 pm
What else do people expect? When they staged the coup in 2006, did you expect them to be fair and abide by the constitution law etc..That’s ironical…I think the people are stupid to keep picking these things. They are the law and they are using our laws to hold the Fijian people down and keep the Fijian population in check..effectively up to now…There is no protest. Nothing..except feeble media releases here and there, letters to the editor….Everyone complained about the Melanesia Spearhead group stand recently..who did the lobbying for the people there..no one…the chiefs Qarase??? they all went underground to the qaranilairo and wage a irrelevant achaic vanua war from there..not effective now…no one lobbied the international bodies, forum etc..since the coup in 2006…so the Fijian people have left their fate inthe hands of an old out of date dead chiefly system and a reduntadant SDL party machine and no more.. Too bad the only active opposition of any sort is the blog and that all…the church is run away, and no one is standing up to this demagogue called iIG-military…How can the Fijian people blame others then for what is befalling them now and in the future???
June 1, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Who is the a/h of a pig trying to kid? Travel ban keeping out qualified persons from taking up the positions. So the army has the next best crop of qualified people. What a joke. We have our own people in the civil service who are fully qualified for the job.
Pain in the a#$%e (PITA) garbage aaaaahhhhh talker and is back to make lives miserable once again. A very obvious ploy by the army to promote this numbskull sapota by upgrading him in China and transfer him back to Fiji after barely serving 6 months there.
What about Chodo the snake? He openly said he would get farmer back to Labasa the farm cane using taxpayers money to facilitate it. Now that the EU is holding back funding the snake is using our money with impunity. He just use govt funds without any care or concern of whose money is it or who is he spending it on.
The snake’s other comments were that the charter would be incorporated into the constitution. Totally illegal and totally unacceptable. This cannot happen without an elected parliament full stop.
June 1, 2008 at 10:08 pm
BTW,
Eliki Bomani is very qualified in the area of media & information, having had his teeth cut in the early era of the MOI during the 80’s right to this reshuffle.
Leweni’s experience in media & information on the other hand only commenced immediately leading up to the 2006 coup, rising up from the rank of Band Master of the Fiji Military Forces Band.
How are these 2 compatible?
The former is experienced in dealing with the media and information, whereas the latter only knows how to stifle and generate information.
June 1, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Ha ha haaaaaa…
“No Military Officer will benefit from this coup”. sounds similar to the feeble “This is not a grab for power”.
This guy is a pure nut case and this is yet another example why you just cannot believe a word they say……
June 1, 2008 at 10:13 pm
‘No Military Officer will benefit from this coup’
I had to take over Government with great reluctance
This was not a grab for power
We all must work together to take Fiji forward
This guy should open up a bolony factory and sell sandwiches, he’d make a fortune.. But seriously how can anyone believe a single word that FB and anyone in this Government says. So full off IT….
June 1, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Odro, gonei o lamata tu mada maivei? Lesu tale mada vana nomu qaranilairo o cikinovu toka mai kina. Vakavei au o dua vei ratou na Bainimarama-clan o iko na i tau2 ni vosa viavialevu, qaciqacia o tabaka mai qori.
O keimami na i-taukei keimami na beitaki Voreqe Bainimarama kei na nona qavoka2 lala ena veika sa mai yacovi keimami tu qo na lewenivanua kei ira na wekai keimami.
E vagauna na ka kecega. O Voreqe kei ira na nona i wase, ni sa yaco mai na nodra gauna, ya ena raravisa sara mai na veika sa yaco tu qo. Waraka!!!!
As we have always known, AN ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACT WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL THOSE WHO ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THESE ILLEGALS.
To promote an unqualified military personnel while side-promoting a civil highly-qualified one, is again another example to add to the other main examples these illegals have been undertaking since Dec 5, 2006.
Can\’t wait to hear the AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-Leweni utter some nonsense in the media soon. Da varau sara clown show tale mada.
I wonder if Mr. Bomani will say something about these reshuffles or will he be too scared and unwilling to do so, as he may end up like Mr. Sikivou.
Time to push the military out!
June 1, 2008 at 10:56 pm
So they have we just reinstated their Squeeler [Information and Media Relation man of George Orwell’s Animal Farm]!!!. Now ” the Boss is Always Right Syndrome” will continue to be order of things and what to be expected. Our Ministry of Information will continue to relay the dictatorial Regime’s misinformation campaign strategy at the expense of the truth .. Sa qai valoloma dina ga na noda Vanua e na nodra sa veitaliataki keda tu va qo na sotia..
June 2, 2008 at 12:26 am
This move is clearly potraying one very important factor that Bainimarama has lost the battle.He is preparing for the next phase and that is to abbrogate the constitution.He is putting his man on strategic posts of government, to prepare for a full military takeover once again.So again bye bye Robin Hood & Friends(Mahen),the military council wants to steer the ship now, and hell we are in for another rough ride(especially on unchattered waters), no idea of how big the waves gonna be.
He was plain stupid to try & manouver his way through the constituion to legitimise his act of treason, but the law has always proven to be a faithful tool in the system of democracy, and it once again proves its salt.
I reckon when Bhai took over reigns in Dec..2006, he thought that it was a walk on a bed of roses grabbing power,fame & all that comes with it.But his little mind continue to baffle him till todate.
Chaudhary continues to take the driving seat, while Bhai is sent on erands, and thinks its the time of his life.He now continues to export his lies overseas by making statements that contradicts himself, like a small child not knowig what he wants.
After making so many lies he now does not quite understand how to package his stuff, according to his audience who read him between the lines everytime he opens his big mouth.THis simply shows that he is not really in cotrol and he is just another George Speight in the making.Well for him he could be well counting his days before the masters & this little shepherd boy meet their fate.
