Monthly Archives: October 2012

Fiji’s paramount chiefs, political parties and unions petition President for a caretaker government

31 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Press Releases

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HE Ratu Epeli Nailatikau LVO, OBE,CSM,MSD,OStJ, jssc,psc
President
Republic of Fiji
Government House
Suva

Your Excellency

re: Proposed constitutional process and
Fiji’s return to democratic rule

We, the legitimate representatives of an overwhelming majority of the people of Fiji, write to you to express our anxiety at the manner in which the proposed constitutional process and the return to democratic rule via general elections is being driven by the current administration.

First and foremost, Sir, it is imperative to ensure the credibility and legitimacy of any roadmap that is adopted to return our nation to constitutional rule.The roadmap proposed by the interim Prime Minister does not meet this important requirement. Further, we are concerned that it has been unilaterally imposed on the people of Fiji without any consultation with the legitimate representatives of the people.

In our view, the legitimate way forward for the country is to abide by the decision of the Fiji Court of Appeal judgment of 9 April 2009. As advised in the judgment, a caretaker cabinet should be appointed with the specific mandate to oversee the process of holding general elections and restoring constitutional rule within a realistic time frame.

The Constitution Making Process 
Firstly, members of the Constitutional Commission were appointed by the regime without any consultation with key stakeholders. There are serious reservations about the independence of certain members of the Commission who are perceived by the people to be too close to the current administration.

Secondly, the restrictive environment in which the constitutional process is taking place, will not encourage free and open discussions on the subject. Draconian decrees that suspend and violate human rights especially the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association, remain in force as instruments of fear and intimidation. The local media is still operating under constraints that undermine its freedom to disseminate news fairly and in a balanced manner without fear of repercussions from the regime.

There are credible reports of a certain media organization being threatened by the interim Attorney General following its interviews of two prominent leaders of political parties.

A State sponsored civic education programme on constitution making has begun but key stakeholders, such as, political parties, trade unions and other important civil society organisations have been excluded from participating and/or playing an active role in this exercise.

It is also a matter of grave concern that military officers and civil servants are assigned to head the civic education programme.

Moreover, threats by the RFMF warning people not to “mess with the Army” make a mockery of the initial assurances by the interim Prime Minister that people will be free to openly state their views on the proposed constitution.

The requirement that political parties and trade unions seek separate permits for each consultation/discussion meeting has now been relaxed  but political leaders and party activists are still being closely monitored and harassed by the security forces.

We re-iterate, no meaningful dialogue or consultations can take place in such a restrictive climate. In short the process is not inclusive or participatory and it lacks credibility and legitimacy.

Thirdly, the composition of the Constituent Assembly which according to the interim Prime Minister’s statement of March 9 will finally decide the constitution, has not been fully disclosed. There is widespread concern that it may be stacked to ensure a particular outcome. The Prime Minister has full control over appointments to the Assembly. This, in itself, undermines its independence and integrity.

We note with some concern a recent government announcement that chair persons of provincial councils will, from this year, be appointed by the Minister and not elected by members of the respective councils as had been the case in the past. There is little doubt, judging from past practice in such matters, that provincial councils will be invited to be members of the constituent assembly.

Furthermore, why are appointments to the Constituent Assembly put back to December 2012, just days before it is to begin its deliberations? Why has there not been any consultation on the subject?

The Role of the Military
There is one significant omission from the interim Prime Minister’s list of essentials that must be written into any new constitution. We refer to the role of the military in any future governance of Fiji. We note the reluctance of the regime to permit free and full discussions on the role of the military.

Whether the constitution is re-written or not, the role of the military has to be thoroughly considered and finalized once and for all. The Army has been responsible for trashing our constitution thrice. Fiji has to ensure this does not happen again otherwise the nation could be treading the same path again and again in the future.

The Electoral System
The interim Prime Minister says the subject of an electoral system is non-negotiable. The regime’s position here is for proportional representation based on one man, one vote, one value. We disagree. This is a crucial issue in ensuring racial harmony and political stability in the future and must be put to open discussions so that a fully representative system which respects the rights of the minority communities can be found.

The significance of reserved seats for different ethnic communities that make up the nation cannot be brushed aside in a multi-ethnic and multicultural country like ours, more so, in light of our political history.

The Electoral Process
There is much that is questionable about the manner in which the electoral process is being implemented. The Attorney General’s office has taken charge of the voter registration process when it should be the responsibility of the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. In the interest of credibility, it is vital that the entire electoral process, including that of voter registration, be completely detached from the current administration.

