Search Results for “Lynda Tabuya” – Asia Pacific Report

Fijian Teachers Association head’s threat to ‘roast’ critics in earth ovens sparks political storm

APR editor — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 03:25:21 +0000

By Kelvin Anthony of RNZ Pacific

Controversial, profanity-laden remarks made by the head of the Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) while defending Indigenous chiefs and threatening to “roast” critics in earth ovens have sparked a major political storm.

On Monday, FTA general-secretary Paula Manumanunitoga made a Facebook post weighing in on the constitutional reform debate currently dominating the country.

It comes as Fijians prepare to mark their 56th Independence Anniversary on Saturday.

Manumanunitoga specifically challenged those who he believed questioned the place and role of iTaukei chiefs in the governance of Fiji.

“Saying they do not have a place in the administration of this country, didn’t anyone tell you how and why you’re here in this country instead of your original country?,” he wrote in all capital letters in the post.

“How quickly you have forgotten how you have come to exist here in Fiji? You and your kind are here because of the decision our chiefs made to cede Fiji to Queen Victoria of Great Britain in October 1874.

“So shut the [expletive] up and mind your own business before we catch you and roast you in earth ovens !!!! You’re free to go anywhere, do whatever business you like but do not be disrespectful to belittle our chiefs or become thick-headed by whatever you’ve achieved in this country.”

Widespread criticism
His post, which is public, remains online and has attracted widespread criticism from political figures and the public.

Major political leaders have condemned Manumanunitoga’s remarks, calling them “disgraceful”, “disturbing” and “racially divisive”.

The Fijian government has remained silent on the comments with no statements made by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka or his Information Minister Lynda Tabuya, who is usually vocal against harmful and divisive digital communications.

However, Fiji’s Women and Children’s Minister Shashi Kiran has called for his resignation, to which Manumanunitoga has also hit back, saying Kiran had not released any statements when “they were swearing at our chiefs”.

Fiji’s parliamentary opposition leader Inia Seruiratu and the National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad have both called for Fiji police to investigate his statements.

Seruiratu wants police to determine whether Manumanunitoga has committed any offences under Fiji’s laws relating to threats, incitement to violence and communal antagonism.

“No individual, regardless of their position, ethnicity or standing in society, should be above the law,” he said.

Free speech ‘with responsibility’
Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa) leader Aseri Radrodro said while Manumanunitoga was entitled to his views “freedom of expression must be exercised with responsibility, maturity, and respect”.

“There comes a time when we must draw a clear line between standing up for our traditional leaders and resorting to hostility, vulgarity, and explicit threats against our fellow citizens,” Radrodro said.

He warned that such rhetoric risks creating deep ethnic divisions among Fijians.

“Our chiefs are integral to our history, identity, and the fabric of our nation, and they should not be subjected to personal attacks or contempt. However, defending our chiefs does not require threatening others or telling our fellow citizens to ‘shut up’ and leave.”

This story was first published on

Fiji’s Online Safety Act – why it poses risks for journalism

Shailendra Singh — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 22:54:42 +0000

Fiji’s Online Safety Act raises important questions for journalism, but also freedom of expression more broadly. The current review of the Act presents an opportunity to better safeguard the media’s democratic role, writes Dr Shailendra Singh.

ANALYSIS: By Shailendra Singh

In his address at last month’s Pacific Media Summit, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka highlighted his government’s repeal of Fiji’s Media Industry Development Act 2010, saying that it was in the interest of democracy.

While the Rabuka government has been rightly recognised for scrapping that Act in 2023, another piece of legislation with potential significant implications for journalism remains in force — the Online Safety Act 2018.

Like the Media Act, the Online Safety Act was enacted under the FijiFirst government and gives the state a role in regulating expression.

The Online Safety Act was tabled in Parliament in 2018 in response to escalating social media abuse, but was controversial from the outset, especially the breadth of its provisions.

The backlash was such that the entire opposition voted against it, arguing that it undermined democracy. Rights groups were similarly alarmed, describing the Act as a “Trojan horse” for censorship.

However, because much of the attention focused on the draconian Media Act, and relatively few people were being charged under the Online Safety Act, the latter escaped sustained scrutiny.

That changed in 2025, as the unabated abuse of digital platforms and a spate of charges laid under Section 24 of the Act, which criminalises the posting of electronic communication that causes harm, brought it back into the spotlight.

Expecting stronger legislation
Currently, the Act is under review and Information Minister Lynda Tabuya, under whose ministry the Act falls, has told Parliament to expect stronger legislation by the end of this year.

To some extent, Tabuya’s call for tougher laws is understandable. The misuse of social media platforms is a global problem, but the threat is considered greater in fragile democracies with multiethnic societies, such as Fiji.

The Online Safety Commission received 1609 complaints in 2025 alone, with more than 50 percent involving cyberbullying, harassment and defamation.

More broadly, policymakers have warned that online misconduct poses a serious national security threat.

In March 2026, Tabuya flagged the increased prevalence of misinformation and disinformation, stating, “A single lie can divide a nation”. Likewise, Fiji’s National Security Strategy 2025-2029 warned the malicious use of emerging technologies for misinformation and disinformation posed a threat and could “undermine the credibility of national leaders and erode public trust in governance structures”.

Even before the proliferation of social networking platforms, there were concerns in Fiji about the mainstream media’s alleged role in fomenting societal conflict, with some analysis even suggesting that the media acted as a catalyst in the 2000 and 2006 coups.

The increase in digital penetration has added a new dimension to these security challenges.

Young people particularly, the most avid consumers of online networks, risk exposure to disparaging and damaging online discourses, including racism and hate speech.

While these trends are serious and require a firm response, they do not negate legitimate concerns about the flaws in the Online Safety Act.

Implications for media and press freedom
While the aim of the Act is not specifically to regulate media — Section 4 stipulates the law applies to the “whole of Fiji” — media are, nonetheless, caught in its crossfire.

The Act contains no protections for the practice of journalism. Professional journalists using social media platforms in the public interest are lumped with ordinary citizens who may be using them with malicious intent.

This renders journalists and media organisations particularly vulnerable to the Act due to the broad provisions of “electronic communication” that causes “harm” (defined in the Act as “serious emotional distress”), as most of their work is published online and can require critiquing the actions of private individuals and public officials.

The Act also does not differentiate between public and private individuals. In general, public figures such as politicians enjoy a lower level of privacy compared to private citizens. The scrutiny can extend to their private lives should they overlap with, or endanger the fulfillment of, their public duties.

Under the Online Safety Act, media could be held culpable if their reporting causes individuals “serious emotional distress”, which could be a consequence of, for example, news coverage of actual or alleged wrongdoing.

Then there is Section 2’s treatment of electronic communication as “any information, whether truthful or untruthful…”. This suggests journalists publishing legitimate and verified information in the course of their professional duties could face the same criminal liability as bad actors posting untruthful content with malicious intent.

Section 6 raises concerns about the independence of the Online Safety Commission, including the ministerial-appointed Commissioner, which introduces the risk of a political appointment.

Indeed, the appointment of Anne Dunn as the first Commissioner by the then Communications Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum was controversial for this very reason. Dunn contested Fiji’s 2018 election under Sayed-Khaiyum’s FijiFirst Party.

The potential conflict of interest could render the Commission vulnerable to political pressure, and have consequences for the Commissioner’s role as an independent and unbiased authority.

The Act does outline seven factors the courts may use to determine whether an offence has occurred, including: the extremity of the content; the age and characteristics of the victim; whether the posting was anonymous; the repetitiveness and extent of circulation; and its truth or falsity, along with the context in which it appeared.

However, it does not provide specific defences based on public interest, truth, reasonable error, or the absence of malice.

An opportunity for reform
The fact that no journalist or media organisation has been charged under the Act in the eight years since its inception is of little consolation. No journalist or media organisation was charged under the now-repealed Media Act, but we are all aware of that legislation’s deleterious effect on the media sector as a deterrent to robust journalism and a catalyst for self-censorship.

Some criticisms of the Online Safety Act — including its open-ended provisions, the Minister’s role in appointing the Commissioner, and the potentially chilling effect on freedom of expression — are uncannily similar to those expressed about the Media Act.

Against this backdrop, Rabuka’s remarks at the Pacific Media Summit are pertinent. The Prime Minister emphasised that the media are “not a threat to democracy” but a “part of” it.

The reviewers of the Online Safety Act would do well to heed his words, as well as those of Rabuka’s deputy, Manoa Kamikamica, at the same event. Kamikamica stated that while this government was committed to media freedom, there was no guarantee future governments would share the same mindset.