June 2, 2008 at 12:41 am
I suspect it could also be in preparation of the court judgment – maybe hes got wind that the judgment will go against him – so he will defy the judiciary, abrogate the Constitution and carry on – he will be broken only when a chief defies prison, guns, and fear, and openly pisses on his face, and calls on the people of Fiji to make Fiji ungovernable
June 2, 2008 at 12:42 am
Odro – your comments are mischeivious, but good to let the cat out of the hat.
1987 – Rabuka – successful coup – convinced the global community eventually via globe trotting PR exercises that what he did was plausible and was accepted back.
2000 – failed civilain coup – no need for Speight to do the same, however Chaudry didn’t need to, but effectively globe trotted and lobbied the global community and got results.
2006 – Baninimarama – successful coup – back to globe trotting PR exercises to convince the global community as per 1987. Are we heading for the same outcome.
2006 – Counter >> let the other side of the story be known >> Heffernan, Buadromo, Ali (all the girls doing the counter punching with some globe trotting), and Ratu Joni (only male). Question is should the deposed leaders do the same – globe trot to the Forum, Commonwealth, UN etc. to make their presentation. If money is a concern there is funding available by requesting from these sources to make this presentaion at the assemblies to see the other side of the argument. Will they be stopped at the airport is the question. International publicty in itself, if that was the case. He who is most convincing to the global community will win irrespective of what our opinion at home is.
Well back to a strong mix and some sports.
June 2, 2008 at 12:46 am
Victor seems to be saying that the coups only breed opportunists
What we learned from the past
By VICTOR LAL in Fiji SUN, 31 May 2008
It increasingly looks like every conceivable ploy, argument, and excuse is being deployed by the interim regime of Commodore Frank Bainimarama, and encouraged by its sympathisers and cheerleaders, to ensure that the SDL party, which represents over 80 per cent of indigenous Fijian voters, is banned from contesting the next general election, if the election will ever be allowed by those holding Fiji and the SDL party ransom through the power of the guns.
The latest to make foray into the debate on the possible banning of the SDL is the Citizens Constitutional Forum executive director and a member of the National Council for the Building of a Better Fiji, the Reverend Akuila Yabaki, who says that political parties can and should be prevented from contesting a general election if deemed to be illegal, for such a decision, he says, will augur well for the country.
He said that the decision will augur well in the sense that no political parties will ever consider putting in place racist and exclusivist laws when they come into government. “The one reason that can be made to render SDL questionable as a political party and makes it unsuitable to run in the next election in 2009 is its racist policies,” said Reverend Yabaki.
He referred to the United Nations Committee on the Eliminations of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommendation that Fiji adopt a comprehensive law on the elimination of racial discrimination, including regarding acts perpetrated by private persons. “The CERD Committee is “seriously concerned that no specific laws prohibiting racial discrimination have been adopted” by the State party and in this case the SDL as a former party in power,” he said .
Well, the good old Reverend could be asked to explain why, employing the same argument, the Fiji Labour Party should not be banned from contesting the election, for it also came to share political power in the ousted SDL-FLP multi-party cabinet on the backs of over 80 per cent of Indo-Fijian voters? And the party’s leader and current Interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, used the suffering and alleged racism against his people, and exploited his racial Indian ancestry, to secretly obtain $2million from “Mother India”, only to hide it from the taxman, his own political colleagues, and the Indo-Fijian voters, in a Sydney bank account.
What about the FLP party president Jokapeci Koroi, now a member of the NCBBF and a member of its media committee? If the SDL can be banned for its supposedly “racist policies”, shouldn’t the FLP be banned because its president Mrs Koroi had the gall and audacity not only to welcome any coup but described a significant and important segment of the population, “The General Electors”, as “Nobodies”. Was her statement racist or reality? Moreover, shouldn’t the FLP be banned from contesting the election because it had at one stage in its quest for power cut a political deal with PANU and its former leader Apisai Tora, the man accused of fanning the flames of racism as the leader of the dreaded Taukei Movement after the 1987 coups?
One can cite endless cases and instances where individuals and institutions, if one were to adhere to CERD principles, helped to either encourage or entrench racism in Fiji since the first coups of 1987. As I have repeatedly pointed out, the suffering of Indo-Fijians continued well into 1997 because it was none other than Mr Chaudhry who, instead of supporting the moderate Josefa Kamikamica for Prime Minister in 1994, sided with Sitiveni Rabuka in Parliament, claiming his support was in exchange for promise by Mr Rabuka to review the blatantly racist 1990 Constitution.
Again, we have one of Mr Rabuka’s key political allies, Filipe Bole, in the interim Cabinet now; he was one of a group of people who were part of the 1987 coups, which saw unprecedented degree of racism, violence and intimidation against the Indo-Fijian community, from which it has never recovered, and the community even ended up becoming a minority in the land of their birth through migration. Mr Qarase’s alleged racist policies (affirmative action for itaukei Fijians) pales into insignificance when compared to the root causes of racial politics in Fiji.
Besides Mr Bole, there is also my good old friend Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, presently the interim Foreign Minister. Even though he has never promoted racism against the Indo-Fijian community, he has been a part of the racist machinery since the 1987 coups.
In one breath, he condemned the 1987 coups, in which he was deposed by Mr Rabuka, and in the next breath he had agreed to fly Fiji’s “racist” flag in his capacity as the country’s High Commissioner to London for the next five years. Those of us who had become international refugees overnight for standing up to the 1987 racist dictators in Fiji could not, or dared not to for a long time, enter the compounds of the Fiji embassy in Hyde Park in London. In particular, my United Nations refugee passport, issued under the Geneva Convention to stateless persons, had discouraged me from going near the embassy, although we continued to march outside in protest against the vile racism that was taking place inside the country.
