To Sir With Love….

In support of the striking nurses and other civil servants of Fiji who will go on strike from tomorrow, we reprint below the article that was posted on the Fijian Teachers Assosciation blogspot.

FIJIAN TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE

BETWEEN FIJI’S INTERIM REGIME AND THE FIJIAN TEACHERS

ASSOCIATION

[TOGETHER WITH THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES UNION AND

THE VITI NATIONAL UNION OF TAUKEI WORKERS]

[JULY 2007]

Following the military take over of Fiji’s democratically elected government on the 5^th of December, 2006, the Interim Regime made drastic changes which affected the salaries and wages together with the conditions of service of civil servants in Fiji. Some of these are outlined below which the Fijian Teachers Association [FTA] and other public sector unions protested against strongly.

During the Interim Regime’s [IR] revised budget in March 2007, the following announcements affecting the civil servants were made;

[1] That the salaries and wages of all permanent and temporary staff in Fiji’s civil service would be reduced by 5% in March 2007.

[2] That the compulsory retirement age for all government workers would be reduced from 60 to 55 immediately.

[3] And That the Partnership Agreement signed between the elected government of 2006 and the public sector unions would be shelved.

The FTA and the rest of the public sector unions had voiced their protest against the IR’s unilateral decision and had followed the proper industrial disputes mechanism under the Fiji laws to raise their concerns with the IR.

In April 2007, FTA conducted its secret ballot with its membership and 78% of those who cast their votes for industrial action, voted in favour.

In May, 2007 the annual conference of the FTA held in Suva, unanimously endorsed the results of the strike mandate, to proceed with the strike should negotiations and consultations with the IR fail to reach an amicable solution.

Between the months of May and July, the officials of FTA and sister unions in the public sector continued to attend consultative talks with the IR ministers convened by the IR’s Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations.

Since the talks were not making much headway, FTA together with the above sister unions in the public sector filed for industrial action on the 5^th of July, 2007 with the Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations.

Talks continued during the months of July, but again there was not much progress made.

FTA’s positions on the above issues are that;

1. The 5% pay cut for teachers and civil servants is restored immediately or by December 31^st 2007.

There should be no more reduction of civil servants’ pay in Fiji during the rule of the IR.

1. The compulsory retirement age should be restored at 60 and not lowered to 55 as

directed by the IR.

1. The Partnership Agreement, which includes issues like the Job Evaluation Implementation, the Performance Management System, and the In- service Training Allocation for civil servants must be retained and implemented from 2008.

The issues are clear and specific, which for the last few months had been constantly discussed by the parties at the discussion table. Cabinet has not made a decision as such, although the IR Minister for Finance had broke a deal with the Fiji Teachers Union [FTU] and the Fiji Public Service Association [FPSA] to settle at 1% pay restoration by December, 2007, and to defer the rest of the issues to a later date.

There are six unions that serve Fiji’s civil service, and two have broken the above deal while the rest of the unions are still to come to a settlement, these are the;

1. Fijian Teachers Association [4,200 members]
2. Public Employees Union [6,000 members]
3. Fiji Nursing Association [3,000 members]
4. Viti National Union of Taukei Workers [1,500 members]

FTU and FPSA hold about 4,100 and 4,000 members respectively.

FTA, in its preparation for a nation wide strike on 2/08/07 failing any settlement, wishes to appeal to the Education International and affiliates of EI particularly in Australia and New Zealand and elsewhere for solidarity support and assistance during our time of standing up for the rights of teachers in Fiji.

At the 5^th Congress of EI in July 2007, in Berlin, Germany, FTA President, Mr. Koroi had also voiced FTA’s plea for solidarity support for the teachers’ industrial action in Fiji.

Fiji has had four coup de ‘tat since 1987, and the salaries of civil servants had been deducted three times.

We the civil servants in Fiji have had enough of coups, and enough salary cuts. No more salary cuts! No more coups! We deserve a better system of running the affairs of this nation, and we plead for the support of workers in education world wide for messages and assistance for support for your brother and sisters in Fiji.

Yours in unionism,

Tevita Koroi

President,

Fijian Teachers Association,

Fiji Islands.

Much has been said by the public in the media over the past couple of weeks about the stance taken by various unions to proceed with strike action. While some of it has been positive the majority of letters to the editor have labeled the unionists as selfish and inconsiderate. What is needed is to exercise empathy and put yourself in the shoes of those civil servants who have taken this decision; it must be emphasised that it is not one to be taken lightly. They have chosen to forfeit their pay for as long as they are on strike in defence of their livelihoods and salaries which were arbitrarilly slashed through no fault of their own.

