Fiji’s Press Freedom Day: self-censorship continues

Professor Wadan Narsey
7 May 2014

As part of the World Press Freedom Day celebrations, the USP School of Journalism (headed by Pat Craddock) held a Panel Discussion at USP on Friday 2 May 2014, to discuss the topic “Media Freedom and the Fiji General Election”.

This certainly was progress of sorts in Fiji, in the run-up to the elections planned for September. But who would have thought that the media reports on the panel discussion would themselves illustrate very clearly how self-censorship continues in Fiji, quite contrary to the MIDA Chairman’s guarantee of protection of the media?

Panelists included Ricardo Morris (publisher of the Republika), Seona Smiles (former Fiji Times senior reporter), Netani Rika (former editor of Fiji Times), Rachna Lal (senior journalist from Fiji Sun), and Ashwin Raj, Chairman of the Media Industry Development Authority (MIDA).

The chairperson of the panel was Stanley Simpson, former journalist and a former graduate of the USP Journalism program. Continue reading →

New waterproof surface is ‘driest ever’
By James MorganScience reporter, BBC News

US engineers have created the “most waterproof material ever” – inspired by nasturtium leaves and butterfly wings.

The new “super-hydrophobic” surface could keep clothes dry and stop aircraft engines icing over, they say.

The lotus leaf was thought to be the gold standard for staying dry in nature, but now a team from MIT in Boston say they have surpassed it.

Adding tiny ridges to a silicon surface made water bounce off it 40% faster than the previous “limit”.

Read the full story at the following link:

Air Pacific Group which is operating as Fiji Airways has reported an after tax profit of $14.5 million for the nine month period ended 31st December 2013 compared to $17.8 million from the preceding 12 month period.

The nine month performance was driven by an increase in passenger numbers by 2.5 percent with an additional revenue of 1 percent. 

Chairman Nalin Patel said 2013 was a major transition year for Fiji Airways. 

He said they rebranded to Fiji Airways and changed over from B747 aircrafts to A330 wide-body aircrafts.

Patel said this transition alone accounted for more than $14 million one-time transition expenses in the financial year of 2013.

He also revealed that their finance costs increased by $33.6 million as new aircrafts were added to the Fiji Airways fleet.

Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO Stefan Pichler said the recently approved five year master plan sets the foundation for sustainable and profitable growth between now and the end of 2017.

Pichler said they will make sure that their staff, stakeholders and customers will all benefit from the success of Fiji Airways. 

He also personally thanked every single one of their 1,009 team members as Fiji Airways looks forward to exciting times.

Wonderful news, can the Fiji Pensioners please have their pension money back now Frank ?

There are simply not enough voters in Fiji with it’s 50 seat parliament to justify the 5% threshold ruling.

It is a joke, some would say a sick joke.

An article by Prof. Wadan Narsey at the following link explains it very simply and in detail. Aspiring Independent candidates and small parties would be well advised to study it prior to formulating a campaigning plan.

http://narseyonfiji.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/g-election-issues-bulletin-7-the-open-list-electoral-system.pdf

 Extract: Look into the eyes of any child in Fiji today and ask yourself – am i doing  enough to ensure that this child will grow up in a Fiji that is stable, secure and  prosperous? A Fiji that has no more coups to deter investment? A Fiji that devotes its national budget to better schools, hospitals and other public  services and utilities over military spending? I am proud to say ladies and gentlemen that if the National Federation Party were to ask itself those questions – it can hold its head up high and say that it has done very much to ensuring a stable, secure and prosperous Fiji by  consistently opposing all military coups in this country.

Read full speech: Continue reading →

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.