Again, following the 2000 coup, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau was once again prepared to become the interim Prime Minister until coup leader George Speight stepped in to object to his appointment, which finally, and ironically, saw Laisenia Qarase end up in the post until the 2001 election? I never came around to asking Ratu Epeli why he wanted the acting PM’s post – was it that although he did not support Mr Speight’s action, he sympathised with his (Speight’s) bogus indigenous rights cause?
In that same racist crisis, the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, who had earlier presided over the most racist period in our country’s history, from 1987 until he became President, had made it clear that he was not willing to see Mr Chaudhry return to power, only to find himself “couped” by Commodore Bainimarama and others. The Cmdre claimed afterwards that it was “necessary” at the time.
Another figure, one could point out, who could be banned from holding high office is Justice Isikeli Mataitoga, who as a military major had become the media spokesman and propagandist for the Rabuka regime immediately after the 1987 coup. Justice Mataitoga (than regaling in his military outfits) and I traded sharp exchanges on British television at the height of the two coups; he unashamedly defending the racist nature of the coup, and me, opposing with every fibre in my veins.
Incidentally, when the Fiji born Mohammed Rafique Khan shipped those 60 tons of weapons into the country in 1988 to overthrow the Rabuka regime, he (Mr Khan) escaped extradition to Fiji after his barristers successfully argued in the world famous Bow Street Magistrates Court in London that he would not get a fair trial because the post-coup Fiji judiciary was now stuffed with Mr Rabuka’s sympathisers, especially in the DPP, “in the person of Major Isikeli Mataitoga, the media spokesman and coup sympathiser for the military in 1987”. One day I will reveal which alien power had actually bought and helped shipped those weapons to protect the Indo-Fijian community in Fiji.
Since the 2006 coup, we hear so much about all the promulgations etc signed by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo and yet he is another figure from the 2000 coup who did not stand up to condemn the coup; instead, on 14 March 2001, he dismissed Mr Chaudhry as Prime Minister and asked Fiji to go to the polls, which actually resulted in the SDL, led by Mr Qarase, coming to power. Should Ratu Iloio, therefore, be also removed from office? Why only blame and ban Mr Qarase and his party from contesting the election.
In 2001, Mr Chaudhry told the Commonwealth parliamentarians of what he thought of Ratu Iloilo: “The constitution requires the President to be appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs in consultation with the Prime Minister. In the next questionable move Ratu Josefa Iloilo, placed in office after the coup and who the Appeals Court declared to be in an acting capacity only, convened a meeting of the Great Council of Chiefs, and got himself appointed President.” What all these events clearly meant, he claimed, was that Fiji’s post-coup authorities had no respect for the rule of law.
It was during the dark days of the 2000 crisis that I had also ended up publicly quarrelling with the CCF, especially with Jone Dakuvula, now with NCBBF secretariat, who was advocating that Ratu Iloilo set up government of national unity but with Dr Tupeni Baba as Prime Minister. He said Dr Baba’s appointment would assuage and clam down Fijian fears, passions, and anxieties. I argued that such an appointment was going to merely perpetuate the racism that lay behind Mr Speight’s putsch, and why should Mr Chaudhry make room for Dr Baba on the basis of race and ethnicity. We agreed to disagree on the course of Fiji’s post-coup government, although I was accused of turning into “a Qarase man”..
Reflecting on the tragic and bloody 2 November 2000 mutiny at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks when the rebels made a last ditch attempt to seize the army headquarters and remove Commodore Bainimarama, Mr Chaudhry also told his fellow Commonwealth parliamentarians: “It is important to note hear that the army’s decisive move to restore law and order was driven more by its determination to purge its own ranks of rebellious elements and their supporters who posed a threat to the commander’s life, than from a desire to restore democracy.” So, it was not to weed out the cancer of racism?
Furthermore, he stated, having achieved the objectives of the coup and established a government of its choice, the military was ready to provide the stability that was a prerequisite for that administration to function effectively. Thereafter, it quickly became clear, Mr Chaudhry continued, that the army-backed interim administration had no intention of relinquishing power and restoring the elected government to office. “Today there is convincing evidence that senior army officers and several senior members of the post-coup administration had been party to the conspiracy to overthrow the People’s Coalition government,” Mr Chaudhry claimed. He contended that the security forces posed the biggest threat to stability to any democratically elected government in Fiji.
This brings us to the Commodore himself, who claims that Mr Qarase had betrayed him shortly after becoming interim Prime Minister. And yet, it was under the watchful eye and the guns of the military, that the Blueprint for affirmative action for Fijians and Rotumans was launched after the 2000 coup. Mr Qarase was even sent to the United Nations General Assembly to tell the world that one had to understand indigenous feelings and the reasons for the 2000 coup. In fact, so far the Commodore has escaped any scrutiny for his own actions.