The provisions of the Electoral Act and Regulations were arbitrarily amended by a Decree to assign this responsibility to the Attorney General’s office. The chair of the Constitutional Commission has also been critical of the interim regime assuming charge of the electoral process, saying that it undermines the integrity of the process as it is likely that some members of the current administration may be competing in the forthcoming elections.

The following appointments are essential to oversee the entire electoral process, independent of the regime and political parties:

Electoral Commission
Boundaries Commission
Supervisor of Elections

In the absence of a Constitutional Offices Commission (1997 Constitution), these appointments should be made by the President  on the advice of a caretaker administration(see Para 24) after due consultations with key stakeholders.

The promulgation of Decrees 57 and 58 undermine the independence, integrity and credibility of the process. The provisions therein relating to the grant of immunity from prosecution to the perpetrators of the 2006, 2000 and 1987 coups and the absolute powers of appointment of the Constituent Assembly conferred on the interim Prime Minister, make a mockery of the entire constitutional process.

It is significant that the Chair and members of the Constitutional Commission have said that as much and we quote below from the media release issued by the Commission on 19 July 2012:

“Nonetheless there are a number of aspects of the Decrees about which we are concerned.

First, although the Constituent Assembly Decree lists some of the groups that will be represented in the CA (such as political parties, trade unions, women, the military, and civil society etc.), it gives the Prime Minister full control over the size and composition of the Constituent Assembly. There is no indication of how many members will be drawn from each sector or what other sectors might be included. There is also no provision giving the groups that are represented a say in who should represent them in the Assembly. The Prime Minister will also appoint the Speaker of the Assembly.

These arrangements effectively mean that the essential principles of democracy are ignored and the independence of the Assembly is negated. In the light of the fact that members of the present government may wish to compete in the forthcoming elections, it is particularly important that they should not control the process that will, among other things, set out the rules for the elections. This will undermine the credibility of those elections.

Secondly, the Decrees require a broad immunity provision for the 2006 and earlier coups to be entrenched in the new constitution. Among other things, the new constitution is to grant the same, broad immunity for actions up to the first meeting of a new Parliament to members of the government, administration and security forces as was granted by decree in 2010. This type of prospective immunity is most unusual, perhaps unique, and, we believe, undesirable. The only exception is that the new constitution is not required to give immunity for common crimes (such as murder and assault) committed after the date of issue of these Decrees.

The Commission recognizes that immunity has been given in the past and that the immunity required in the new constitution is similar to those immunities and it also understands that the issue of immunity must be considered in the process of transitioning to democracy. However, we are concerned that the people of Fiji have not been consulted in any way on this important matter.

We believe that a better approach would be for the question of immunity to be part of the constitution-making process. If immunity was part of the process, it could be discussed through submissions to the Commission and debate in the Constituent Assembly. Then a solution could be reached that citizens believe would promote the transition to democracy and contribute to a sustained democracy as envisaged in the Preamble to the Decrees.

Thirdly, although the temporary suspension of the requirement of permits for meetings is an important step forward, we are concerned that the current atmosphere in Fiji is not conducive to an open process in which Fijians can debate their future properly. Controls over the media and the wide reaching powers of the security forces in this regard are particularly worrying, as is the fact that generally people have no redress for actions taken against them by the state because the right of access to the courts has been removed.

An important part of the process for the constitution making should be the bringing together of all the people of Fiji to discuss freely, and agree on, the future of their country. It should be an occasion for national reconciliation, acknowledging the violation of human rights and other abuses of power, and to commit the nation to a vision of Fiji based on democracy and respect for human rights, and a determination to overcome the divisions of the past. This task requires the full participation of the people in the process, and the freedom of their representatives in the Constituent Assembly to negotiate a settlement that enjoys wide support in the nation.”

These comments must not be taken lightly. Indeed, they make a highly cogent case for not proceeding with the constitution making exercise as fashioned by Decrees 57 and 58 to which Your Excellency, most regrettably, gave his assent. The Commission clearly recognizes that the process is being controlled by the interim administration to protect their own interest. In the event we urge Your Excellency to consider the alternative which we outline hereunder:

The Legitimate Way Forward
In our view, the only legitimate course of action that should be followed to return to the rule of law and constitutional rule, is to revert to the Fiji Court of Appeal judgment of 9 April 2009 (Qarase vs Bainimarama-Civil Appeal No ABU 0077 of 2008s).

