The ELECTORAL DECREE 2014 (DECREE NO. 11 OF 2014) is finally out, suggesting that voting will be a nightmare for voters.

There will be one national constituency to elect 50 parliamentarians in a proportional system, based on “Open Lists” (another article on that).

Even before the Decree was issued, Bainimarama stated on his campaign trail that voters will choose from 250 candidates from five political parties (presumably with each party putting forward 50 candidates).

But the Schedule at the end of the Electoral Decree 2014 indicates the possibility of 280 candidates (presumably also allowing for 30 Independents).

The Decree expects that the voter will face one massive ballot paper, with 280 squares, with each square having a number, name of candidate and photo (the  Decree says nothing about a party symbol to go with the candidate).

The numbers, between 135 and 414,  will be randomly allocated to the candidates.

In the polling booth, the voter will have to locate his/her preferred candidate, and circle, tick or cross the one square, out of these 280 squares.

The voting nightmare

Go to the following link for full details:

http://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/bainimarama-regime-presents-fijis-electoral-nightmare-professor-wadan-narsey-30-march-2014/

Silence is not golden; it leads to rumours and conjecture.

The Attorney General (who is undoubtedly the most powerful individual in Fiji ) has chosen to draw the normal veil of secrecy over anything that goes wrong in one of his Ministry’s, and so the rumours start. 

He is the current Minister responsible for all public owned organisations that have an obligation to investigate and report on the landing in Sydney resulting in the damage and subsequent events and actions relating to the Fiji Airways Airbus A330-200 registration DQ-FJV.

The three organisations involved Fiji Airways, Civil Aviation Authority Fiji and Airports Fiji Ltd, all report to the Attorney General and are under his control. 

Now is the time for the Prime Minister to place the Civil Aviation Authority Fiji under the control of the Minister for Transport, and place Airports Fiji Ltd. and Fiji Airways under other ministers.

The Prime Minister is ultimately responsible for the total lack of transparency in this and other matters, it is because he gave so much power and responsibility to one person there are no longer any checks and balances.

Matters as serious as this Fiji Airways Airbus A330-200 incident should not be swept under the carpet.

There are obviously major shortcomings in Fiji Airways Standard Operating Procedures if this aircraft was allowed to fly after such a serious incident. What other risks do we face travelling on Fiji Airways if their Standard Operating Procedures are this inadequate?

The rumours are:

1.  A wing spar sustained damage
2.  The aircraft needs to be returned to France for repairs
3.  It may be more economical to write the aircraft off.
4. That it is costing Fiji Airways a small fortune in interest every day it is not in use
5. That the insurance underwriters may not accept liability for the millions it will cost to repair.

A Fiji Airways Airbus A330-200, registration DQ-FJV performing flight FJ-911 from Nadi (Fiji) to Sydney,NS (Australia), landed on Sydney’s runway 34L on schedule at about 12:05L (01:05Z) but touched down hard producing about +2.9G vertical acceleration. The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron.

The aircraft departed Sydney one hour behind schedule for its return flight FJ-910 and reached Nadi without further incident.

Examination in Nadi however found substantial overstress damage to the landing gear, an assessment which landing gear struts need to be replaced is still ongoing, it is not being ruled out as of Mar 25th 2014 that all gear struts need to be replaced. The aircraft is still on the ground in Nadi.

Fiji Airways Nadi Staff are to be congratulated for their diligent check of the landing gear, something Sydney technical staff failed to do it seems.

Questions are being asked if the pilots involved reported this and if so why was the aircraft allowed to take off again from Sydney, the damaged landing gear could have collapsed on the aircrafts arrival at Nadi, causing catastrophic damage and loss of life… What has the verbose Minister responsible got to say about this ???.

Also are the pilots involved being stood down until undertaking further training and competency tests.

Did the airline alert Emergency Services and have them on standby at Nadi International Airport for the aircrafts return, if not why not ?

FINALLY  ON 27TH MARCH 30 HOURS AFTER WE PRINTED THIS AND 9 DAYS AFTER THE EVENT, THE FIJI GOVERNMENT HAS PERMITTED THE FIJI PRESS TO PUBLISH SOME DETAILS OF THIS INCIDENT..THIS SERVES AS TRANSPARENCY IN FIJI. REMEMBER THIS WHEN YOU VOTE

The target of reaching 150,000 of Fiji’s un-banked population by 2014 has been achieved by the Reserve Bank of Fiji.

Speaking yesterday at the 12th AFI Pacific Islands Working Group Reserve Bank of Fiji Governor Barry Whiteside says that as of the 28th of last month the target set in 2009 was achieved.

Whiteside says this success is only a great platform from which the next phase of development will be charted for financial inclusion in Fiji.

Does anyone remember the Fiji Post office Savings Scheme ?. That was so successful the money was used to help fund the National Bank of Fiji, which was ripped off by a number of individuals who are still looking to make a quick buck today. The NBF was also described as the peoples bank, they just did not say which people.

Sergeant Saiasi Nuku VONO, The Royal Regiment of Scotland

The bravery of a Fijian NCO who went to the aid of nine colleagues caught in a fatal roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan has been recognised.

Sgt Saiasi Nuku Vono, of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 Scots) has been awarded a Queen’s Commendation for Bravery.

His citation says he had shown “inspirational leadership” following the explosion in Helmand Province.

36 year old Sgt Vono was on his way back to base after a patrol in the District of Helmand, when an improvised explosive device (IED) was triggered by a Mastiff vehicle.

The vehicle was behind Sgt Vono’s vehicle and the blast caused serious injuries to all nine of the soldiers it was carrying.

Three of them were later confirmed as having been killed in action.

The apparent absence of debate, particularly among the Taukei, is attributed by commentators to ‘a culture of silence’. Open, vigorous public discourse is not yet a feature of Taukei or Fijian society at large. It has been explained in terms of a cultural milieu in which authority and communal structures coalesce to muffle expression. While media controls and self-censorship have not helped, it is the epistemology, ways of thinking, of the Taukei that invites closer scrutiny.

‘Silence’ does not necessarily mean consent. It is the lack of oral and written expression about issues passing for acquiescence. From the colonial era to the present, Taukei took refuge in silence until the political climate improved. Social media (Facebook, Twitter, blog sites etc.) represent a contemporary variation, allowing disaffected Taukei to express opinions anonymously.  An assertive few, on opposing sides of the divide, eschew such inhibitions in that virtual world. Safe haven notwithstanding, it is outside the wider public domain. Sanctuary afforded by ‘silence’ comes at a price: uncontested interpretations of issues and events become historical truth and received wisdom.

Reluctance persists among Taukei to ventilate issues of interest openly whether the traditional system, sustaining Taukei culture, the Taukei language, qoliqoli, the protection of land or the status of indigenous people post-December 2006. It is compounded by several factors. Blood and kinship ties remain significant. Personalities matter more than issues. Opinions are an extension of the person and difficult to separate. And the ubiquity of connections renders security in numbers of larger societies meaningless. Continue reading →