In other words, the weaponisation of the Online Safety Act might not be a present danger, but it cannot be ruled out as a future one.

Associate Professor Shailendra Singh is head of journalism at The University of the South Pacific. This article is derived from his submission to the review of the Online Safety Act 2018 and was first published by Pacific Security. It is republished with the author’s permission. Dr Singh’s views are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of his employer.

NZ govt says it had no influence over $200,000 doco ahead of Fiji election

APR editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:58:44 +0000

By Russell Palmer of RNZ

The government says it had no influence over $200,000 in funding for a documentary ahead of Fiji’s election about a Fijian cabinet minister facing down a scandal.

The Ministry of Pacific Peoples funded the film Algorithm of Shame: In the Village, Everybody Knows was released in May, and tackles the impacts of social media in closely connected communities.

Marketing describes it as a “powerful Pacific-led documentary set in Fiji that exposes the devastating impact of online shaming in the age of social media, where algorithms reward outrage, humiliation, and exposure without care or accountability”.

The film focuses on two people: trans woman Rhonda who lost her friend to online abuse, and Fijian politician Lynda Tabuya.

The film’s release just ahead of the Fijian election — set for sometime between August and February, with no firm date yet confirmed — could be seen as softening the image of Tabuya ahead of her potential re-election.

Given the New Zealand taxpayer funding, it is vulnerable to accusations of political interference by another government.

However, the film’s executive producer Tuki Laumea told RNZ the New Zealand government had “no editorial control over this documentary”.

“It is incorrect to say this film is about Minister Lynda Tabuya. Minister Tabuya appears in approximately 15 percent of the film,” he told RNZ.

‘Highly topical issue’
“The film is about the highly topical issue of social media harm in Pacific communities, including its impact on young people, its links to suicide and several other serious issues related to online harm.”

“This film was shown three times on Mai TV in Fiji in May and early June. It was not made widely available online and is currently unavailable to view anywhere in the world, including Fiji and New Zealand. No wide public release date has been set.”

Tabuya, the former Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, was consigned to the back benches over a leaked video of her dancing naked that went viral on Christmas Eve 2024.

She had been pushing to ban porn sites in Fiji, but was dismissed as a minister on Boxing Day by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

Fiji police later described the video leak as an invasion of privacy, and Tabuya herself said it was made for her ex-husband and that her phone was stolen and hacked.

The police cybercrime unit — acting on a complaint Tabuya had laid — eventually identified two suspects in the leak, and Rabuka welcomed her back to Cabinet in August as Minister of Information — a role he previously held himself.

He said at the time she was “well-suited to spearhead the government’s public relations machinery through the Ministry of Information” with her “personality and her accessibility to the press and the media people”.

Independently produced
In a statement, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples pushed back on questions about whether the funding could be seen as electoral interference, softening the image of a foreign Cabinet Minister beset by scandal.

A spokesperson for the ministry said the documentary was independently produced through the Moana Reo Media Fund, administered by Pacific Media Network.

“The decision to fund the documentary makers $200,000 was made independently of the ministry through an established funding process, which means editorial content of funded projects was not influenced by the New Zealand government in any way and cannot be seen as electoral interference,” a spokesperson said.

“The documentary focuses on the broader social impacts of online harm, cyberbullying and digital shaming, which are issues affecting communities globally.”

Similarly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the documentary was “independently produced and independently selected through an established funding process”.

“The government does not influence the editorial content of funded projects. This is not a New Zealand government commentary on Fijian political matters,” a spokesperson said.

Pacific Peoples Minister Paul Goldsmith said in a statement: “The Moana Reo Media Fund was funded under the previous Labour government. It is administered by the Pacific Media Network, which operates purposely at arm’s length of the ministry and ministers.”

Public interest documentary
Foreign Minister Winston Peters declined to comment.

Laumea, a filmmaker for two decades, is the co-director and co-producer of the “independently produced public-interest documentary about the impact of social media harm in Pacific communities.”

“This film received public funding, as does public-interest journalism across New Zealand and the Pacific, including RNZ and Pasifika TV through PCBL.”

“The minister is among several voices in this film, including a religious leader, a lawyer, students, advocacy groups, a counsellor, the Online Safety Commission, community leaders, a male survivor and a trans rights activist.

“Minister Tabuya is in a unique position to contribute to this conversation because of her very specific and public experience of online abuse,” Laumea said.

This story was first published on

Fiji’s journalists celebrate belated World Press Freedom Day – but warn of threats

Pacific Media Watch — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:18:30 +0000

Fijian Media Association

Fiji’s media workers finally got to celebrate their World Press Freedom Day this week 11 days late — on Thursday, May 14.

The event was pushed back from its traditional May 3 global date — which fell on a Sunday this year — to accommodate a packed news cycle dominated by parliamentary sittings and the Coca-Cola Games.

The events across Suva and Savusavu highlighted both the grit of local journalists and the very real threats still hovering over the industry.

READ MORE: Other World Press Freedom Day reports

In the capital Suva, the day started before sunrise. At 5am journalists met at the Bowling Club for a morning walk down to My Suva Park and back, catching up over a networking breakfast.

Later that evening, the focus shifted to Gordon House at the British High Commissioner’s Residence for a reception backed by BBC Media Action, Women in Media Fiji, and the Fijian Media Association (FMA).

Permanent Secretary for Information Eseta Nadakuitavuki described reporters as “real warriors” who required courage and “a very thick skin”.

While she praised the media’s fearless role in holding the powerful accountable, she also pointed to modern digital threats. She warned that while AI brought innovation, the rise of fake news and deepfakes meant ethical journalism and rigorous fact-checking were more crucial than ever.

BBC Media Action mentorship
The night also carved out time to recognise seven local journalists who completed a BBC Media Action content production mentorship under seasoned journalist Elenoa Baselala.

Up North, a different kind of gathering took place at the Hot Springs Hotel in Savusavu. FMA general secretary Stanley Simpson joined journalists for a dinner supported by the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS).

The Savusavu event was an acknowledgment of the mental toll carried by reporters outside the capital who usually “survive on roti and bean between assignments”.

Remembering the heavy weight these journalists carry, it was highlighted that in 2017, Northern reporters had to cover two back-to-back tragedies involving children: a fatal house fire, followed just two days later by a father drowning his three kids and himself.

With no debrief rooms or on-call counselors in the North, these reporters — including Peceli, Shratika, Naca, Feroz, Sampras, Nitesh, and Josese — just had to file their heartbreaking stories and keep going.

There was plenty of reason to celebrate on a national level, as Fiji recently jumped 16 spots to 24th globally on the 2026 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index — a massive climb from 84th place in 2023.

However, the FMA made it clear that Fiji’s press freedom gains remained fragile.

Navigating complexities
The industry is still navigating the complexities of Fiji’s hard-drugs crisis and dealing with disquieting developments like journalists being summoned to testify in court. There is also ongoing friction with government officials; recently, Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya criticised the media in Parliament over “mal-information” regarding a broken lift at the CWM Hospital, subsequently calling for an end to “doorstop-style” interviews.

The FMA firmly defended the practice as a necessary tool for holding officials accountable in a democracy.

Despite the challenges, the media fraternity is already looking ahead to its next major gathering. In September, the focus will return to Fiji as it hosts the region for the Pacific Media Summit.

Republished from the Fijian Media Association FB page.

Fiji jumps, Samoa plunges in World Press Freedom Index

Pacific Media Watch — Mon, 04 May 2026 09:32:28 +0000

By Stefan Armbruster of Pasifika TV

Fiji has recorded a dramatic jump in its media freedom rating to be in the top 25 nations globally while Samoan government press restrictions have seen its rating plummet in the latest World Press Freedom Index.

Advocacy group Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) said globally it was the first time since the index was first compiled in 2001 that more than half of the world’s countries fell into the “difficult” or “very serious” press freedom categories.

The index released annually for World Press Freedom Day covers 180 countries but reports on only four of two dozen Pacific island nations and territories, including Tonga and the lowest ranked in the region Papua New Guinea.

Three years after Fiji repealed its draconian media laws, it has climbed into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media, recording a steep 15-point increase, the index’s second highest annual move globally after Syria.

Fiji has now risen from a low of 89 in 2023 to the 24th position in the 2026 index — which covers 2025 — reflecting the change in government after coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama lost power in the 2022 election.

Associate Professor Shailendra Singh, head of journalism at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, told Pasifika TV the ranking is a reflection of a freer media environment but there is no room for complacency.

“There is the growing tension between the media and the government, and the bolder the media becomes, the more they test the government tolerance for scrutiny and criticism,” he said, highlighting accusations of misinformation levelled at the media by Fiji’s Information Minister Lynda Tabuya last week.