He had signed the Muanikau Accord which had seen Mr Speight go free. If Mr Speight had handed in all the weapons, instead of running around Suva with a pistol, he might have gone on to even become Prime Minister. In an affidavit presented to the Fiji Court of Appeal in 2001, Cmdre Bainimarama, as a witness in support of the Interim Qarase government that he had installed after refusing to re-instate Mr Chaudhry as Prime Minister following the 2000 coup, had claimed that he had abrogated the 1997 Constitution because he was satisfied that people engaged in the events of May 19 were of the perception that the Constitution had watered down the interests of taukei Fijians. Whether or not those perceptions accorded with reality was not his principal consideration. He said the Constitution had rendered ineffective, previous provisions requiring positive discrimination in favour of native Fijians. Above all, the Constitution, according to him, had also introduced an electoral system, based on the Australian preferential voting system, “which seemed incomprehensible to the bulk of the indigenous Fijians (and in my (that is the Cmdre’s) understanding of the matter, to the majority of citizens) and which procured for the previous administration an artificial and unnatural majority enabling that administration freely to take steps affecting Fijian land, rights and customs”. Why is he singing a different tune now, accusing Mr Qarase and the SDL of having a racist policy?
During the 2000 coup, we in the Movement for Democracy in London and else, were supplied with a list of names by the FLP to ensure certain individuals were punished for their support of George Speight. Among several names included that of Berenado Vunibobo and Adi Finau Tabakaucoro. In his new post-coup incarnation, Mr Vunibobo has been sent to the UN and Adi Finau is now with the NCBBF? If Mr Qarase’s Blueprint for Fijian advancement is now a racist document, why did Adi Finau, as Assistant Minister in the post 2000 coup Interim Cabinet of Mr Qarase, told the media in 2000: “We have been tasked to set up mechanisms through which proposals in the blueprint for Fijians and Rotumans are implemented, it will be a 10-year programme. In this 18 months, we will need to put together a programme which can, and will, go through the proposed 10 years regardless of whichever state executive comes into power – at least we hope to be able to do that.” Why is she now singing a different tune?
As far as FHRC is concerned, we should not be surprised with its position on the question of whether the SDL could be banned from contesting the election. While citing relevant parts of the Constitution, Dr Shaista Shameem also pointed out that the CERD Committee has already recommended legislations against race based organizations. The CCF, in its report to CERD, claimed that the media played a significant role in propagating racial stereotypes and inciting racist feelings.
What about the 2006 coup? Reverend Akuila is on record as saying the following: “The legality of the latest coup is a matter of controversy. Based on judicial authorities established after the coup in 2000, the CCF’s legal advice is that the 2006 takeover was illegal. This is despite the contrary arguments put forward by Commodore Bainimarama and the Fiji Human Rights Commission. The President’s belated support for the takeover does not, the CCF believes, change the legal position.”
He went on to state: “This latest coup differs from the earlier three in that the perpetrators of the 1987 and 2000 coups claimed they were acting to save indigenous Fijians and their land from subjugation to other ethnic groups, while in 2006 the RFMF Commander claimed to be acting to combat corruption.”
If that is so, why is Commodore Bainimarama and those around him now shifting the goal post – from corruption to racism? Is it because the race card is still a potent tool for exploitation to defend coups? If the SDL is to be banned at the next election, so should many others, who ought to be brought to book for benefiting from the politics of race and coups in Fiji. We cannot have two rule books – one for the victors and another for the vanquished – in this case, the SDL.
The views expressed are those of Victor Lal and not that of the Fiji Sun. E-mail: vloxford@gmail.com
June 2, 2008 at 1:37 am
Very true Victor,this regime is full of contradictions,inconsistancies and downright lies.If the SDL is to be banned under their rules,then so should all the other parties and individuals.But where would that leave us???
And as for the above posting,what expertise does a f****n bugler have to hold such an important senior civil service post?? Here you have a blerry dickhead who is an embarrasment to the media industry.
Via vosavosa va vuku tu i vei tamata mata va sona.O sa sega ni venakati mai Jaina ni o sa rui tamata ulukau.Masi soresore tu ga mai na keba,vis lako sara i valagi.
What the f**k have we done to deserve this asshole in our midst again.It’s bad enough to have the pig opening his big ugly gob in the media again without another uneducated motherf****r joining the ranks.
Is it something in the water they drink at the camp? What the hell makes them think they’re God’s gift to mankind.
Sa laurai levu ga no nomudou viavialevu kei na kocokoco,dou vei vutu.
June 2, 2008 at 3:17 am
What I see right now, is that the solution to all our problems at this moment,
IS FOR THE PRESIDENT TO DIG DEEP INTO HIS VALUES AND INTELLECT AND OVERRULE HIS OWN MANDATE AND GET US BACK TO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE.
Get Rt Joni back and allow him to take-over as Pres. and then Rt. Joni can reinstate some good people who have been sidelined by this regime, without any wrong doing of their own, like Mr. Sikivou, Mr. Bomani, etc to get us to the polls-ASAP!
Trying to solve the roots of our problems, as Vore keeps harping about is going to take a lot of hardwork, DIGNITY AND RESPECT for each others\’ ideas and expectations.
Change is good of course, but changes brought about by undignified, disrespectful and GUN-SLINGERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Then ABOLISH THE MILITARY!!!!!!!
Ae au kaya mada, ke ra wili blog tiko na batikadi nei Vore, and reading this call to ABOLISH THE MILITARY sa na wacava na mila2 ni socodra, beka ko sa qai torocake tiko ga mai kina na raravisa ni veika e tau mai na gusuna halitosis gona…yuckkkkkkk!!
June 2, 2008 at 8:40 am
@ Koya na man – Vore won’t abrogate the Constitution until Chodo tells him to, the same way he won’t pass wind until Chodo tells him to.
Victor Lal’s exposes are the best read on the internet. Can’t wait for him to unmask the foreign arms dealer. Chodo must be sweating it now.
Very true that the illegal regime is trying to shift the focus away from corruption (which is clearly thriving under their reign) and onto racism. This is another pathetic Chodo tactic, accusing others of his own worst sin.