The Appeals Court had found that the dismissal of the SDL government and the dissolution of Parliament were unlawful and in breach of the Fiji Constitution; and that the 1997 Constitution was still in force and had not been abrogated. It further held that the appointments of the Army Commander, as Prime Minister, and that of his ministers were not validly made.

In acknowledgement of the realities of the situation, however, namely, that a defacto government had been in office for the past two years, (in paragraph 156 of the judgment)their Lordships held that:

“The only appropriate course at the present time is for elections to be held that enable Fiji to get a fresh start.

Taking cognizance of the principle of necessity… for the purposes of these proceedings, it is advisable for the President to appoint a distinguished person independent of the parties in litigation as caretaker prime minister to advice dissolution of Parliament and direct the issuance of writs for an election under s60 of the Fiji Constitution. This is to enable Fiji to be restored to constitutional rule in accordance with the Constitution.”

Your Excellency, we hold that the course of action advised in the judgment should be followed. A caretaker administration should be appointed with the specific mandate to oversee the process of holding general elections and restoring constitutional rule, within a realistic time frame. This should be no longer than 12 months as we deem it is possible to hold credible elections within that period.

We, respectfully, propose that Your Excellency give serious   consideration to act on the advice rendered in the Fiji Court of Appeal decision to appoint a caretaker Prime Minister – a distinguished person, independent of the political parties and the regime and one in whom our people can repose confidence – to advice dissolution of Parliament and direct the issuance of writs for an election under Section 60 of the Fiji Constitution.

The caretaker administration should then assume full responsibility for the constitutional and electoral process.

A President’s Political Dialogue Forum (PPDF) can be established following the appointment of the caretaker administration. The mission of the PPDF would be to assist the caretaker government in obtaining   consensus on the roadmap for the restoration of constitutional government via free, fair and credible general elections.

Our feedback from the people is that there is overwhelming support for the 1997 Constitution to be retained. Any changes to it can be discussed and agreed to in the PPDF. The constitutional Commission can be tasked to write a draft national charter using the 1997 Constitution as the base (reference) document. There is no need to rewrite the entire constitution as the 1997 Constitution was promulgated after wide consultations with the people.

Your Excellency, Fiji no longer has the luxury of time on its side. Conditions have deteriorated considerably in the past five years and our people are being held to ransom while those in authority abuse the power that they have usurped.

The President’s mandate to the interim administration given in January 2007, remains unfulfilled. There has been constant rhetoric from the regime that it will spend the first three years (2009 to 2012) on “reforms” such as rebuilding the economy and fixing up the infrastructure. To date, there is little to show for it. The economy continues to be in recession and much of our infrastructure has deteriorated considerably, both in the urban and rural areas.

State finances are more precarious now than they were in 2006; the national debt crisis has deepened with State borrowings having risen sharply in the past three years. We are now borrowing new money to repay old debts.

Poverty levels have escalated with at least 40% of the population living in absolute poverty according to credible sources – indicative of the hardship facing our people. Business confidence is so low that private investment levels sank to a worrying 2% of the GDP last year. 

FNPF’s decision to cut pension rates down to 8.7% from the current rates ranging from 25% to 15%, will cause severe hardship to many of the nation’s elderly. It is a worry even for future pensioners considering that some 60% of Fiji’s workers receive wages that are below the poverty line. In a country where there is no social security net, the majority of Fiji’s senior citizens will no longer be able to retire in dignity and on a livable pension.  

Key sectors of the economy are deeply troubled. The sugar industry is in a highly critical state with sugar production virtually halved, down from 330,000 tonnes in 2006 to 165,000 tonnes in 2011. The Fiji Sugar Corporation is insolvent, surviving on borrowed funds and government grants.

The Corporation registered a loss of $37m for the 2011 financial year, its total borrowings stand at $218m and it faced debt repayment commitments of $113m for the year ending 31 May 2012 which it was unable to meet, according to the 2011 report of the independent auditors of FSC.

Air Pacific is similarly placed with heavy financial losses -$92million  sustained in the 2010 financial year, reduced to a $3.6m ‘book’loss last year. But the actual loss is believed to be much higher. Recent announcement of a$11m profit last financial year is viewed with a great deal of scepticism by financial experts in the absence of published audited accounts of the airline.  

Other troubled public entities are: FNPF, PAFCO, Hardwood Corporation, Telecom Fiji, Post Fiji and Tropik Woods. 