‘Criticised doorstopping’
“She criticised the doorstopping by a Fijian journalist and stated that this type of practice should be banned.

“This is a reminder that the fight for media freedom never ends and there are always new challenges cropping up, we can never let our guard down and any ethical breaches on our part makes for a stronger case for greater controls on the media.”

Fiji’s improved ranking was in contrast to the global trend for erosion of media independence, which also saw Samoa lead the way down for other Pacific nations surveyed.

Samoa posted the largest fall in the Pacific, plunging 15 points to 59th place, and the second greatest decline globally after Niger.

An acrimonious relationship between Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt and local journalists, particularly the Samoa Observer newspaper which he has banned from government press conferences, has been a major factor.

Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) last November issued a statement of “deep concern” saying that it represents “a serious threat to media freedom, public access to information, and democratic accountability in Samoa and the wider Pacific region.”

La’aulialemalietoa rejected PINA’s position saying the government had “documented evidence of unprofessional reporting and breach of media ethical standards that led to this action”.

PINA president Kalafi Moala talking to Pasifika TV.

Samoan government ‘must improve’
PINA president Kalafi Moala told Pasifika TV the Samoan government must improve its approach.

“The Samoa Observer has for decades followed the tradition of holding power to account and they’ll be the first one in trouble if there’s an issue there,” he said.

Overall Moala said he sensed the political mood toward media freedom in the Pacific had shifted.

“Throughout the Pacific, the governments are trying to learn from the past and that freedom of the press goes in hand-in-hand with democracy,” he told Pasifika TV at the Media Council of PNG’s (MCPNG) annual summit in Port Moresby.

“These are not the governments of the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s, these are new governments with a whole new crop [of politicians] coming up and they’re far more aware of the fact they’ve got to be more democratic.”

Papua New Guinea is the lowest ranked Pacific island nation at 73rd place, but is up five points, and slowly climbing.

Its rating dropped 32 points in 2024 to 91st place after Prime Minister James Marape’s Government announced plans to tighten the media laws and proposed registering journalists.

Extensive lobbying efforts by the MCPNG has seen the government moderate its position.

‘Really proud’ of MCPNG
“I’m really, really proud of being part of the Media Council of Papua New Guinea,” said MCPNG secretary Belinda Kora.

“We realised that when we went to sit down with authorities responsible for communication and technology, and our prime minister, the lack of understanding they have of our roles, which led to a parliamentary inquiry and for the first time in the history of this country, the recommendations of that inquiry were actually adopted by the Parliament.

“So, when we’re sitting down with them, we’re making them aware and also educating them about why it is important to protect our rights.”

Tonga slipped five points to 51st position in the rankings but Moala, founder and editor of Talanoa ‘o Tonga and who was imprisoned in 1996 for contempt of parliament, said he could not fathom why.

“Right now, with a new government and new prime minister elected, I’m just absolutely amazed,” he said.

“We’ve never had a government like that for the last 20 years, he [Prime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua] is having regular press conferences every week, is open for interviews with media, he personally and his government actively want information to come out of every department.

“We’re going in a direction and moving at a speed in terms of media freedom I’ve never seen before.”

Pacific countries not ranked
Not ranked by RSF are Pacific island nations like Nauru, Kiribati and Tuvalu with little or no independent media, nor those with dynamic media environments like Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

None of the territories or colonies of France and the United States are separately monitored or mentioned in the report.

“It is very sad that they [RSF] only concentrate on these four nations because it’s probably convenient to them,” he said.

“The whole Pacific is much bigger than that and our concern at PINA is there’s no coverage of any Micronesian country or territory.

“You’ve got Palau, you’ve got issues in the Marshall Islands, the American territories like Guam and so on.”

Only Australia and New Zealand were specifically mentioned in RSF’s Asia-Pacific annual regional report, despite the very significant gain made by Fiji and fall by Samoa by international standards.

Reporters Sans Frontières did not respond to Pasifika TV questions on why it does not cover all of the Pacific along with the 180 other nations.

West Papua not mentioned
Its report for Indonesia also does not mention West Papua where some of its harshest media restrictions are imposed, including bans of foreign media and regular internet blackouts during times of conflict, and where local journalists face intimidation.

Press freedom in the Pacific’s main donor partners — Australia, China, New Zealand and United States — continues to fall despite their provision of journalism training in the region.

New Zealand remains the highest ranked Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) member country at 22nd place but has fallen six points since last year, while Australia continues its decline, falling a further four points to sit at 33rd place.

The United States also continued its downward slide, falling seven points to 64th position, which RSF said was due to “President Donald Trump’s systematic weaponisation of state institutions, including funding cuts to public broadcasters”.

In April 2024, the Trump administration cut funding to Radio Free Asia, and its BenarNews Pacific service, ending coverage of the region, though it has now resumed with an almost exclusive focus on China-related stories.

Other media initiatives impacted by the US cuts included Internews and OCCRP.

China at 178th sits third from the bottom of the index, just above North Korea and Eritrea.

Reporters Sans Frontières said “the government has dramatically expanded its repressive toolkit in recent years, including a raft of national security laws that are regularly invoked to imprison journalists”.

“With 121 media professionals currently behind bars, China is the world’s largest jailer of journalists.”

Republished from Pasifika TV. Stefan Armbruster is regional news development lead.

FMA praises Fiji media workers for press freedom climb but warns it is ‘tenuous’

Pacific Media Watch — Sun, 03 May 2026 23:21:04 +0000

Fijian Media Association

Three years after the lifting of draconian media laws under which Fiji’s media industry operated, and even with significant improvements in the country’s media freedom rankings, the gains from the return of media freedom remain tenuous.

This World Press Freedom Day, the Fijian Media Association is heartened by the country’s remarkable progress on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) media freedom index for 2026.

Fiji improved in ranking by 16 places, now standing at 24th globally, up from 40th last year and 84th in 2023.

The global picture revealed by the RSF World Press Freedom Index shows over half of the world’s countries now fall into the “difficult” or “very difficult” categories for press freedom, the lowest in the 25 years since the index was first published.

This achievement for Fiji should be attributed not only to the media workers continuing to uphold the values of independent journalism to keep communities informed, but to everybody in this country who recognise and defend the importance of a free media for a healthy democracy.

While it is a moment to be celebrated, we are acutely aware of the various threats to individual media workers and the wider industry that continue to overshadow media development in Fiji.

In recent months, there have been several separate developments that have the potential to influence and shape how the media works and serves the community.

Summonsing of journalists
The summonsing of journalists to testify in court cases has been a particularly pointed moment, and its ramifications of this judicial action on the industry and the sources it depends on is something the FMA is acutely aware of.

More recently, the statement by the Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya in Parliament regarding what she referred to as “mal-information” and “misinformation” by the reporting on the broken-down lift at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.

“This was followed by a public call for an end to “doorstop-style” interviews by local media.

Such a method of newsgathering is well-established in healthy democracies as a necessary part of holding officials accountable.

These developments signal the kinds of pressures the media continues to be subjected to.

Apart from the systemic issues the media and the people who work in the industry continue to contend with, the growing problem of the hard-drugs crisis and its impacts are also being felt in professional and personal ways.

Layer of complexity
This adds a layer of complexity that journalists need to navigate, while continuing to uphold the values and ethics the industry aspires to.

As we commemorate World Press Freedom Day 2026, the Fijian Media Association reaffirms our commitment to advocating for press freedom and the protection of journalists’ rights in Fiji.

We call on all stakeholders, including government officials and civil society, to work collaboratively to ensure a safe and supportive environment for media practitioners, allowing them to report without fear or favour.

Let us continue to champion the cause of press freedom, not only in Fiji but around the world, recognising that a free press is essential to a healthy democracy.

This World Press Freedom Day statement was republished from the Fijian Media Association.

World Press Freedom Index 2026 Video: RSF

Fiji PM Rabuka gives govt support for controversial waste-to-energy project

APR editor — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 22:45:09 +0000

RNZ Pacific

The Fiji Prime Minister has thrown his government’s support behind a controversial waste-to-energy project at Vuda Point in the country’s Western Division despite “a delay”.

The multi-million-dollar “Fiji Energy from Waste Project”, backed by Australian billionaire Ian Malouf and Fiji-born businessman Robert Cromb’s company The Next Generation (TNG) Fiji, has been making headlines across local and Australian media.

The proposed development in the Vuda-Saweni area between Nadi International Airport and Lautoka city has sparked a major backlash from concerned Fijians about its potential to damage the environment at the mainstream tourist hotspot.

READ MORE: Other Pacific waste reports

The project is reported to plan to burn up to 900,000 tonnes of waste a year, far exceeding Fiji’s local waste production, requiring the import of waste from across the South Pacific.