 I had previously mentioned this in an earlier post “Some Zebras Are Striped, Some Are Yellow..So Don’t Paint All Of Them With The Same Brush.” At the end of the day they are fed up with having to bear the brunt of the coup every time it happens. This strike is as much about standing up for your rights as it is theirs, if you believe that this Junta is just going to roll over while you silently curse them think again. The only way that it will register with the IG that the public disapproves of their illegal takeover, and subsequent mismanagement of the economy and national affairs, is if you the people stand within the ambit of the law and protest through all legal means at your disposal. 

To Kuini Lutua,  Tevita Koroi, Taniela Tabu and all other union leaders and members: Go for it mate, it’s about time people started standing up for their rights. In solidarity….

Don’t Hold Your Breath Uncle Sam….

The Interim Regime is making life difficult for the Superpower that is constructing their new embassy complex in Tamavua. The duty exemption that they were given by the ousted SDL Government has been completely disregarded and scrapped by the Fiji’s Military backed Regime. To make life even more difficult for the Yanks the Army is conducting additional container inspections on top of those by FIRCA to ensure that they really get under their skin.

And Leweni and co still believe that they will be able to be part of US led military operations in Iraq. Read the following story that appeared on Fiji One’s Sunday evening bulletin.

One National News

Fiji soldiers may serve in US led coalition in Iraq29 Jul 2007 20:23:50 There is a strong possibility Fiji soldiers will serve in Iraq under the U-S led coalition.  Currently Fiji soldiers are serving under the United Nations at various locations in Iraq, including Basra and Irbil.  Military Spokesperson Major Neumi Leweni says the U-S government had put in a separate request which they are still considering.

Sorry Maestro but that invitation was extended well before your lot decided to embark the nation on this Mad Hatter’s Political Trip into Wonderland. This was around about the time that the US were looking at setting up a regional defence centre in Nadi. But the US Government dropped those plans straight after the December Fifth Coup last year when they suspended all military assistance; as well as placing travel bans on Military and Interim Regime personnel and those affiliated with them.

To Leweni and all you military wannabee Diplomats, the first rule of diplomacy is if you want assistance from another country don’t bite the hand that feeds you……. YA !@#$*?+ IDIOT.

Stick to the Picture Menu at McDonalds, blerry ulukau, you can use your conductor’s baton to point at which burger you want…I think you’ll  have the Happy Meal it’s more in line with your mental age!!

In Your Face Frank!!!

The Illegally appointed Prime Minister’s dig at the General Secretary of the Fiji Nurses Assosciation drew this comment from a member of the public in today’s Fiji Times Letters to the Editor. See below

Sarcastic remark

AT his sarcastic best, the interim Prime Minister commented to the media about how surprised he was to find out that Fiji Nursing Association general secretary Kuini Lutua is not a nurse.

I wonder how surprised he was when he heard that:

the new Police Commissioner is not a policeman;

the new Commissioner of Prisons is not a prisons officer;

the Director of Immigration is not from within the department;

the interim Prime Minister himself was never an elected politician.

It is how best one serves the people one represents which counts, not ones job title.

Chris Bulatiko
Samabula

Vinaka Chris for your timely comments and pointing out to Frank what the rest of the country has picked up….namely that he is talking out of his rear end whenever he speaks in Public or to the Press. Frank you move to the back corner of the class until you learn to control your mouth.

Chris come to the front of the class and pick up your gold star….as a matter of fact we’ll move you up a year. Right now Fiji needs more people like you who can tell it like it is and call a spade a spade. We don’t need anymore of these verbal goosestepping, morally moonwalking, illegally appointed,incompetent ignoramuses.

I put Bainimahendra, Mandrake, Dreadlock Holiday and Fiji’s Own Rex Hunt Poseci Bune at the top of this list with regards to the debacle surrounding the Nurses strike.

What we want is nothing more and nothing less than the truth…Can you handle that? Fuuuuggedaaaboooooutit!!!!!!

$40,000,000.00 And Counting….I Vei Nai Lavo Boy???!!!