Fact – ill-feeling between the Fijian and Indo-fijian communities has been exacerbated by Chodo (see books by Sir Len Usher). Furthermore, that ill-feeling gives Chodo his power base. He is the LAST person in Fiji who wants to put an end to racism, because without it, there is nothing for him.
Having a military man at the head of Info, moving military men to take charge of other Govt departments means this Illegal Regime really will become a Military Junta (“a government ruled by a committee of military leaders” – wikipedia).
Rishi Ram said in yesterday’s Fiji Times that the PSC has the power to negotiate redundancy packages. So you can bet that alot of dept heads are going to roll, get redundancy payoffs and be replaced by military staff.
Surely civil servants must now feel the time is right to begin strike action and boycotts against this regime? They were going to strike against SDL-led govt for 5% COLA. Where are the TRUE union leaders when we need them?
God bless Fiji
June 2, 2008 at 8:56 am
the asians will own fiji soon !
June 2, 2008 at 9:53 am
Great For The People Of Yacata! Smart Intelligent Caring People! Maybe small island but brave! An excellent letter in today’s Fiji Times. Well done Sai I’m sure you speak for the majority that are passionate about our beloved country. Keep it coming!
Do it Frank
LET the interim PM go ahead with his threat to abrogate the Constitution.
Let it destine him and his illegal regime to a charge of treason. He and his cronies will never sleep as they will bear the brunt of Fijian nationalism and anger.
Go on Frank, do it.
Those of us from the brave island of Yacata, would dearly love the opportunity to face you upfront one and for all for our beloved Fiji’s sake. Be a man and let Fiji free to realise its many potential.
Sai Lealea
Wellington
June 2, 2008 at 10:13 am
If Leweni is the best man Bainimarama can find for the job, he lost before he even started!
In his heart of hearts, Leweni knows he’s hopeless, he’s just making hay while the sun shines, feeding Frank anything he wants to hear.
As long as he makes more money than the Warrant Officer pay grade that accurately reflects his actual competence and qualifications level. Genuine officers who have really earned their pips think he’s a nutjob.
The real working media’s codename for Leweni is mising link, after his television interview stating that he wanted to be the link between the illegal regime, media and the rest of us, the adoring public.
He doesn’t realise they are pegging his intelligence and overal development to the progress of human evolution.
This morning on FBC Frank was ranting in Fijian against Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, espousing his old MPC mantra, one man one vote saying the Roko Tui Bau’s thinking, about special representation for indegenous people, should be abolished.
Even in his quietest most introspective moment, amongst his most rabid followers, there CANNOT be a time when he or they think he is of a calibre even close to the Roko Tui Bau. Sa qai arse versus class dina saraga.
Take heart people, wait for the Lord’s time.
June 2, 2008 at 10:23 am
@ Odro – Au kerea mo kua ni vosa vakacataka na nodrai vakatutu na noda dui yasana vakaturaga, sa nodra dodonu na noda turaga mera vosa ena vukuda.
Mo kila tiko edai nika rerevaki na vanua. Naita Voreqe, Leweni kei ira taucoko sara na turaga, marama itaukei era vakaitavi tiko ena illegal regime, sa ra caqeta tiko na mata ni moto.
June 2, 2008 at 10:37 am
@IslandBoy, io sa vaka berabera dina na sau ni Vanua….
June 2, 2008 at 11:08 am
OMG! They are bringing back “CRAZY EYES”
June 2, 2008 at 11:36 am
Now you see the MESS that selfish ungrateful sod Qarase has created!
June 2, 2008 at 12:29 pm
arse hole features continues with his blame game – IT’S ALL QARASES FAULT – good golly The Prime Minister Mr Laisenia Qarase was leading the Nation forward – it is not racial inequality to enforce the Qoliqoli for the Fijians – the last time I looked out my window I was in Fiji not haryana – As Fijians we must ensure our lands and surrounding belong to US not developers from overseas as has happened in many other countries where the Indigenous are left with zilch and left at the mercy of beggar status.
voreqe continues to blame all and sundry for his treasonous action – voreqe needs to understand (if he could – which I doubt) that he alone is responsible for his actions and he has not come up with any way of leading this Nation forward to economic and sustainable security – in fact he and his coupsters have drained the Nations coffers considerably with their ignorance and arrogance.
he continues to say the media hate him and the populace hate him – hey voreqe we know you read this – have you asked yourself why? People don’t hate you they despise you because you’re so stupid and insignificant – your – your way or the highway attitude may find your sorry arse scattered all over some highway – karma works in mysterious ways and you may just get what you want with your bits and pieces having to be scrapped out of the potholes. If you have shit on your liver get medical advise don’t make this Nation suffer along with you.
voreqe may impress his subhuman friends and relatives with his incoherency and smart arse rhetoric – good for him – it does not impress anyone else & WE don’t want that shit imposed on us or our Beloved Fiji.
Now for his latest foot in mouth debacle – further indication of his coup coupness.
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Charter, the way out for Fiji
AMELIA VUNILEBA
Monday, June 02, 2008
+ Enlarge this image
Suvas Inia Tukana,left, slugs it out with Aisake Tabualevu of Tailevu at the Suva Civic Centre.
ON the last day of the 17th Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders Summit, interim PM Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama agreed to an interview. He spoke to reporter
AMELIA VUNILEBA at Port Vila. Also present at the interview was Radio Australia journalist Samisoni Pareti.
Times: Could you expand a bit on your statement to the MSG leaders yesterday (Thursday, May 29)?