On Friday, Fiji’s Environment Ministry announced that the waste incinerator project has moved into the technical review stage.

The ministry also confirmed that it had received 875 written submissions during the public viewing period of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) review process, as well as, almost 9000 signatures — on and offline — opposing the project.

Environment Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Sivendra Michael said no decision had been made to date.

“The decision can only be issued following the completion of the full technical and regulatory review.”

‘Remains committed’
However, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said his government “remains committed to progressing the project”, according to a report by the state broadcaster.

“There has been a delay in discussions,” Rabuka told a vernacular radio programme,” adding that “as a government, we support the project”.

“If you look at it, a waste-to-energy plant can help supply electricity to more communities, while allowing the government to redirect resources to areas that still need power,” he was quoted as saying by FBC News.

In a report on April 1, The Australian described the proposal as: “Three years after losing the battle to build a waste-to-energy incinerator in western Sydney, Australian Dial-a-Dump billionaire Ian Malouf is pushing to build one on Fiji’s prized west coast that would burn up to 700,000 tonnes of imported garbage.

“Mr Malouf said his proposal had the backing of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and his cabinet, and that ‘just a few selfish people don’t want it in their backyard’,” The Australian reported.

Rabuka’s Environment Minister Lynda Tabuya said at the time that the claims in The Australian report were “not accurate” and that cabinet had not approved the project, according to an FBC News report.

A ‘toxic’ project
Fiji’s Ambassador to the United Nations Filipo Tarakinikini, in a social media post on 20 April 20, described the project as “a toxic one”.

“If this project could not meet Australia’s environmental and health standards — and was rejected after seven years of scrutiny by one of the most sophisticated planning systems in the world — why should Fiji, with far less regulatory infrastructure, accept it?,” he wrote.

“Fiji must not become the Pacific’s ashtray,” he said.

The Environment Ministry said the public should “respect the process” and allow it “the space to complete its work in accordance with the law”.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

High Court defeat piles pressure on ’embarrassed’ Fiji PM Rabuka’s leadership, says academic

APR editor — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:12:52 +0000

By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor

A court ruling in favour of Fiji’s dismissed anti-corruption chief has “embarrassed” Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, a New Zealand-based Fiji politics academic says.

University of Canterbury distinguished professor Steven Ratuva told RNZ Pacific Waves that while the Fiji High Court decision on Barbara Malimali offered “clarity” on the separation of powers, it added “to the weight of responsibilities” piling up under Rabuka’s leadership.

On Monday, the court ruled that Malimali’s dismissal was unlawful — a decision she said “vindicated” her. Rabuka immediately announced that he would be appealing the decision, but later told local reporters that he would “consider” resigning if the appeal failed.

READ MORE: Other Fiji politics reports

“[Resignation] is an option,” he said.

Despite this, Rabuka’s Information Minister Lynda Tabuya told reporters on Tuesday that the prime minister had the full support of the cabinet.

“It was a resounding sentiment in cabinet that we would not accept his resignation,” she said in a post-cabinet press briefing on Tuesday, adding that Rabuka had “unanimous support . . . to continue to lead this country and continue to lead us.”

Rabuka had not admitted to any wrongdoing and reports in the media “need to be corrected,” Tabuya said.

Fiji military commander Major-General Jone Kalouniwai also weighed in on the turn of events, telling local media that the army is maintaining “a [situational] awareness of what is happening” given that the country was heading into an election period.

“It’s important for us to understand what’s happening. Looking at it from a security perspective, things can cascade into a different situation,” he told The Fiji Times.

Former Fiji anti-corruption chief Barbara Malimali . . . High Court ruled that her dismissal was unlawful. Image: FB/RNZ

Dr Ratuva said all the issues Rabuka was having to deal with were “leading him to breaking point”.

“The fact that he has signalled his willingness to resign if the appeal doesn’t come through, is something which only [Rabuka] himself will have to decide,” he said.

“A lot of people have been asking for his resignation in the last few months for different reasons, particularly in relation to the way some of these complex challenges have been handled by the government.

Fiji Military commander Major-General Jone Kalouniwai . . . maintaining “a [situational] awareness of what is happening”. Image: FB/Republic of Fiji Military Forces

“So it depends very much on what’s going to happen after the appeal, and the process might go on for some time . . . even the election might come in between.”

Fiji is expected to head to the polls anytime between August 7 (earliest) this year and 6 February 2027 (latest).

Distinguished Professor Steven Ratuva . . . issues Rabuka is having to deal with are “leading him to breaking point”. Image: University of Canterbury

Dr Ratuva said Fijian opposition parties will try to use some of these issues faced by Rabuka as part of campaigning.

“Anything can be leveraged as a means of manoeuvring your opposition, so certainly it is something which will arise during the election campaigns,” he said.

He said other issues such as the cost of living, health, infrastructure, rising crime, drugs, would become campaign issues during the election.

The government under Rabuka, he said, would be on the defensive in terms of making sure that they would be re-elected.

“But then that depends very much on how they are able to handle these issues, and of course, the choice of the voters ultimately,” Dr Ratuva said.

“The number of scandals and the number of crisis, which have defined the rule of this particular coalition has diverted attention away from the real issues on the ground, so they have to live with it and the consequences are going to be felt in the next election.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Fiji’s stance on Israel and new embassy stirs revived condemnation

APR editor — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 04:14:32 +0000

Asia Pacific Report

Fiji opening an embassy in Jerusalem last month in defiance of United Nations resolutions on Occupied Palestine and hosting a visit by a senior Israeli minister from the paraiah state this week has revived condemnation by Pacific human rights groups and Palestinian advocates.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel visited the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Fiji — where she welcomed a possible “peacekeeping” role — in a week-long Pacific friendship mission.

She also faced controversy in New Zealand over the trip.

Both Fiji and Papua New Guinea have opened controversial embassies in Jerusalem, recognised as the capital of Palestine when statehood is granted.

The NGO Coalition on Human Rights (NGOCHR) in Fiji has condemned Fiji’s coalition government for “callously ignoring the unfolding famine and mass starvation in Gaza”, saying it was being “deliberately orchestrated” by Israel in a statement.

The statement was issued before the opening of the embassy and the declaration of a Gaza ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump and three mediating Middle East countries.

While Israel has violated the fragile ceasefire several times in the past two weeks, killing at least 100 Palestinians, the International Court of Justice has made a nonbinding ruling that Israel must support UN relief efforts in Gaza, including those conducted by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Embassy entourage
The NGOCHR statement by chair Shamima Ali, dated September 9, criticised widespread reports in Fiji media that Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka would take “an entourage of 17 government officials and spouses” to officially establish the residential Fijian embassy.

“The coalition government appears to be callously ignoring the unfolding famine and mass starvation in Gaza that is being deliberately orchestrated by the state of Israel,” she said.

“This very same Fiji government previously defended the destruction, killing, and maiming of scores of thousands of innocent civilians — 70 percent of them women and children — by Israel at the International Court of Justice [in an earlier and ongoing case on genocide].”

Shamima Ali highlighted the visit in August by two World Elders — Mary Robinson (former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) and Helen Clark (former Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand and former Head of UNDP) — to the Rafah crossing into Gaza from Egypt.

They had witnessed how Israel was preventing the flow of food, water, and medicine to the suffering people of Gaza, and declared it as an “unfolding genocide” — “this is not the chaos of war, nor the result of an environmental disaster. It is intentional.”

Ali said Prime Minster Rabuka, and ministers Lynda Tabuya and Pio Tikoduadua had made “rather unconvincing arguments” about opening of the Fijian embassy in Jerusalem on September 18 amid the unfolding genocide in Gaza.

“Whether they like it or not, in the eyes of the world, Fiji will be seen as a country that supports the apartheid and pariah state of Israel, and its genocide in Gaza,” the statement said.

‘Not in our name’
Ali said the NGOCHR reiterated its “Not in our name” opposition to Fiji’s defence of Israel at the ICJ in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide.

It also declared its strongest “Not in our name” opposition to the establishment of the Fiji Embassy in Jerusalem.

“Neither action reflects the wishes of all citizens of Fiji. It does not reflect well on Fiji for the present coalition government to be effectively supporting Israel’s genocide in Palestine.”

Members of the Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights are Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (chair), Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, Citizens’ Constitutional Forum, femLINKpacific, Social Empowerment and Education Program, and Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality Fiji.

Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) is an observer.