For those concerned citizens who may be wondering where the money needed for repairing the roads, water system and Civil cervants pay is being used, read the following article on Intelligentsiya. Counting The Cost Of The Coup

Now you will begin to get a picture of how far this Illegal Government has led us down the Swanee. But that is to be expected from a Military that consistently blows it’s budget prior to December 2006. Yet they have the audacity to claim a mandate to clean up Government on the pretext of good governance when they can’t even balance their books and suffer an internal payscam that’s been swindling soldiers’ FNPF money for years.

Don’t expect any investigations into Infernal Army Financial Affairs anytime soon. The New Police Commissioner was directly aware of the Uniform racket that took place in the FMF. No tenders called and he illegally superceded amount that he is eligible under Government Regulations to authorise. The amount extended over quite a few hundred thousand dollars. Another reason the FMF did not want the Auditor General to look at their books.

Then again what do you expect from an Illegally Appointed Regime?

This Watchdog’s Bark is Worse Than His Bite

The recent comments in today’s Fiji Times by Military appointed Director of Immigration, Viliame Naupotu, warranted a severe response. For the full article please click on the following link. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=66968

He stated that soldiers should be accomodated in the nation building process instead of being unleashed like watchdogs if the coup culture was to be reversed. While also making reference to the perceived benefits of the training that Officers received at some of the best institutions in the world, he pointed to the performance of numerous Military Officers in civilian positions.

Brushing aside any suggestion that the current practice of militarisation of key government positions as semantics, he hinted at what could happen with this parting shot. “Military people are useful and it is my answer to killing the coup culture. If you keep using the military as a watchdog the chain might break and bite people.”

It is without question that some of our Military Officers have received training at Military Academies such as Sandhurst and a host of  other institutions of the same standing. It is also a recognised fact that some of these Officers performed exceptionally well while training overseas. However at the end of the day none of this can be used to excuse the blatant nepotism of military officers taking up top civil service positions. Especially if it is riding on the crest of the illegal overthrow of a democratically elected government.

There are four reasons for this current practice being inexcusable. The first has been alluded to above, namely these officers would not even be considered if they hadn’t added another debilitating coup to Fiji’s history. At the end of the day all of the coups we have had to painfully endure have had one common factor, a military force that assumes it knows best what type of government the country needs.

The second reason is the training that Naupotu refers to is limited at best when applied to Civilian matters. With all due respect to the qualifications attained by Naivalurua and others, how that training can be applied to running a commerical entity has yet to be proved. As for the bandmaster being posted to the Ministry of Agriculture, that stint saw him as being nothing more than a watchdog for Jainendra Kumar. It’s anyones guess what role the bandmaster extraordinaire will play in China, perhaps he’ll liaise with the Chinese Military Marching Band and teach them how to play Julu Jululu……

Thirdly these military appointments have come at the expense and sacrifice of the careers of highly qualified and capable civil servants. The debate over whether Teleni is ill suited to handle the responibilities of the Fiji Police Commissioner’s duties is a foregone conclusion.  Andrew Hughes much vaunted efforts over the last three years at bringing in a sense of pride and decorum in the Fiji Police Force has been brought to waste.

All the training undergone by Foreign Affairs staff in learning Chinese will come to nought as they have now been relegated to practicing their Chinese while ordering food at Capitol Palace in Suva. Leweni meawhile will still be sitting in Beijing trying to decide what to eat off the menu, unfortunately it’ll be a case of “AAAH…..AAAH…..AAAHH……forget it …….AAAh…….we go McDonalds…….AAH they got pictures on the menu.”

Lastly whatever training the Military Officers may have undergone, executing a coup in support of an illegally appointed regime is unethical and anathemic to the esprit de corps and Christian values they should be upholding. This junta is responsible for the deaths of three innocent civilians and countless civil liberties infractions through torture, detainment, travelbans, suspensions and terminations.

If these Officers had any sense of honour and fidelity to the country and flag they claim to represent they would’ve resigned their commission, or overthrown their lunatic of  Commander before embarking on this sorry mess the country is now embroiled in.

Walking On The Moon Again Boy??

Once again the cart has bolted before the horse, on Graham Leung’s travel ban Frank has had to backtrack like Michael Jackson’s moonwalk. This was after he said that the only way for Graham to travel overseas was for him to stowaway.

INTERIM Prime Minister Commander Voreqe Bainimarama says lawyer Graham Leung could ”go to court if he wanted or he could stowaway…but he is not going anywhere”, according to a news report on Legend FM this morning.