BAINIMARAMA: We want people not to interfere in our business. We’ve never interfered in their business because we think it’s their own business. The first subject up on the meeting yesterday was Fiji. I made a statement. They understood where we were coming from. But what we were trying to tell them was to ask for their support in getting us to move forward. They found out that our Supervisor of Elections had been appointed and they were very happy. What I was trying to say was that we want to go to elections but we have to go to elections on my terms of the military.
Qarase and SDL have to come on my terms. Qarase is the guy whose ideas have to be changed because they’re influencing the chiefs, the church leaders. That’s what I told Qarase and Ratabacaca last week when we met. What I said was this, look, the military did this on the 5th of December in order to bring about changes, changes in the way we do things, changes in the way civil servants perform their jobs because they were not doing anything. Corrupt practise is so ingrained in our society and nobody was doing anything. One of my standard jokes is that if you look at this pot plant, if you tell a military corporal to get rid of this pot plant, he’ll find you 100 ways to get rid of it but if you tell a civil servant to get rid of this pot plant, he’ll find 100 ways not to get rid of this pot plant. That’s the civil servants mentality, the people we pay to do work for us. It’s like a big deal if they have to do things for us, even though they’re supposed to do it for you. We want him to come on board, for him to bring his supporters, for them to endorse the charter because the charter is the only way forward for us. We don’t want any negative thing in the charter. We want elections but we’re also at some stage, they’re worried about these corrupt cases that we’re unearthing. I think they’re trying to use the charter as an excuse not to have elections on our terms.
Times: If they don’t come on board then what’s the point of carrying out December 5th?
Bainimarama: Exactly, that’s what we’re trying to tell them. December 5th will be useless. We have elections, get rid of SDL because SDL doesn’t want to have elections on our terms. But this guy is pushing.
Times: Are the MSG more understanding than the Forum?
Bainimarama: Well not only that, we’ve something in common, the Melanesian blood in all of us that has brought us together. In the Forum, we understand the influence of the New Zealand and Australia in the forum countries but when we sit in the meetings, we know where Australia is coming from and where NZ is coming from. And you two know that you people know the spokesman in the forum.
Times: But he’s gone now. Greg Urwin.
Bainimarama: Who nominated him?
Times: Samoa
Bainimarama: Yeah. Samoa was the one that complained about the MSG in Tonga, they don’t want a collective voice.
Times: Is Fiji putting in place a nomination for Greg Urwin’s post (Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat secretary general)?
Bainimarama: What we’re going to do is that in the next couple of months before the Forum, we’ll put some names and then we’ll consult each other for Greg Urwin’s replacement the MSG countries. Greg Urwin was from Samoa, we think the Polynesians have already had their turn, it’s the Melanesians turn.
Times: What was it that you were discussing with the Vanuatu PM during the kava ceremony at the Chiefs’ Nakamal?
Bainimarama: Nothing serious. We were discussing the effect of kava. You know this is my first time in Vila. I’ve come twice, transitting through Vila to Solomons to visit RAMSI then I went to Bouganville to visit our troops. But I’ve never come to Vila. This is my first time and it’s the first time for the Vanuatu grog. Man, that thing, I had two bowls, I wanted to go in one direction, my body was taking me in another direction.
Times: Many of the ni-Vanuatu see you as a hero because you stand up to Australia.
Bainimarama: They see me as a hero? But this people don’t see me as a hero. These people attack me. See but it’s not only that. I’ve been standing up to everyone, the Australians, the Kiwis, the Americans, the British, the European Union. We have set a vision for Fiji, if you look at that vision, it is not made to only benefit the military. That vision is made to benefit the whole of Fiji from what we have seen. The people who are attacking us, they’re attacking us because of talks with the ousted people.
See, the most unfortunate thing is that the events of December 5 were carried out by the military. If it was carried out by the church, GCC, it would have been ok. They would endorse it, America would endorse it. Because usually when the military does this, they’re seen as power grabbers. That we’re doing it for power and we’re not doing it for anything else.
But we can’t let the chiefs dictate how we do things because they’ve been very corrupt. That’s why we’re changing the GCC, the structure of the GCC. We want people who are not corrupt to come on board with this. We can’t let the church decide for us because the church has been politicised. They were politicised in 1987, they were politicised in 2000, everyone in Fiji knows that. So we’ve taken it upon ourselves because we think, we’re the only entity that can do this and that’s most unfortunate.
Because we’re the military and the military all over the world, as soon as you overturn the elected government, you’re seen as being out to grab power.
That’s why people are saying we are militarising the public service. We are not. We’re putting people into the public service who can perform, who can change things around, who can find 50 ways to get rid of this pot plant. We want to bring in some sense of urgency and at any rate, there’s this travel bans, there’s a reluctance of people to come and join because of the ban.
So I bring in people from the military to take over some posts so they can get work on the way. We are trained officers. We are trained all over the world and we know that the military is not supposed to be running the government. That we understand.
That’s why we gave back the power in 2000. We had the power in 2000 but we gave it back to the politicians, to this guy Qarase.
We gave it back to Qarase on the understanding that the politicians would do the right thing but they didn’t do the right thing.
Times: About the charter, you said you do not want to run the Government, you want to return power. But people can understand and appreciate that in Fiji, what about when you retire or when you are no longer in the military, will you still have the same view of the next commander?
Bainimarama: No, I really can’t look down that path. We’re not God. But we hope that will be the same view. You see the military has changed since 1987 from being ethno nationalists to being very fair. Ratu Epeli (Ganilau) changed that. A lot of people don’t understand that Ratu Epeli changed the way we look, to be very apolitical when in fact 1987 was very political.
And when we did what we did, people said we were very political. We were not but what I wanted to say, if you really look into the military role in Turkey that’s along the line of what we did because someone has to make sure nobody overturns the charter.