Fiji’s PM dismisses Tabuya as Minister for Women and Children

APR editor — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 22:52:26 +0000

RNZ Pacific

Fiji MP Lynda Tabuya has been dismissed as the country’s Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said in a statement that in light of the recent events concerning the conduct of Lynda Tabuya, and in consideration of:

the Oath she has taken as a Minister; and
standards expected of any Minister

He had decided to exercise the power conferred upon to him by Section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution, to dismiss her as a minister, with immediate effect.

READ MORE: The boss needs an explanation – PM writes to Lynda Tabuya

She will remain as a Member of Parliament.

Rabuka said this was not a decision he had taken lightly, but one that was “necessary in the best interest of the people that we serve”.

Fiji’s new Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran. Image: Fiji govt/RNZ Pacific

Sashi Kiran will replace Lynda Tabuya as the Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, effective from the date of her swearing in by the President, Rabuka said.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Fiji government accused over human rights violations, free speech curb

APR editor — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:17:11 +0000

By Apenisa Waqairadovu in Suva

Fiji’s coalition government has come under scrutiny over allegations of human rights violations.

Speaking at the commemoration of International Human Rights Day in Suva on Tuesday, the chair of the Fiji NGO Coalition for Human Rights (NGOCHR), Shamima Ali, claimed that — like the previous FijiFirst administration — the coalition government has demonstrated a “lack of commitment to human rights”.

Addressing more than 400 activists at the event, the Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya acknowledged the concerns raised by civil society organisations, assuring them that Sitiveni Rabuka’s government was committed to listening and addressing these issues.

Ali criticises Fiji government over human rights Video: FBC News

The “Human rights for all” theme at Fiji’s World Human Rights Day march in downtown Suva. Image: FBC News

Shamima Ali claimed that freedom of expression was still being suppressed and the coalition had failed to address this.

“We are also concerned that there continue to be government restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly through the arbitrary application of the Public Order Amendment Act, which should have been changed by now — two years into the new government that we all looked forward to,” she said.

A “Girls wanna have fundamental human rights” placard at the World Human Rights Day march in Suva. Image: FBC News

Ali alleged that serious decisions in government were made unfairly, and women in leadership continued to be “undermined”.

“Nepotism and cronyism remain rife with each successive government, with party supporters being given positions with no regard for merit, diversity, and representation,” she said.

“Misogyny against certain women leaders is rampant, with wild sexism and online bullying.”

An “Our rights, our future now” placard at Fiji’s Human Rights Day rally. Image: FBC News

Responding, Minister Tabuya acknowledged the concerns raised and called for dialogue to bring about the change needed.

“I can sit here and be told everything that we are doing wrong in government,” Tabuya said.

“I can take it, but I cannot assure that others in government will take it the same way as well. So I encourage you, with the kind of partnerships, to begin with dialogue and to build together because government cannot do it alone.”

A “Stop fossil fuel production, consumption and distribution” placard at Fiji’s World Human Rights Day march . . . climate crisis is a major human rights issue in the Pacific. Image: FBC News

The minister stressed that to address the many human rights violation concerns that had been raised, the government needed support from civil society organisations, traditional leaders, faith-based leaders, and a cross-sector approach to face these issues.

Republished from FBC News with permission.

Violence against children in Fiji costs nation $460m, says Unicef study

APR editor — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 06:00:34 +0000

By Repeka Nasiko in Suva

Violence against children in Fiji is estimated to have cost the country F$460 million, or more than 4 percent of Fiji’s GDP a year, says new research highlighted on International Human Rights Day.

This research was carried out jointly by UNICEF and Fiji’s Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection.

The study, Economic Costs of Violence Against Children in Fiji, has revealed that 81 percent of children aged between one and 14 years experience some form of violent discipline, 65 percent experience psychological aggression while 68 percent experience some form of physical punishment in their lifetime.

READ MORE: The full Economic Costs of Violence Against Children in Fiji report

The Economic Costs of Violence Against Children in Fiji report. Image: Unicef

Endorsed by Minister for Women and Children Lynda Tabuya, the research explained how children in Fiji continued to experience abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence on a daily basis.

“This not only affects their physical and mental health but also leads to challenges in education, social services and their overall quality of life,” the study found.

“The long-term impacts are well documented. Children who suffer abuse are more likely to become violent adults, perpetuating a cycle that negatively impacts the economic wellbeing of families for generations.

“Through this study, the total economic cost of violence against children in Fiji is estimated at $459.82 million, equivalent to 4.23 percent of GDP annually.

“These costs include $19.33 million in direct medical costs, $14.96 million in direct non-medical costs, $140.41 million in indirect tangible costs and $285.12 million in indirect intangible costs.”

The study showed that while significant, this large economic burden could be averted through targeted investments in interventions that prevent and respond to violence against children.

In Parliament last week, Minister Tabuya had said the report provided a basis for their 2022 to 2027 Action Plan.

“It provides a comprehensive analysis of the importance of investing in child protection, the socioeconomic costs of under-investment and an evaluation of government spending on preventing and responding to violence against children.”

Republished from The Fiji Times with permission.

Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu elected as Fiji’s new president

APR editor — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:32:58 +0000

RNZ Pacific

Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu has been elected as the new president of Fiji, despite opposition from women’s rights groups.

Ratu Naiqama was the current Speaker of Parliament and nominated by Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

He was elected yesterday after getting 37 out of 55 votes.

He is the high chief of the Cakaudrove confederacy, the same province as Rabuka.

He contested the December 2022 election as a candidate for the People’s Alliance Party when he received 652 votes.

The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali said Ratu Naiqama was “not fit” to be president.

“Ratu Naiqama has shown time and time again that he is a misogynist who was once suspended from Parliament for two years for making extremely derogatory comments against the late Speaker of the House, Dr Jiko Luveni,” Ali said in a statement on Wednesday before the parliamentary vote.

She also slammed Women’s Minister Lynda Tabuya for endorsing Ratu Naiqama for the president’s role, calling him a “male champion”.

“We would like the Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection to explain instances — where and how — Ratu Naiqama has consistently worked as a male champion to break the cycle of patriarchy in the whole of Fiji,” Ali said.

Earlier this month, Ratu Naiqama came under fire from human rights campaigners in the country for making, what they said, was “racially charged” and “evil” remarks.

The Fiji Times reports the election of Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, as the country’s next president “followed a voting pattern that heralds a significant shift from the traditional positions taken by the Government and the Opposition”.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Independent committee needed for Fiji MPs’ salaries, says parliament chief

APR editor — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 07:58:48 +0000

By Repeka Nasiko in Suva

“Let other people decide your salaries” is the latest message in the Fiji parliamentary pay controversy.

This is the call of Fiji’s longtime House of Representatives Secretary Edward Blakelock, who believes that the Special Emoluments Committee must be independent.

He said the Emoluments Committee, traditionally comprised independent consultants who were not sitting parliamentarians and cabinet ministers.

Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry echoed similar sentiments, adding the report on the review of emoluments for parliamentarians should have been cleared by Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad in cabinet before it was tabled in Parliament.

RNZ Pacific reports that the political fallout from Fijian parliamentarians giving themselves a pay rise last week is spiralling out of control after the main opposition — FijiFirst, the largest single political party in Parliament — sacked 17 out of 26 of its MPs.

While Parliament decides on the make-up of the Special Emoluments Committee, Blakelock said it should not comprise ministers and members of Parliament.

The Parliamentary Remunerations Act 2014 does not spell out who should be members of this committee, but in accordance with parliamentary tradition, the body is expected to be independent of the Parliament.

It should not include current sitting members as committee members so as to ensure no conflict of interest but to be eventually be answerable to Parliament in terms of the approval of its report.

Not eligible
He said the 1997 Constitution specified that exclusion under Section 83 (4) — that a person whose renumeration is reviewable by the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee is not eligible to be appointed as a member.

“As a matter of principle, I personally believe that a member of Parliament — whether a minister or not — should not be a member of a committee which reviews their own salaries, allowances and benefits purely because of conflict of interests issues and just basic fairness,” said Blakelock.

“As mentioned earlier, the 1997 Constitution specifies that exclusion in no uncertain terms.

“In other words, members are expected to be drawn from outside of the current membership of Parliament.

“The Parliament itself chooses by agreement who should be a member of the committee.

“Again, Parliament has to act within the confines of the relevant constitutional provisions and precedence, as well as the provisions in the Parliamentary Remunerations Act 2014.

“I would have thought that if the committee had comprised of members who are not current sitting members of Parliament, we would certainly not be going through all these rigmaroles today.

Independent committee
“The committee should, in my opinion, be independent and consist of experienced and qualified persons from outside of Parliament.”

The 2013 Constitution requires that Parliament “must, under its rules and orders, establish committees with the functions of scrutinising government administration and examining Bills and subordinate legislation and such other functions as are specified from time to time in the rules and orders of Parliament”.