The latest Fiji Times update reports the following:

PROMINENT Suva lawyer Graham Leung is now free to travel after the ban placed on him was lifted, according to his lawyer Jon Apted.

However, Mr Apted says this will not stop Mr Leung from pursuing his application for a judicial review of the matter, which is currently before Justice Jitendra Singh.

This latest public reversal has confirmed once again that the embittered Illegal Prime Minister, who suffers from a chroinic case of footinmouth disease, has now contracted  the fatal viral condition of poteaitis. What is even more ironic was the hot potatoe juggling act that took place between Frank’s boy Parmesh and Orders From Up High Naupotu.

Neither of them wanted to take the fall for this fiasco so they got into a circus act that was more juggling monkeys than anything else.

What a bleeding joke when you get a man who acts like Arnold Scwharzenegger within ten foot of a mike, but when the proverbial !@#$* hits the fan a la 2000 Mutiny, or he has to explain why the travel ban has been lifted it’s Moce Jo….Tamata ulukau sa dro!!!!

Oh well I’ll take these small victories and blessings against the Junta  any which way they come. Thank you to people like Graham Leung, Shameema Ali and everyone else who has taken a stand for saying it like it is. God Bless.

Are We There Yet??

As so many citizens are now realising, this Illegal Government is going nowhere and getting there pretty fast. The rash of military appointments to civil service positions may be a blatant display of nepotism, but look at it from another point. The reason the IG can’t get decent, qualified, law abiding citizens to take up positions is the travel bans from our neighbours and aid donors are having the intended effect.

The calibre of people that are taking up executive posts, case in point the Post Fiji chairwoman debacle, speak for themselves. Just like the current crop of Ministers who couldn’t get elected last year, these people couldn’t get a job even if they doctored up their CV’s with fake degrees from Harvard.

Just as a matter asides you want to have a laugh at imaginative CV’s take a look at Frank’s biography on the Wikepedia website link posted below. You will see the attempt to pass off attending overseas military conferences as the equivalent of obtaining a formal qualification. It is anyone’s guess as to what manner of gaffes he made while delivering research papers on defence. See the section on Pre 2000 Coup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Bainimarama

A good friend of mine who worked at the UNHQ in New York recounted the incident of Frank’s best forgotten interview for a senior UN peacekeeping position. This all took place around the time the SDL government tried to ship him off overseas. Unfortunately for us his complete ignorance of military matters prevented him from getting the job. He couldn’t differentiate between the roles of Officers in battle and how many men they oversaw, while his doctored up CV saw him commanding a battle cruiser and an aircraft carrier that Fiji does not have. The Foreign Military Officers in the UN Department of Peace Keeping Operations had a hard time stopping themselves from laughing when they saw the Walter Mitty penned CV.

So what exactly is the point of this post you may ask? Lately people have been getting more frustrated and indignant with the latest going ons in Government circles. Well that’s a good thing because people need to get worked up to do something about what is happening. The only people that are going to rid themselves of this Illegal Interim Regime are you the people yourselves.

We need to combat this monstrosity on all legal fronts, if you thought the strikes aren’t worrying these people think again. I say to all civil servants to stand up and be counted it’s your livelihood and the day to day survival of your family at stake. If you’re a lawyer you better get up, stand up…stand up for our rights. Whatever race you are you need to rid yourself of the self perpetuating myth that you’re a victim and that the Government gave you a raw deal.  

The only legal and just recourse you have for settling scores with Government is thorugh the ballot box. Much has been said by the Illegal Junta and previous elected governments of democracy being a foreign flower that is ill suited to Fiji soil. While this may be true to a minor extent the fascist alternatives are much more terrifying and destructive, proof of this IG being a fascist regime in everything but name can be seen in the human rights abuses, travel bans and FICAC raids.

Totalitarian Governments around the world leave innumerable victims in their wake, but the first tragic victim is our innocence as we delude ourselves into thinking that things will get better if I keep my head down, I’ll be okay as long as I just do my job. Perhaps a better person to speak on this would be those people like Daniel Fatiaki, Olota Rokovunisei, all the Government CEO’s, Save and Tevita Banuve and countless others who have been suspended or terminated for no other reason than doing their job. 

Ask the pro democracy activists who were taken into custody on Christmas Day last year and the many people since then who have been subjected to torture and abuse at QEB, they were fortunate to live to tell the tale. Tragically the families of Verebasga, Rabaka and Malasebe are still waiting to hear the truth of what happened to them from a stalling DPP and Police Force.