Official corruption is rife and there is no accountability or transparency in government’s dealings. Government accounts and the Auditor General’s reports have not been published for public scrutiny since 2008. It is significant that Transparency International gave Fiji zero out of 100 points in a survey about budget transparency in 2010, saying it is “virtually impossible for Fiji citizens to hold its government accountable for its management of the public’s money”.

The Asian Development Bank in its latest economic survey, Outlook 2012 released in April has warned that unless the debt to GDP ratio is reduced significantly, there would be little scope for further fiscal expansion and the provision of public services would be adversely affected. It also warned that Fiji’s medium term macro-economic outlook was “weak and foreshadows greater poverty challenges”.

Your Excellency, urgent action is needed to stabilize State finances, revitalize the economy, restore investor confidence, and deal with the worsening social issues of poverty, unemployment, housing, health care and rising crime levels.

The current administration has been unable to demonstrate that it has either the competence or the acumen to deal with these issues. The past five years have illustrated this quite graphically. It has failed on various counts with dire consequences for our people and the future of Fiji as a viable State.

The following developments also cause a great deal of anxiety about Fiji’s future: massive outmigration of skilled people who do not see a future here influx of foreign nationals with questionable intent. There are reports linking them with drugs, prostitution and gambling rackets etc high rate of unemployment among youths the dismantling of democratic entities and traditional indigenous Fijian institutions serious violations of human rights – as cited in independent reports (Amnesty International, UN Human Rights Council, US State DepartmentReport on Human Rights, ILO Report on Trade Union rights – ILO Case No. 2723) promulgation of draconian decrees which curtail or completely deprive the workers of their rights to organize and bargain collectively – a gross violation of ILO Conventions 87 and 98 which have been ratified by Fiji interference with the independence and integrity of the judiciary is respect for the rule of law as clearly demonstrated by the promulgation of various draconian decrees that debase human rights and compromise the rule of law, including interference with due judicial processes

The entire nation is held to ransom by a small group of individuals who have usurped lawful authority for their own benefit. These same individuals continue to use the Military and the Police to remain in power.

Failure to come up with a credible roadmap to restore democratic rule in the past six years has resulted in our isolation from the international community. We have been suspended from the Commonwealth and the Pacific Islands Forum, while hundreds of millions of dollars of much needed development aid has been withheld by the European Union.

This is the stark reality about our Fiji today. Ordinary people are getting restive as they find it difficult to meet even the basic needs of their families – to put food on the table and to provide for other essentials. The rising rate of malnutrition among our children, increasing incidence of diseases such as TB, substance abuse and suicides are all indicative of the worsening poverty situation in our country.

Your Excellency, we call on you as the Head of State with executive authority to take action now to halt this rapid decline of our nation. This can be done through steps we have proposed in this petition. We entreat you, respectfully, to act with due urgency in the interests of Fiji and her people.

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FNPF pensioners shocked at ISSA award for FNPF (reported in Fiji Sun 27th October)

29 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in Articles & Reports

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David Burness and other class action pensioners in the case of Burness v the Fiji National Provident Fund , the Republic of Fiji and the Attorney General HBC 183 of 2011 whose pensions were cut by Decree in the name of FNPF’s ‘reform’ have expressed their shock at the announcement of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) that it will present two ‘certificates of merit’ to the Fiji National Provident Fund next week.

The ISSA is a not for profit (NGO) organisation based in Geneva. The ISSA’s Constitution states that its members are government departments, institutions, agencies and other entities administering social security. ISSA provides guidelines for social security coverage internationally.

Speaking for David Burness, lawyer Dr Shaista Shameem said that the ISSA gives the impression that it is part of the International Labour Organisation because its website gives its address as the ILO in Geneva. This is misleading because people think that the Association is part of the ILO.

In March this year ISSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the ILO to reinforce their collaboration to extend and support social security world wide and to strengthen coordination of both organisations for social protection. What FNPF did in Fiji was the opposite of this, Dr Shameem said.

She said it was ironic that ISSA was rewarding FNPF for its human rights breach of pensioners’ right to social security and to their right to life. David Burness’ application to court asked for remedies for a human rights violation in the form of FNPF pension cuts which affected his right to life. This right is one of the fundamental rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which the International Labour Organisation is bound to up-hold, and not promote its loss, Dr Shameem said.