And according to Parliament’s Standing Orders on Special Committees, a special committee may be established by a resolution of Parliament to carry out the assignment specified in the resolution.

This allowed Parliament to pass a resolution on July 12, 2023, for the establishment and membership of the Special Emoluments Committee.

The committee is chaired by Minister for Women Lynda Tabuya and comprises Minister for Infrastructure Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Education Minister Aseri Radrodro, and Opposition MPs Alvick Maharaj and Mosese Bulitavu.

Repeka Nasiko is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

Lynda Tabuya fights back – ‘it’s unfortunate that as a woman I continue to be targeted’

APR editor — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 08:53:34 +0000

By Finau Fonua, RNZ Pacific journalist

Fiji’s Women’s Minister Lynda Tabuya says the decision by the People’s Alliance executive council to remove her as deputy leader of the governing party is “unfair as it is based solely on allegations . . . generated by opponents from outside the party”.

Tabuya, who has been at the centre of an alleged sex and drug scandal with the sacked Education Minister Aseri Radrodro, was removed from the position on Monday.

According to the People’s Alliance, the scandal and associated allegations involving Tabuya had caused “potentially irreparable damage” to the party.

READ MORE: Other Lynda Tabuya controversy reports

However, in a statement to RNZ Pacific today, Tabuya said she was “disappointed with the two lawyers in the legal and disciplinary subcommittee who have based their recommendations on allegations published on social media which is aimed to weaken the Coalition and weaken the party”.

“It is a dangerous precedent to set that by applying the constitution of the party they have based their decision to remove me as deputy party leader on allegations which they perceive as potentially causing damage,” she said.

“This comes as no surprise as these very same people opposed my appointment to be deputy party leader before the elections in 2022, so they have pounced on this opportunity to do so.

“It’s most unfortunate that as a woman I continue to be targeted with my removal last year as leader of government business and now as deputy party leader.”

She said the party must stand for fairness and justice and applying the law equally based on evidence and facts, not allegations

RNZ Pacific has contacted the People’s Alliance general secretary for comment.

Reaction expected
The publisher of Grubsheet, Graham Davis, who first reported — along with Fijileaks — about the scandal involving Tabuya and Radrodro, said Tabuya was attempting to “muddy the waters” with her reaction.

“It is telling that Lynda Tabuya doesn’t directly address the allegations against her that the PAP executive council has found to be proven on the recommendation of its disciplinary committee — including at least two lawyers — after a detailed examination of the evidence first reported by Fijileaks and Grubsheet,” he told RNZ Pacific.

“To turn her fire on the PAP in a vain attempt to muddy the waters is to be expected.”

Meanwhile, Tabuya remains a cabinet minister despite being removed as PAP deputy party leader.

According to the Fiji Sun newspaper, only Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka can remove her from cabinet, as per the 2013 Constitution.

“The Fiji Sun has been reliably informed that the PM is seeking legal opinion before making his call,” the newspaper reported.

Rabuka is currently on official travel in Australia.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Fiji Women’s Minister Lynda Tabuya calls for stronger online bullying laws

APR editor — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:32:58 +0000

By Tiana Haxton, RNZ journalist

Fiji’s Women and Children’s Minister Lynda Tabuya says Pacific island countries need to “strengthen our laws” on online harassment.

Tabuya spoke to RNZ Pacific on the sidelines of the Pacific Women in Power forum taking place in Auckland this week.

She said the issue that she was dealing with — which is allegations of a sex and drug scandal between her and former cabinet minister Aseri Radrodro — was currently with the police.

READ MORE: Other online bullying reports

“[Police] are investigating it,” she said.

“And it just so happens that a person who was causing this harassment online lives in Sydney,” she said.

She said she was able to get the assistance of Australia’s online safety watchdog to issue the notice to the person to take down the content — images — because it is a crime in Australia.

“If you put up content that is or appears to be the person, so then the person [who published it] needs to take the content down otherwise they can face prosecution,” she said.

‘Grateful for swift action’
“That was the process I followed and I’m grateful to the Safety Commissioner of Australia for the swift action.”

However, she said the situation she found herself in was not exclusive to her.

“It’s me today, it could be someone else tomorrow. It doesn’t have to be a minister or public figure.

“But if you have women in Fiji or across the Pacific who are facing this, and they’re being attacked — especially for populations where there are more people outside of the country than in [the] country.

Tabuya said therefore there was a need for strong policies, not just in Fiji, but across the region.

“You get more attacks from people who live overseas. Women MPs need to reach out to those countries where those people are attacking them live because the laws are much stronger.

“But it’s also a lesson for us within to strengthen our laws so that we can stand up against online bullying.

“The world is unfair and being a woman in politics, we face a lot of unfairness and injustices. But I think it also makes us so much more determined to stand up and be heard,” she added.

Meanwhile, Tabuya is currently the subject of an inquiry by her political party following the sex and drug allegation, the outcome of which has yet to be released.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Fiji police apologise for West Papua politics ‘mix-up’ before Reclaim the Night march

Pacific Media Watch — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 08:48:04 +0000

Pacific Media Watch

Fiji police have apologised for “miscommunication” that led to an incident before the Reclaim the Night march last night that almost led to it being called off, Fijivillage News reports.

Police Chief Operations Officer Acting Assistant Commissioner Livai Driu apologised, saying they had been following the conditions of the permit issued.

However, he said the issue was sorted and officers had been directed to allow the march to continue and to provide security measures.

READ MORE: Other Fiji freedom of speech reports

It was earlier reported by Fijivillage News that police had told organisers amid scenes of “high drama” at the Suva Flea Market when the march was about to begin that there should be “no messages about West Papua or other international matters”.

Minister for Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua has also apologised over the incident and said that it should never have happened.

Tikoduadua last night tweeted an apology for the mix-up. He said that human rights were paramount, and he had been making that clear.

Suva’s Reclaim The Night rally last night . . . controversial police instructions. Image: Fijivillage News

The minister said the government was working with the police to “undo the mentality that has been the norm [under the former FijiFirst government] over the past 16 years”.

He added that the change was slow, “but it will happen”.

While speaking at the end of the march, Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali said they almost called off the march because of the incident.

Again, I apologize for the mix up. It should never have happened.

Your Human Rights are paramount and I’ve been making that clear. We are working together with Police to undo the mentality that has been the norm over the past 16 years– it’s slow but it will happen! https://t.co/zsttk3ko7p

— Pio Tikoduadua (@piotikoduaduafj) March 8, 2023

Ali said she called Minister Tikoduadua. He did not answer at first, but called her back later and asked to talk to the officer at the scene.

She also said she believed that Minister for Women Lynda Tabuya had intervened and she thanked her.

Republished from Fijivillage News with permission.

“High drama” at the Reclaim the Night march. Video: Fijivillage News

Former Fiji PM Bainimarama suspended over breaching parliamentary privilege

APR editor — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 22:46:55 +0000

RNZ Pacific

Fiji’s opposition leader Voreqe Bainimarama has been suspended for three years as an MP for breaching parliamentary privilege.

It comes after the ex-prime minister said the President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, had failed to protect the constitution and the rule of law in his opening statement for the 2023 parliamentary session on Monday.

The FijiFirst leader will be out of Parliament until 17 February 2026, after a midnight vote as both sides of the House clashed over Bainimarama’s suspension.

Leader of government business Lynda Tabuya said Bainimarama’s words “denigrated” the head of state when he uttered “seditious words”.

“Matters of offensive conduct towards Parliament must be taken seriously. It is even more important that members of Parliament uphold the required standard of behaviour in Parliament,” she said.

“In particular, the prohibition against speaking words that are disrespectful to our head of state as well as seditious words that breach the standing orders.”

The Parliamentary Privileges Committee had recommended that Bainimarama be immediately suspended for three years; that he provide a written apology to the President within 14 days; and issue apology to public within 48 hours.

It also recommended that he not be allowed to enter Parliament during the period of suspension; and if he fails to comply then necessary enforcement measures will be implemented.

Co-deputy Prime Ministers Viliame Gavoka and Professor Biman Prasad supported the former PM’s exclusion.

Gavoka said Bainimarama’s comments were an “insult” to President Katonivere and his “ignorant comments can destroy confidence” in the office of the head of state.

He urged all MPs to “defend the values” of Parliament and “denounce the ignorance” of the leader of opposition.

Professor Prasad said Bainimarama was a “repeat offender of parliamentary assault” and his words were “utterly pathetic”.

But Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka appealed to the Speaker Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu and the parliamentarians as the “lone voice” from the government side for Bainimarama to be forgiven and he receive a lenient suspension.