Yet we hear of the manpower dedicated to catching the culprit who stole a laptop and mobile phone from Government Buildings as if it’s a top national priority. An already paranoid Frank realised that even with his beloved bodyguard detail security could still be breached, the coded message of an empty Sprite bottle and knife marks carved into his desk were enough to send him into conniptions. 

Ironically Frank’s veiled threats that Fijians would end up fighting each other if the Government was not overthrown is a very likely reality. Nature abhorrs a vacuum, whatever will take the place of those forcibly discarded traditional institutions  is dependant on  the choices Fijians make. I alluded to this in writing a post two months ago under the pseudonym Mick Dundee on Hyde N Ceek. The link to the post is provided below

http://hydenceek.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/will-we-survive-hurricane-bai/

To all traditional chiefs, the GCC needs to be firm in it’s resolve in making a stand to abide by the constitution and refuse to endorse this Illegal Government. Your very existence is at stake, the stance you take now will reflect on future generations of Fijian youth. The only legacy that this coup has left for young Fijians is that the manner in which you question authority is of no regard and damn the consequences.

If you are a soldier you cannot remain ignorant of the fact that you are being used to persecute your own bretheren and countrymen. I know after talking to many of you in confidence that you do not agree with how things are just getting out of hand. The underlying dissension amongst the officer corps and resentment is rife and there is an air of mistrust as people are afraid to speak out for fear of being victimised. Many of you lament the stained reputation for which you have now become infamous, a sharp contrast to the once proud traditon and legacy you enjoyed in the eyes of this country and the world at large.

I understand that it cuts to the bone for many of you to see incompetent and lesser qualified people rise to higher positions simply for saying yes to every idiotic thing that comes out of Frank’s month. To the command of the Fiji Military Forces remember loyalty that has been bought can be easily sold to the next highest bidder. At the end of the day the Army is a Fijian Institution and the way in which they are trodding roughshod over their traditional heritage is something that will only come back to bite them in the future.

For Bainimarama to remove Senior Military Officers who pledge their loyalty to the Flag and not to the incumbent Commander is one thing. For him to end the careers of a large majority of a once proud Officer Corps for the sake of the tiniest perceived infraction is another.

To those members of the armed forces keep this in mind, you serve a Commanding Officer who has shown his true colours on more than one occassion. When it comes to the crunch are you going to stand behind a man who can’t even stand up for what he believes in? Ask yourself this question: after all the misconceived intimidation tactics you used by attending the readings of the Qoliqoli Bill and RTU Bill in parliament, and campaigning against them within your own villages what purpose has it served? The SDL was voted into power by securing the majority of Fijian votes with CAMV. 

A good friend of mine said to me earlier this year that in the history of coups this one will go down as one of the worst planned operations ever for two reasons.  The first was you cannot have a coup and still claim to follow the constitution, a fact the Army is only waking up to seven months down the track. The other reason is they did not possess the full confidence of the Army Officer Corps, due to the illegality of their proposed action, as well as having no clear idea what they would do after they removed the SDL Government.  This came from no less than an Officer in the Fiji Military Forces… a force that is united 100 percent? Fuggedaboutit..

The telltale signs of this Regime beginning to buckle at the knees are there as they are constantly coming up against one brick wall after another, from the refusal of overseas aid and travel bans, a shrinking economy as the IG’s fiscal policies are coming to nought, the reluctancy of people to take up appointments in various bodies, to a growing public discontent through legal channels and critical media, the exposure of their cover ups and outright lies through blogs, not forgetting a cabinet ministry that can’t tell who’s leading and who’s following.

It takes an enormous amount of energy and subterfuge to sustain a conspiracy, and when one person turns the whole structure collapses like a house of cards. The one thing that is needed from you to accelerate this inevitable outcome is choose where you stand today. Granted there are no monetary gains to be made, nor any perceived rewards and public accolades for choosing to stand up for your rights. There is however the likelihood of persecution, public derision and vilification at the hands of this Illegal Government……..

…..but then for all who have chosen to do so it was never about any of those things, it was simply a matter of choosing between what is right and what is wrong, it’s the choice of living in light or in darkness.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day who you will serve…..But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 23: verse 1 -5.

The Government you get is the government you deserve. You deserve better than these pretenders!!!