She said it was particularly hypocritical for ISSA to hand out this award to the FNPF when ISSA itself had insisted in the 1970s that FNPF change from a ‘savings’ to a pension’ scheme. This fact was in the documents before the court in the Burness case. The effect of this change on the FNPF was to be addressed in the court case but the FNPF pensioners were prevented by Decree from having their day in court.

Dr Shameem said that ISSA’s MOU with ILO commits the two organisations to closer programmatic and strategic cooperation. The ILO team were recently unceremoniously removed from Fiji by the Government. The ILO has also frequently objected to Fiji’s anti-labour rights record.

Mr Burness and other pensioners will be requesting the ILO to immediately take this matter up with its partner the ISSA, as a complaint.

Dr Shameem said that the pensioners felt that such undeserved awards given to the FNPF, which had acted unlawfully in breaching pensions contracts, puts the ILO on the spot. Even more so when an executive FNPF Decree went on to interfere with pensioners’ access to the courts. The right to justice is another international human rights principle of the International Labour Organisation, she said.

All supporters of pensioners should write to the Director of the ILO in Suva (David Lamott) and send him messages to forward to ILO Director General in Geneva

Get Up. Get Out. Don’t Sit.

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Health Hints

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Just as we were all settling in front of the television to watch the rugby, two new studies about the perils of sitting have spoiled our viewing pleasure.

The research, published in separate medical journals this month, adds to a growing scientific consensus that the more time someone spends sitting, especially in front of the television, the shorter and less robust his or her life may be.

To reach that conclusion, the authors of one of the studies, published in the October issue of The British Journal of Sports Medicine, turned to data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study, a large, continuing survey of the health habits of almost 12,000 Australian adults.

Along with questions about general health, disease status, exercise regimens, smoking, diet and so on, the survey asked respondents how many hours per day in the previous week they had spent sitting in front of the television.

Watching television is not, of course, in and of itself hazardous, unless you doze off and accidentally slip from the couch onto a hard floor. But television viewing time is a useful, if somewhat imprecise, marker of how much someone is engaging in so-called sedentary behavior.

“People can answer a question like, ‘How much time did you spend watching TV yesterday?’ much better than a question like ‘How much time did you spend sitting yesterday?’ ” says Dr. J. Lennert Veerman, a senior research fellow at the University of Queensland, who led the new study.

Australians, as it turns out, watch lots of telly. According to the survey data, in 2008, the year that the researchers chose as their benchmark, Australian adults viewed a collective 9.8 billion hours of television.

Continue reading →

We are not alone

22 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in Articles & Reports

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The Australian Government find another way to confiscate seniors pensions savings

The Australian budget will receive a boost of almost $900 million under a plan to transfer millions in unclaimed money to the taxman and the corporate regulator.

In a measure announced today, the government will collect an extra $675 million by lowering the threshold at which inactive superannuation accounts are automatically moved to the Australian Tax Office.

At present, super accounts of people who cannot be contacted are transferred to the tax office if they hold less than $200 and there have been no contributions for five years.

But from January, super accounts will be transferred to the ATO if the account’s owner can’t be contacted, there is less than $2000 in the fund, and there have been no contributions for one year or more.

With the nation’s lost super accounts holding about $17 billion, the change will deliver to the budget $675 million in savings over the next four years.

The unclaimed money will be held in trust by the government, but members can reclaim their lost funds from the tax office.

“These reforms will benefit individuals with small lost accounts by preventing these accounts from being eroded by fees and charges and protecting the real value of these balances,” the government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook said.

Similar treatment will be applied to unclaimed bank deposits and life insurance policies, giving the government an extra $92.3 million over the next four years.

Under current rules, bank deposits can only be transferred to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission if they are inactive for seven years, but this will be cut to three years from January.

Unclaimed company money will also be automatically transferred to ASIC, delivering $118.5 million in savings over four years.

While the government expects to receive a boost from the changes, Superannuation Minister Bill Shorten said raising the threshold for unclaimed superannuation would help unite members with their retirement savings.

“The ATO will use its data matching resources to match these lost accounts with members and assist those members to be reunited with their lost superannuation,” Mr Shorten’s office said in a statement.

Under the changes, the ATO will also pay members an interest equivalent to inflation on their unclaimed super. At present, no interest is paid.

The government said the reforms would help lower the amount of unclaimed super because it would encourage super funds to collect more information about their members while the accounts were active.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/unclaimed-cash-to-boost-budget-by-900m-20121022-280vy.html#ixzz2A0GXroyl

Ginger up Your Life

20 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by in Health Hints

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Ginger has been revered for thousands of years in traditional Asian and Arabic medicine and today, scientific studies continue to find health benefits ranging from stress relief to improved digestion.