Rabuka’s plea resulted in the government side amending their motion to reduce Bainimarama’s suspension to 18 months.

However, the opposition side still not did not support the amendment late into Friday night.

“You cannot apologise if you have done nothing wrong,” FijiFirst MP Jone Usamate said as he defended Bainimarama’s political fate.

While another opposition member, Faiyaz Koya, said they “did not find any guilt” in what their party leader said.

Bainimarama becomes the fifth MP to be suspended from the House after breaching privilege.

Previously:

The current Speaker Ratu Lalabalavu was suspended for two years in 2015 as a Sodelpa MP;
Former National Federation Party MP Tupou Draunidalo was suspended in June 2016 for the remainder of her term;
Another Sodelpa MP, Ratu Isoa Tikoca, was suspended for two years in September 2016; and
Current Home Minister Pio Tikoduadua was suspended for 6 months in 2019.

RNZ Pacific has contacted Bainimarama for comment.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Women ministers spell out their plan to ‘rebuild Fiji as it should be’

APR editor — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 21:14:09 +0000

By Talebula Kate in Suva

Fiji’s new Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Lynda Tabuya, plans to use surveys and online platforms as an integral part of her ministry

During her official welcome yesterday along with her assistant minister, Sashi Kiran, Tabuya said that over the years she had made it her life goal to help those less fortunate.

She was happy that she could continue what she loved to do on a national stage in helping all Fijians.

“As an integral part of my ministry, I plan on asking you — the citizens of Fiji — about the best way forward utilising surveys and online platforms,” Tabuya said.

“One of the foundations for building a better Fiji is providing equal opportunities to all Fijians irrespective of age, gender, physical ability or income level.”

To promote inclusivity and development, her ministry would continue to serve all Fijians through:

The care and protection of children
Greater policy intervention for older persons and persons with disability
More innovative and targeted income support to families living or caught in the cycle of poverty; and
Promoting gender equality and empowering women to reach their full potential.

Tabuya looked forward to strengthening and building on good partnerships with organisations whose activities and outputs support the ministries strategic objectives and those who provide services in the area of child protection and safeguarding, older people, people with disability, gender equality, women’s empowerment and ending violence against women and girls.

“During the turmoil of the last couple of months, the hymn ‘We Shall Overcome’ was often used as a source of inspiration,” she said.

“At this juncture, Fiji faces daunting poverty levels and incidences of domestic violence, but despite all these challenges I believe with God’s help and everyone working together, we shall overcome.

“I’m looking forward to working for the most disadvantaged in our society and together rebuilding Fiji into the way the world should be.”

Talebula Kate is a Fiji Times journalist. Republished with permission.

Fiji elections: Alliance leads early vote tally – Bainimarama heads candidates

APR editor — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 08:17:23 +0000

By Timoci Vula in Suva

The People’s Alliance Party took an early lead in the Fiji general election vote tally this evening with a total of 21,810 votes recorded after the completion of counting from 470 of the 2071 polling stations.

The governing FijiFirst Party was in second place with 16,515 votes and SODELPA running third with 3684 votes.

The National Federation Party followed with 3256 votes and Unity Fiji in fifth place with 1688 votes.

FIJI ELECTIONS 2022

The other results by party as at the 5pm update provided by the Fijian Elections Office are:

Fiji Labour Party – 1269
We Unite Fiji Party – 1179
All Peoples Party – 614
New Generation Party – 175
Rajendra Sharma (Independent) – 26
Ravinesh Reddy (Independent) – 21

The top five candidates at that update were:

Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama – 11,248
Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka – 6738
Lynda Diseru Tabuya – 1397
Siromi Dokonivalu Turaga – 1048
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum – 927

Counting continues at the National Count Centre and the next update is due to be provided by the Supervisor of Elections at 10pm.

Timoci Vula is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

Fiji’s military will respect electoral process – Kalouniwai
RNZ Pacific reports that the Fiji military commander has rejected a request by opposition party leaders to intervene in a dispute over the country’s election process.

Major-General Jone Kalouniwai said the military (RFMF) as an institution would put its trust in the electoral process.

“I wish to reassure the people of Fiji that the RFMF will not respond to [PAP leader Sitiveni ] Rabuka’s insistence or any political party, that we intervene under our responsibilities from Section 131.2 of the 2013 Constitution,” Kalouniwai said.

“The constitutional responsibility of the RFMF section 131.2 does not make any reference to intervening or getting involved with the electoral processes or management of voting or counting of votes with the assistance of the military.”

Kalouniwai explained that using the military in any form during the electoral process was unconstitutional.

The statement came after a group of opposition party leaders called for a halt to vote counting yesterday, demanding an audit of the country’s electoral system.

It was triggered by an anomaly in provisional results that was displayed on a Fiji Election Office results app on Wednesday night.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

An update on the ‘good governance coup’ – political will, corruption in Fiji

APR editor — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 02:41:20 +0000

ANALYSIS: By Grant Walton, Husnia Hushang and Neelesh Gounder

In 2006, Fiji’s current Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, seized power from a government that had been elected only seven months earlier. Named the “good governance coup”, the takeover was justified by concerns about corruption as well as racism.

Sixteen years later, Fiji is about to go to the polls for the third time since Bainimarama took power. One question voters may well ask is: has the good governance coup delivered on its promise to address corruption?

In this article we argue that, while there have been some gains, political will towards anti-corruption efforts in Fiji appears to be running out of steam.

READ MORE: Other Fiji election reports

FIJI ELECTIONS 2022

While the phrase “good governance coup” is an oxymoron, there are signs that the government’s subsequent anti-corruption efforts have borne fruit.

The Worldwide Governance Indicators find that Fiji’s Control of Corruption percentile ranking has improved, from 60 in 2007 to 67.3 in 2021. This is better than Papua New Guinea (25) but lower than Micronesia (70) and Tuvalu (73).

In 2021, the country scored 55 out of 100 (with a score of 100 equating to clean and 0 very corrupt) and ranked 45 out of 180 countries on its first appearance in over a decade on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

On this index Fiji ranks better than neighbours Solomon Islands (score: 43/100), Vanuatu (45/100) and PNG (31/100). Fiji’s score was slightly better than the east African island nation Mauritius (which scored 54/100).

Corruption concerns Fijians
Fiji’s citizens are concerned about corruption. In a recent Global Corruption Barometer survey, 68 percent of respondents across the country said that corruption is a big problem in government; 61 percent said it was a big problem in the private sector.

However, the same survey found that bribery rates are low — 5 percent of respondents said they paid a bribe to get a service in the previous 12 months, compared to 64 percent of respondents from Kiribati.

Still, our analysis suggests these relatively positive results could be undermined by dwindling political will towards key anti-corruption organisations. To understand the level of political will towards anti-corruption efforts, we calculate the relative amount of funding for key state-based anti-corruption organisations (we’ve written more about this approach in relation to PNG and Solomon Islands).

To do so, we draw on over a decade of publicly available budget documents.

In 2007, the Bainimarama regime established the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption, known as FICAC, which became a key symbol of the good governance coup. FICAC has been accused of being politically motivated — in the lead up to the 2022 election the agency questioned the leader of the People’s Alliance (PA) party, Sitiveni Rabuka, and charged PA deputy leaders Lynda Tabuya and Dan Lobendahn with vote buying and breach of campaign rules.

If it wins the election, the PA party has recently pledged to phase out FICAC within 100 days of forming office.

While complaints to FICAC have significantly increased since it was established, it only responds to a small fraction.

FICAC spending declining
Though budgeted to receive an increase of F$2.2 million in real terms in the 2022-23 budget, our analysis shows that the government’s actual spending on FICAC has been declining.

In 2010 the government spent 0.5 percent of its budget on FICAC, which had halved by 2020-21. (It is budgeted to bounce back slightly in 2022-23, rising to 0.28 percent.) In real terms, spending on FICAC dropped by F$2.6 million between 2010 and 2020-21.

Similarly, spending on the Attorney-General’s Chambers reduced from 0.26 percent of the budget in 2010 to 0.12 percent in 2020-21 (in real terms, spending reduced by F$1.7 million). It is budgeted to receive 0.14% by 2022-23, but given a history of underspending it is likely this agency will receive less than what has been promised.

On a somewhat brighter note, the Office of the Auditor-General received a slightly higher proportion of the budget over the past decade: the government spent 0.15 percent of the budget on this agency in 2010 and 0.16 percent in 2020-21 (an increase of F$1.8 million in real terms).

This is set to dip back down to 0.15 percent by 2022-23. Despite not losing financial ground, as one of us (Neelesh) argues, Fiji’s Auditor-General faces questions about the office’s independence and impact.