The charter we think is the way forward for us. We looked at some people in the military in Fiji here to make sure we don’t go down this path.
Times: You mentioned in a radio interview that you will not allow Mr Qarase and SDL to contest the elections because they do not recognise the charter.
Bainimarama: As I’ve said we did the events of the 5th of December because of the vision we put in place. We have now put a vision, we have an agenda. The agenda is for the good of everyone. We’ve been attacked by the NGOs, the legal fraternity, but if you look at these people, there’s one thing in common. These are the same people who attacked George Speight when he did what he did in 2000. Now they’ve turned around and we did exactly the opposite of what he did. George Speight did the coup in 2000 for his own good, his own benefit.
And the people who helped him, then and after that including the SDL Government did it for themselves, they didn’t do it for Fiji. What the military is doing, we’re doing it for Fiji.
Leaders of the military have done that over the years and we hope that we won’t continue down that path. Now we want to have elections but we have to have elections on my terms so that we can cut out this coup mentality.
Because if Qarase comes back on his terms and not my terms, then we continue to have a coup mentality. Because if I leave and Qarase comes back, you see he’s thinking of bringing back the Reconciliation Bill. He’s thinking of getting rid of the charter, of FICAC.
These are exactly why we did what we did on the 5th of December to have this in place. So if we want to have elections, the way forward for us is to have elections without the SDL. The military can find 50 ways to get rid of them.
Times: In response to your comments on prohibiting the SDL from contesting the elections they’re asking if one option is to abrogate the Constitution?
Bainimarama: Yes, that’s one way. To abrogate the Constitution is no big deal if we have to find a way forward for Fiji.
Times: Looks like from your first meeting that Qarase has not accepted a
Bainimarama: No, you see him and the president of the Methodist Church who came in telling everyone that him and the Archbishop were the architects of that meeting. No, in fact, he and Qarase were in the same place.
You see that’s what’s going to happen, you see these corrupt chiefs they say the provincial councils are not supporting us because the chiefs who have one time been political are pulling them away from coming on board. But people would be very surprised at the number of people who have said they want to be part of the charter.
We want to give our views on the charter and I told them that you have to bring your supporters in because once your supporters come in, everyone will have the same views about how we can move forward. But this talk of the legality of the Government or otherwise is not going to help us no matter what. A lot of people don’t seem to understand that.
The only reason they come up with that is because they’ve run out of excuses, they’ve run out of reasons to attack the Government and that would be one reason.
Times: You also mentioned that if the GCC does not sit, then there are other ways to nominate the President and VP. Elaborate please.
Bainimarama: We can find ways and means to nominate the President. If the chiefs don’t want to come in, if the people don’t want to come on board with the charter, there’ll be no elections. If we have to have elections we have to do it on my terms so they have to back the charter.
If two years down the line, SDL says ‘ok, I’m going to get rid of FICAC, bring back Reconciliation Bill’, and I say no.
We’ve decided on the charter. We’ve decided that this is not going to happen, if you do it, I’ll remove you. But the whole reason is for them to come on board the charter so there’ll be no coup that is the reason.
The charter is going to be put in place by the people who have given their views.
But the people who have not given their views, if they don’t say, ok I agree with the charter, at some stage then there’ll be no elections. Because what’s the use of elections if SDL wins and two months down the line, they change everything else. What’s the use of having elections?
What I’m trying to find out is why don’t you people understand.
That’s why I asked The Fiji Times editor when they came in, why they hate us so much, that they print things against the military and against the Government. Why is the media so much against the interim Government when we’ve done nothing but plan good for this country. But they have an agenda, The Fiji Times has an agenda.
Times: And this statement you made yesterday, the Melanesian leaders seem to understand?
Bainimarama: Yeah, they understand. If you don’t want to understand it, you’ll never understand it. You see Australia and NZ all these people don’t want to understand the situation in Fiji. They want their way. But what I was asking is why the press hates us so much? We have to find a way to regulating the press instead of them regulating themselves. We don’t want to gag the media, we don’t want to stop media freedom. We want that to continue but we want someone from outside to have a look at it instead of them the publishers and the editors.
Times: Will you have further meetings with the media or you see no point?
Bainimarama: No, we will have further meetings.
Times: Will you continue to have talks with Qarase?
Bainimarama: Yes, we need to tell Qarase that there’s no way out for Fiji but one through the charter process. We will continue talks with the media council because we need the media to be pro-Fiji not pro-government. We don’t want to shut the media down. I’ve told them that.
The last thing I want to do is what Rabuka did in 1987 and shut them down. But we have to continue dialogue with Qarase and the church. The chiefs are being bankrolled by the church and politics the SDL. The statement by Qarase that a lot of people don’t support the charter is rubbish.
Times: How do you want the media to be pro-Fiji?
Bainimarama: We want you to report without any bias. Right now, I know that you do it intentionally to undermine the government everyone in Fiji plus our dogs and cats know that except may be for you people and those people from Vanua Balavu.
Times: There’s a perception that Mr Chaudhry and Mr Sayed-Khaiyum are dominating your government?
Bainimarama: So if there are land policies, who do you people attack? Is it that person from Ono (Lands Minister Netani Sukanaivalu is from Ono)? Then why are people are attacking these two?
Because people still want race issue to be brought in so we can continue to hate each other so that we continue down that line which is exactly what we don’t want.
I understand there were $18m outstanding from land leases. Has anyone asked why that was not collected?
There’s a lot of greasing of palms nobody has the political will to collect this money. That’s what we don’t want, we want the Government to do what’s required of it.