The fiery root contains essential oils – such as gingerols and shogaols – is a good source of magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6, copper and manganese, and is rich in antioxidants.

We bring you ten health benefits linked to the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officiale, which was praised by Confucius and became a trending food fad of the Roman Empire:

Combats nausea:
Researchers have found that ginger eases nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness, morning sickness, surgery and chemotherapy.

In one study of 80 new sailors who were prone to motion sickness, those who took powdered ginger had less vomiting and cold sweats than those who took a placebo, said the University of Maryland’s Center for Integrative Medicine.

Natural pain relief: 

Ginger can reduce symptoms of menstrual pain, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. One study showed that taking a ginger extract at the beginning of the menstrual period reduced pain symptoms in 62 per cent of women.

A study at the University of Sydney found that the active ingredients in ginger directly affected pain pathways and recduced inflammation.

Natural arthritis relief:

Taking ginger can reduce pain in people suffering from osteoarthritis.  One study found that taking a ginger extract reduced arthritic pain in the knee after three months of treatment.

Research also showed that a ginger extract could reduce pain and stiffness upon standing and after walking. 

Stress reducer:

“Ginger contains potent gingerol, which helps cleanse the harmful chemicals that our bodies produce when we’re worried, so ginger can help psychological stress,” Dietician Alice Mackintosh told the Daily Mail.

Ginger extract showed “significant antidepressant activity” in a study that was published in the International Research Journal of Pharmacy.

Anti-inflammatory:

Studies show that ginger inhibits several genes that contribute to inflammation, which causes or contributes to a range of health problems including cardiovascular disease, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.

Antibiotic:

Ginger was more effective than antibiotic drugs in fighting two bacterial staph infections, according to a study published in the Journal of Microbiology and Antimicrobials.

Cold and flu prevention and treatment:

Ginger contains almost a dozen anti-viral compounds and scientists have identified several that can fight the most common cold virus, the rhinoviruses. Other compounds in ginger – gingerols and shogaols – help relieve cold symptoms because they reduce pain and fever and suppress coughing.

Aids digestion:

“Stomach acid is crucial to human digestion and when we’re stressed its production can break down. Ginger stimulates the taste buds, triggering digestive secretions,” said Mackintosh.

“Hot water with a slice of lemon and chopped ginger is an excellent way to stimulate digestion.”

A study published in the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that ginger stimulates digestion by speeding up the movement of food from the stomach.

Fights diabetes:

Ginger can help to manage blood sugar levels in long-term diabetic patients, according to research conducted recently at Sydney University.

Professor of pharmaceutical chemistry Basil Roufogalis, who led a study that was published in the natural health journal Planta Medica, said ginger extracts increased the uptake of glucose into muscle cells independently of insulin.

Boosts circulation:

Gingerols prevent platelets from sticking together, which helps to thin the blood and prevent clotting in the arteries. 

Fire it up:

Choose fresh ginger root over the dried form – it tastes better and has higher levels of gingerol and anti-inflammatory compounds. Unpeeled ginger can be stored for up to three weeks in the fridge and up to six months in the freezer.

Adults should not eat more than four grams of ginger per day and pregnant woman should limit their intake to one gram a day, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Ginger should not be given to children under two, it said.

Ginger tea is, of course, widely available in stores but this home-made fresh ginger tea takes only a minute or two:

Peel a small section of a fresh ginger root, grate about a quarter of a teaspoon into a cup, add boiling water and a sweetener of your choice.

Bonum appetitionem, as the Romans (probably) used to say.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/ginger-up-20121018-27tif.html#ixzz29mhJU1Rs

BridgeIsland.com

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Grey Power Editor, Health Hints

≈ 1 Comment

People who play Bridge know that it is more than just a game of cards.

Like physical fitness, brain fitness can be improved by various challenging activities such as playing CHESS or BRIDGE .

Consistent mental challenge becomes more essential to good mental health as we grow older.

We have found a wonderful online site www.bridgeisland.com where you can register and play Bridge free of charge. You have the choice of building your skills while you play against Robots or opting to play with other Bridge players who may be on line anywhere in the world.

In many countries there are Bridge Clubs for senior citizens which have been proven to extend lives. This program makes the world your Bridge Club, with a selection of partners or opponents from every country in the world.  Fiji is now  shown in its list of countries.