Some Zebras Are Striped, Some Are Yellow..So Don’t Paint All Of Them With The Same Brush

It goes without saying that the majority of people in this country are feeling the ill effects of the coup where it hurts most, in their wallets. Things haven’t gotten better as the IG, Illegal Government promised. While it may be easy to vent our frustration at easy targets and lambast the Unions for contemplating strike action making a bad situation worse, I think we should stop and take a look at things.

While the civil service undoubtedly needs to undergo serious changes in the way it operates and reduce the burden on the taxpayers’ pocket it has to be done fairly. It’s all to easy to paint all civil servants as being lazy and seeking a quick buck whenever they can, but at the end of the day theirs is often a thankless job. Damned if you do something good, damned if you don’t by adhering to civil service regulations and adding to the red tape.

Let’s hear what the Head of the Fiji Nurses Assosciation Kuini Lutua had to say and it might change your persepective towards them:

“We need moral and spiritual support from the public because Fiji needs nurses. We respect those who will not strike because of their faith but we believe in fighting for the same cause to benefit medical orderlies and nurses. Medical orderlies look after patients in Saint Giles and some of them are retiring on $9000 after 35 years of working so all we are asking the interim regime is to be fair. We are not here to be whipped every time there is a coup. Business communities, private sectors and churches should assist in partnerships with government to furnish and equip health centres and homes for the aged.” Today’s Fiji Times

Well good job Kuini for pointing out what is a black and white issue for all the civil servants. At the end of the day a large number of civil servants from Ministries across the board face the same predicament. They shouldn’t be penalised unjustly for something they didn’t do.It’s as clear as day that they are taking a moral stand, everyone should be supporting them because they are doing what most people want to do…. that is standing up and making your voice heard by the Illegal Government.

I take my hat off to her for showing her true colours as for those other lilly livered, yellow Trade Union Leaders . Anthony, Deo Singh, Nirbay Singh and Rajeshwar this women showed more cojones than all of you put together… cabrones. 

Time for you union peoples to vote the dead wood out!!

The Reason Why I Came Here is….I Am The New King of Scotland So.. Briiing miii maa Chiikuun…

As reported in other blogs and on the Fiji One News yesterday Frank’s one on one interview showed him in top form. It reminded me somewhat of a particular scene in the bio pic based on Idi Amin ‘The Last King of Scotland.’ 

The scene in the film  shows Idi Amin being interviewed by expatriate reporters and they ask him about alleged rumours of Amin’s penchant for cannibalism. It has been reported at the height of his barbarity he feasted on the bodies of murdered political opponents and anyone who may have sleighted him. When questioned about this habit he had this to say in an attempt at humour that came off all wrong:

Reporter: Is it true that you eat the bodies of your enemies?

Idi Amin in his baritone voice: Only if ma enumi is aaa chikaan.

While Frank is not a cannibal his statement that the deaths of innocent civilians while in custody, is one of his Illegal Government’s main concerns was an insult of the highest order to the Verbesaga, Rabaka and Malasebe families; as well as all  law abiding Citizens of this country.

If it is such a concern then why haven’t we seen anyone charged with the murders. I will continue to keep harping on this issue, to borrow a phrase from the nutcase, until the cows come home. For the full interview click on the link below. For those of you with a slow internet connection a transcript of the second half of the interivew is provided:

http://tvnz.co.nz//view/page/1222163

Reprter: Can you undertand why New Zealanders would be concerned about coming here when they hear reports about beatings and people dying in custody?

Bainimarama: Everyone is concerned about that, we don’t like that. We don’t endorse brutality, anyone who has done that is taken into questioning and will be taken to task. We don’t want to be seen as abusing the authority we have.

Reporter: But clearly that has happened. Three men have died in custody.

Bainimarama: But as I’ve said we don’t endorse that and these people will be taken to task.

Reporter: Though no one’s been taken to task over these deaths earlier this year.

Bainimarama: Do you know the circumstances surrounding that? Well they were part of the group that went against the military. Are you going to go against the military?… So you’re safe.

Reporter: So people here have a sense that they know a gun could be be held against their head.

Bainimarama: Well it depends on who you are talking about. You don’t need any threat from the RFMF and the rest of your crew and tourists and people that come in and invest. People who walk down the streets they have nothing to worry about.

Reporter: But people who oppose you?

Bainimarama: If you tell me that there’s been a bashing done in the street, then I’ll probably believe you. But I’ll have to send my people to go and see and check if it’s true.