Last February was the highest FIRCA collected in taxes. Why wasn’t it collected in the last five years?
It’s very simple, this guy Chaudhry that everyone’s attacking has discovered a lot of loopholes in the collection of taxes.
The A-G they probably hate him because he’s a good looking man. I can’t figure out a reason of why we have to go down that path.
Why are these two being attacked? Why not the rest of the Cabinet ministers?
Discussions on Kadavu House, all of a sudden they’re attacking Chaudhry when I was the one who directed Chaudhry and Khaiyum to go and have a look at the Kadavu House issue.
But the reason we did that was for good management and nothing else. The Fijians are saying that they’re doing it because they don’t want the indigenous people to succeed no. We’ve given everybody a level playing field.
If we go down that path, we’ll never get anywhere. We need money to fix roads, repair schools and airports.
Times: Your comments in Rewa that if there was no charter there would be no elections and there was a perception that your talks with Qarase a few days before was not done in good faith. What do you have to say?
Bainimarama: Why I made those comments in Rewa because Qarase insisted on going down that path that he took and for the reasons we removed him in 2006. He still wants to continue down that path, the path he took in 2000. He still insists on doing that. That’s why I was talking like that.
And I want to tell him that there’s no future for people like him in the governance of our country if they think that way especially if the military’s around. That’s basically what I was trying to tell the people of Rewa.
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June 2, 2008 at 12:29 pm
IB I only say what I’ve seen. May not necessarily be what you want to hear..Vanua time is now..can you do it???
June 2, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Teaching Fiji Kids to become coup leaders more like it!
Military cadetship moulds students
Monday, June 02, 2008
Update: 12.50pm Interim Defence Minister, Ratu Epeli Ganilau says he believes military cadetship moulds the character of a student and instills a sense of discipline.
“Many schools have taken up military cadetship because it helps teachers mould the character of their students to excel in every thing they do,” Ratu Epeli said.
While addressing the combined cadet corp of schools in Lakeba last month he said military cadetship demanded patience, good decision-making, obedience, respect and honesty.
“When you strive to have all these you will become successful and others can count on you,” said the former army commander.
June 2, 2008 at 2:06 pm
@Odro you are right on the money. Thing is us Fijians we move ‘slowly’ for a lack of a better word. We are a passive people too. Bullies just adore our cultural environments. It is their breeding ground. We are ever so patient .. waiting .. waiting … waiting .. for something to happen by someone or a group of people and then we will collectively breath a sigh of relief “… aaarrrrhhhh sa rawataki qori …” Then all will be well again. See Odro, the bullies know this and it helps them do whatever they want knowing full well there will be zero resistance in the real sense. All Bainimarama needs to say is “kneel!” and IT WILL BE DONE. Everything you have observed is right on the mark. Don’t ever doubt your good self. We all know the truth and we all know you speak it. No one is willing to stand up to these bullies FULL STOP.
June 2, 2008 at 2:25 pm
There is definitely something wrong with the pig. He surely has a sexual dysfunctional syndrome. He calls yippee i aye arse handsome. Probably only in his pigs eyes which is why he likes to keep “handsome” in cabinet and take around most of the time which at the seemed unusual. I can’t see anything near handsome in bubba arse hole. There’s probably more to it than meets the eye between these two “homo” sapiens.
June 2, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Natewa Prince,
raica mada nomu email qai reply mai.
Kutu.
June 2, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Sobo! vinaka na i wase ni dredre Peace Pipe.
Handsome eh? Oh gawd na cava qo damn wadua.
June 2, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Peace Pipe,sega ni kila o iko.O Vore,e handsome vua na matanidei Aye-arse.
June 2, 2008 at 7:46 pm
NP dua mada kena talanoa between voceke and Aye-arse? Handsome tiko vei rau..
June 2, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Well, reading Vore\’s answers to those questions, he seems to be ADHD (as in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). His answers seem to jump from here and there and the English! OMG!!!!!
And that \”handsome\” label for Aiy-arse….aeeeeee…e dush tiko beka na matai tukai. or maybe that is his kind….KAILAAAAAAAA!!!!
June 2, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Leweni’s elevation is similar to that of Inoke Kubuabola’s rise after the 1987 coup. IK used to work with the Fiji Bible Society and look where he is today. 2006 coup, enter Lewensky.
June 2, 2008 at 10:53 pm
SV,
I won’t be surprised that Driti will go to China to replace Leweni. If not, then maybe he’ll go to India. Many more military people are being earmarked for high civil service postings.
peace & love
p.s thanks for the laugh – we all need it every now & then
June 3, 2008 at 5:58 am
PSC in the dark over appointment…REALLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!
Last updated 6/2/2008 8:47:11 AM from fiji sun
Controversy surrounds the appointment of former military spokesman Neumi Leweni to be the new deputy Permanent Secretary for Information. When contacted last night Public Service Commission chairman Rishi Ram told the Fiji Sun he knew nothing about the appointment.
“I know nothing about it,” he said.
“All I heard from the Prime Minister was that Leweni was being recalled. After that I do not know anything about it.”
Mr Leweni who had been attached with the Fiji Embassy in China is expected to take up his post in the Department for Information today.
Interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama had earlier informed media editors in a meeting at his office that Mr Leweni would be recalled to handle the information department.
He had said Mr Leweni should facilitate easy access to information for journalists on government and military matters.
Mr Leweni replaces Eliki Bomani.
June 3, 2008 at 8:38 am
@ODRO you are AUGUSTUS. Try making another change if you want to hide your ID.Your icon stands out as its a little unusual. Mistakes like that happens.