Why not log on and give it a try, 

Greybeard

Dr Shaista Shameem’s written submissions to the Constitution Commission

15 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in Press Releases

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Dr Shaista Shameem’s written submissions to the Constitution Commission on 10th October are in the form of amendments to the text of the 1997 Constitution. The new Constitution is referred to as Constitution 20XX.

The draft text is available at the link shown at the end of this text.

The main proposals are:

  1. Constitution 20XX represents the Social Contract between the People of Fiji and the State. The People and the State have rights, duties, responsibilities, obligations and commitments to each other. These are set out in the Constitution.
  2. The Bill of Rights is considered to be the heart of Constitution 20XX, following from the tradition established by the Kingdom of Fiji Constitutions, the 1970 Constitution, the 1990 Constitution and the 1997 Constitution.
  3. All other constitutional provisions must be in compliance with the Bill of Rights, including governance, representation in parliament, presidential elections, administration, accountability of the State, role of the judiciary, economic and social development, and delivery of all services by the State and its institutions.
  4. The Bill of Rights has been expanded to include economic social and cultural development and social justice, right to environment, governance and administration of the State, and accountability of public offices.
  5. Constitution 20XX emphasises consensus-building governance, and less autocratic or authoritarian rule.
  6. The public accountability mechanisms present in the 1997 Constitution have been strengthened in Constitution 20XX. Two new accountability institutions are added- (i) a Constitutional Court and (ii) a Charities Commission.
  7. The Human Rights Commission will have 7 members with a full time Chairperson and Proceedings Commissioner. Five of the members of the HRC will be responsible for specific mandates- Children, Development and Social Justice, People with Disabilities, Race Relations and Conciliation, and Gender Equality. The positions of Ombudsman and Chairperson of the HRC have been separated. The constitutional oversight of the Commission has been strengthened in Constitution 20XX.
  8. More checks and balances are proposed across all the arms of the State- the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Separation of powers between the different arms of the State is exemplified in the strict requirements for an independent judiciary. The judicial oath in Constitution 20XX includes an express clause on the UN Basic Principles on Independence of the Judiciary.
  1. A new Constitutional Court is proposed which will have original jurisdiction in matters of interpretation of the Constitution. Its decision shall be final. Anyone can make an application directly to the Constitutional Court.
  2. Parliament cannot pass a law that is inconsistent with the Constitution.
  3. Councils of Influence are proposed- consisting of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga and Councils of Elders to be formed by each community for the purposes of assisting the President and Parliament to understand the issues facing each community. A joint Conference of Councils of Influence is to be held for the purposes of discussing national issues. The Joint Conference will be convened by the President annually.
  4. The President is either appointed by parliamentary consensus or, if there is no consensus, he or she is elected by an electoral college consisting of both Houses of Parliament convened together for that purpose. Nominations for the position of President are to be made according to a strict procedure set down in Constitution 20XX to be followed by Parliament.
  5. The Constituent Assembly will decide the appropriate voting mechanism to be employed in elections. In complex societies such as Fiji, Centrapetalist Consociationalism is reported to be most effective technical method for delivering representative democracy because it allows for active participation in governance by both majority and minority groups. However, the method is to be determined by the Constituent Assembly after technical presentations have been made to the members on the different models, and their results and outcomes in real situations explained, so that an informed decision can be made on the best voting method for Fiji. The kind of voting method to be used in Fiji should be a democratic decision.
  6. In Constitution 20XX, the primary constitutional duty and responsibility of the President is to protect and up-hold the Constitution by all legitimate means available to him or her. He or she is the Commander-in-Chief of the military forces and Chief Authority of the Police and Prisons Departments.
  7. The role of the RFMF is to protect the President in his or her role as protector and defender of the Constitution, to protect the Houses of Parliament, and to ensure the Constitution remains in place.
  8. It is also the role of the RFMF to devise a scheme of National Service to be part of the formal educational curriculum.
  9. The RFMF shall continue to support international peacekeeping but its role would strictly be to monitor and respond to human rights crises in other countries.
  10. Decree No 57 of 2012 is added to the Preamble of Constitution 20XX in recognition of its position as a non-negotiable principle; however, the fact that reparation is necessary is added to that preambular clause.
  1. All Acts, Promulgations and Decrees are to be made consistent with the Constitution and parliament shall decide which of them should be enacted as law after the due process in passage of legislation has been followed.
  2. Repeals of legislation, including any clauses of the 1997 Constitution, will be decided by the Constituent Assembly.                                                                                   Click the following link for full submission:Subs to Const Commission Oct 10th 2012

The Magnificent Seven

15 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in Grey Power Editor

≈ 1 Comment

Simply MAGNIFICENT is the only way to describe the way our team played in the final of the Gold Coast Sevens.. Every one of them made us proud.