Bainimarama: We have the best intentions for this country. We’re not here for ourselves. I’m not here for power.

Reporter: So if you can’t do this. If you can’t manage to get your country out of this mess will you step down?

Bainimarama: If I can’t get my country out of this mess will I step down?

Bainimarama: No…..The reason why I came here is to get my country out of this.

Well there you have it folks direct from the opposite end of the horse’s mouth. The self evident stupidity and hypocrisy speak volumes such that there is no further need to delve any deeper.

Last time I looked though no one asked him to bloody step in and if I recall correctly he caused the whole bleeding mess by trying to avoid impending charges of treason, sedition and murder. If he truly believes the Army is not in it for power then the rash of Military Appointents to the higher echelons of the Civil Service say otherwise.

The next time he pulls his Idi Amin impersonation on TV someone should stuff a chicken in his mouth. Whatever comes out after would make as much sense as the above interview.

Fee Fi Fo Fum, Pacific Islands Forum, Here I Come!!

Today’s Fiji Times reported on Bainimahendra’s intention to personally REPRESENT his Illegal Interim Regime at the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Meeting to be held in Tonga in October. Click on the link below to read the entire article.

Prime Minister to Attend Forum.

I wonder whether Frank will pull his shrinking violet act again. There have been numerous occassions where he has shirked the opportunity to explain his position on the regional and international stage. Case in point the Forum Meeting in Vanuatu earlier this year, the American Congressmen next week click on link for full story and their counterparts from the US Senate a few months back. While it is one thing to get away with making stupid statements within the confines of Fiji’s borders, I honestly believe that he will freeze like a deer in the headlights when presenting his case in Tonga.

Even as recently as last week the FRU was to make a submission to the Interim Regime requesting additional funds for the Rugby World Cup. The meeting was agreed upon by Frank and the FRU Board and all set to take place. The FRU party consisted of the Chairman Keni Dakuidreketi, CEO Rt. Timoci Tavanavanua, Pio Bosco and Mosese Nailumu. A short time before the party was ready to present their paper to Frank they received a telephone call from his secretary. She informed them that the FRU can present their submission but Keni Dakuidreketi is not to be present. It’s another case of Frank being unable to front up face to face, to people he’s unceremoniously dumped from certain positions.

While in Tonga it will be interesting to see whether he pulls out his favourite,  but now overused, phrase “We can argue about democracy and elections until the cows come home.”  If I were Epeli Nailitikau I would be doing everything possible to see that Frank does not come within ten feet of a microphone. He might get carried away and deliver another trademark rabble rousing speech best left for the passing out of cadets.

Nailatikau: Hey Voreqe why don’t you get Aiyaz or Me to speak on your behalf?

Voreqe: Kua ni leqa taka, au sa vakavarau makawa na noqu speech… Rogoca mada “When the cows come home from India and China….

Nailitikau muttering under his breath: Bai Karaik and they call me Naiulukau……

Voreqe: …… then and only then,  yeah that’s right Helen baby, only then we will have fresh elections!!”

Chaudhry thinking to himself: Aareh wa… I should’ve just kept my mouth shut before getting involved with these nutcases. No more Australian, US, EU or NZ visas… I wonder what it’s like this time of year in Mumbai??… Yeah Mumbai Bollywood… I could handle that I could….Direct from Bollywood!!Mandrake live and unleashed!!…. Lovely Jubbly!!

Voreqe: Hey Mahen, you seem lost there Tamana. What you thinking? You want to take off somewhere? Hahaha. What you think of my speech? Too good nai?

Chaudhry: Io Boso, tops man, top speech. You gonna knock them speechless, what say Aiyaz… whispering asides ‘Agree quickly before we find ourselves on a slow boat to China boy’

Aiyaz: Yes, absolutely Sir, most impressive speech, couldn’t have said it any better. It will go down in history as one of the most memorable oratory expositions alongside Martin Luther King’s ‘I had a dream..’ and JFK’s ‘Ask not what you can do for your country…’

Voreqe: Ia Ia….Watch out Forum… Fee Fi Fo Fum Tailevu no leqa here I come!!  

Yeah watch out Forum ka dina, the smart money says if he really does go he’s going to leave the talking to someone else. Or he may just give the whole thing a miss as he’ll be too paranoid to leave the country for fear of being removed as Commander/PM.