As for New Zealand, they should hang their head in shame for the deliberate and vindictive eye gouging done by their player Tomasi Cama. The whole incident was caught on camera, and whilst no action was taken by either the referee or the linesman at the time, it is to be hoped that the IRB will review the footage and hand down a fully appropriate penalty in the form of a 12 game suspension.

The cost of Corruption and lack of Freedom

14 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by in Articles & Reports

≈ 5 Comments

Corruption, lack of freedom and dictators’ atrocities bring more misery than full-scale wars

I was recently struck by some photos and reports I saw on the al-Arabiya network, the most respected news outlet in the Middle East. There was a starving child in Yemen, a burnt-out ancient souk in Aleppo, Syria, car bombs in Iraq and destroyed buildings in Libya.

What links all these images is that the destruction and the atrocities were not perpetrated by an outside enemy. The starvation, the killings and the destruction in these Arab countries were carried out by the same hands that are supposed to protect and build the unity of these countries and safeguard their people. Who, therefore, is the real enemy of the Arab world?

Many Arabs would say it is Israel — their sworn enemy, an enemy whose existence they have never recognised. From 1948 to today there have been three full-scale wars and many confrontations. But what was the real cost of these wars to the Arab world and its people? The harder question that no Arab wants to ask is: what was the real cost of not recognising Israel in 1948 and why didn’t the Arab states spend their assets on education, healthcare and infrastructure instead of wars? But the very hardest question of all is whether Israel is the real enemy of the Arab world and the Arab people.

Hundreds of billions of dollars were wasted and tens of thousands of innocent lives lost fighting Israel. The Arab world, though, has many enemies and Israel should have been at the bottom of the list. The real enemies of the Arab world are corruption, lack of good education, lack of good healthcare, lack of freedom, lack of respect for human lives and, finally, the many dictators who used the Arab-Israeli conflict to suppress their own people. These dictators’ atrocities against their own citizens are far worse than all the full-scale Arab-Israeli wars.

In the past, we have talked about Israeli soldiers attacking and mistreating Palestinians. We have seen Israeli planes and tanks attack Arab countries. But these attacks in no way match the current atrocities being committed by some Arab states against their own people.

In Syria, the atrocities are beyond imagination. Aren’t the Iraqis the ones who are destroying their own country? Why would Iraqi brains leave Iraq in a country that makes $110 billion from oil exports? Wasn’t it Tunisia’s dictator who was able to steal $13 billion from the poor of his country? How can children starve in Yemen if their land is the most fertile in the world? Why have the Lebanese failed to govern one of the tiniest countries on the planet?

On May 14, 1948, the state of Israel was declared. On May 15, the Arabs declared war on Israel to win back Palestine. The war lasted for nearly ten months. The Arabs lost and now call it Nakbah(catastrophic war). The Arabs gained nothing and thousands of Palestinians became refugees.

In 1967 the Arabs went to war with Israel again and lost more Palestinian land, creating more refugees who now live at the mercy of the countries that host them. The Arabs called this war Naksah(setback).

The Arabs have never admitted defeat in either war. And now, with the Arab Spring, the Arab world has no time for the Palestinian refugees or the Palestinian cause because many Arabs have become refugees themselves and are under constant attacks from their own forces. Syrians are leaving their own country not because of Israeli planes dropping bombs on them but the Syrian Air Force doing so.

If many of the Arab states are in such disarray, we should contrast them with Israel. It now has the most advanced research facilities, top universities and infrastructure. Many Arabs don’t know that the life expectancy of Palestinians living in Israel is far greater than in many Arab states and they enjoy far greater political and social freedom than many of their Arab brothers. Even the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip enjoy more political and social rights than in some parts of the Arab world.

The Arab Spring showed the world that the Palestinians are happier and living better than their Arab brothers who fought to liberate them from the Israelis. It is time to stop the hatred and wars and create better living conditions for future Arab generations.

Abdulateef al-Mulhim is a former commodore of the Saudi Navy. This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in Arab News