Diminishing political will towards key state-based anti-corruption organisations is also evidenced by what is not in the budget. Despite the 2013 constitution providing for the establishment of an Accountability and Transparency Commission — which is supported by civil society groups — the government has not provided the funding required to establish this agency. (In the 2022-23 budget it provides a paltry F$20,000 for this agency, which pales in comparison to the F$10.5 million budgeted for FICAC.)

In February 2021, Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum explained that the budgetary allocation for the Accountability and Transparency Commission would not be forthcoming as a bill outlining its responsibilities had not been approved by Parliament. This is still the case.

Financial backing for police
The government has increased financial support to the country’s police force. Spending on the police increased from 4.9 percent in the 2010 budget to 5.7 percent in 2020-21 — an increase of F$78 million in real terms.

In comparison, in its 2020 budget the Papua New Guinean government spent just over 2 percent on its police force, and this is budgeted to fall to 1.6 percent by 2022. Fiji’s police, however, have their own problems with corruption.

The Global Corruption Barometer survey found that, compared to other institutions, more people thought the police, along with members of Parliament, were involved with corruption. Cuts to key anti-corruption organisations may exacerbate this.

Further reforms are clearly needed. Beyond being well funded and staffed, anti-corruption agencies need to be independent and publicly accountable, which suggests the need for multi-stakeholder oversight involving politicians, the business community and civil society.

This could mean reforming — through greater oversight and the involvement of independent stakeholders — rather than abolishing FICAC. Establishing and funding an independent Accountability and Transparency Commission to investigate permanent secretaries and others holding public office could also help.

Whatever the outcome of the 14 December election, the next government will need to quickly establish (or re-establish) its anti-corruption credentials if Fiji is to build on any gains it has already made in the fight against corruption.

Grant Walton is a fellow at the Development Policy Centre and the author of Anti-Corruption and its Discontents: Local, National and International Perspectives on Corruption in Papua New Guinea; Husnia Hushang is school administrator at the ANU Research School of Economics, and a research assistant at the Development Policy Centre; and Neelesh Gounder is senior lecturer in economics and deputy head of school (research) in the School of Accounting Finance and Economics at the University of the South Pacific, Suva. This article is republished from the Devpolicy Blog under a Creative Commons licence.

Fiji elections: Tabuya claims child ‘harassed’ by anti-corruption agency

APR editor — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 21:15:27 +0000

By Rakesh Kumar in Suva

People’s Alliance candidate Lynda Tabuya claims her 16-year-old daughter was “harassed” by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) officers last week.

Tabuya made this allegation in a video posted on social media.

“This is my daughter coming back from school and they asked her where I was,” she said.

FIJI ELECTIONS 2022

“And she said she didn’t know and then they said to her, ‘tell your mother that FICAC is looking for her’.”

She said this step taken by FICAC was unacceptable.

“You come to my home and harass my child, my 16-year-old who was just coming back from school, just did her exam.

“It’s just very shameful.”

Made daughter panic
Tabuya said this made her daughter panic and worry about what would happen to her mother.

“You know, they could have asked her, is there an adult in the home, can we see someone?

“But no, they came and my family was at home and they rang the doorbell like 10 times, 15 times in a row with my children inside.

“What are you doing FICAC. If you wanted to find me, you know where to find me, you have means to find me, but don’t harass my children.”

Questions sent to FICAC by The Fiji Times on the claims made by Tabuya remained unanswered.

Rakesh Kumar is a Fiji Times journalist. Republished with permission.

Rabuka condemns ‘outrageous’ arrests of deputy leaders so close to Fiji poll

APR editor — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 23:34:44 +0000

By Rachael Nath, RNZ Pacific journalist

With the Fiji general election just days away, a major political party has condemned the arrests of its deputy leaders on charges of vote buying.

People’s Alliance deputy party leaders Lynda Tabuya and Dan Lobendhan appeared in court on Tuesday after being questioned by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).

It is alleged that Tabuya tried to gain or influence votes for the December 14 election by soliciting $1000 to the Rock the Vote Volleyball tournament in May this year.

FIJI ELECTIONS 2022

On the alternative count of breach of campaign rule, it is alleged that she also induced the participants to vote for Lobendhan.

Lobendhan is also alleged to have offered $1000 prize money to the tournament during the campaign period to gain or influence votes.

On the alternative count, he allegedly offered a monetary inducement to the participants.

In September, a complaint was lodged by the FijiFirst Party to the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) and then referred the allegations of vote buying were referred to the anti-corruption body.

Party leader claims ‘democracy hindered’
People’s Alliance Party leader Sitiveni Rabuka has labelled the arrests as an attempt to derail their election campaign and muzzle candidates.

Rabuka said the arrest was “outrageous to democratic good governance principles” and “a ridiculous assault on our individual constitutional rights to take part in political campaign activities”.

He said after a month and a half delay, and on the eve of the election, for FICAC to move on the FijiFirst complaint was “blatant and a deliberate interference” in the country’s electoral process.

The People’s Alliance has called on the FICAC Commissioner to respect the electoral system and not hinder democracy.

“It comes as a shock considering that in his reply to the FEO letter dated September 26th 2022, Lobendahn denied having paid Rock the Vote Volleyball to exclusively invite him to events to impress his presence on social media,” said Rabuka.

“Lobendahn stated that he was invited by a colleague, working towards creating awareness to attract youths and encourage them to register to vote for the upcoming elections.”

Rabuka questioned what was unlawful about enlightening and encouraging youths to register to vote?

The matter has been adjourned to February 10.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Lives ‘more important than livelihoods’ over borders, says Fiji MP

APR editor — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 23:22:34 +0000

By Luke Nacei in Suva

Opposition whip Lynda Tabuya says Fiji should have taken its cue from Australia and delayed the opening of its borders due to uncertainty surrounding the new covid-19 variant omicron.

In her response to last week’s Parliament opening address by President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, she said “lives are more important than livelihoods”.

The World Health Organisation declared omicron “a variant of concern” on November 26, but said it was “not yet clear” whether it was more transmissible when compared with other variants, and the severity of the disease was uncertain at the present time.

Australia has reported seven cases of the new variant so far, with six in New South Wales alone.

Fiji opened its borders yesterday with more than 200 arrivals, and about 600 are expected to arrive from Australia today.

Speaking in Parliament, she said that the last time there was a call for stricter border controls, the government brought in corona’s deadliest strain, the delta variant via a flight from India.

“I, more than anyone, want our hotel workers and the rest of the tourism sector to thrive again — but not at the cost of locking down our beloved country,” she said.

Australia delayed opening borders
“We have just begun to regain some sense of normalcy.

“Australia has just done it. They have been delayed from today (Wednesday) to December 15, Japan has completely shut its borders until further notice.

“Initial reports were that the omicron variant may be less deadlier than the delta variant, but the Australian government isn’t going to put the lives of its citizens at risk and is postponing opening their borders until there is more certainty.”

The outspoken opposition MP said the lives of Fijians were far more important than their livelihoods.

“Why isn’t Fiji doing the same? Our lives are more important than our livelihoods,” she said.

“While Australia has reassured its citizens to remain calm as they look for answers, our government waited on the Nadi airport tarmac today with Rebel Wilson to welcome the world.

“Time and again, this government has shown it cannot keep Fiji safe.”

Luke Nacei is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

Fiji’s other crisis – away from the covid emergency, political dissent can still get you arrested

APR editor — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 05:07:33 +0000

ANALYSIS: By Dominic O’Sullivan, Charles Sturt University

The arrest of nine Fijian opposition politicians, including party leaders and two former prime ministers, once again exposes Fijian democracy’s fragility. The intimidation doesn’t bode well for the parliamentary elections due next year (or early 2023).

The political crisis has been overshadowed by Fiji’s covid-19 crisis, which has seen more than 25,000 infections and more than 100 deaths since April. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama even used a covid analogy when he called those arrested “super-spreaders of lies”.

While no charges have been laid, the nine are accused of inciting unrest by opposing a government bill to change the management of iTaukei (indigenous) land rights.

The original iTaukei Land Trust Act 1940 allows for long-term land leases to private interests. The idea is to maximise the economic return on land, while protecting it against permanent alienation.

The act aims to protect indigenous interests by prohibiting the sub-lease or raising of mortgages on leased land without the consent of the iTaukei Land Trust Board.

The proposed amendment would remove the requirement to obtain the board’s consent, and prevent land owners going to court to dispute land use.

Arresting the opposition
Bainimarama, who also chairs the board, says the bill’s purpose is to remove bureaucratic obstacles to minor activities such as arranging electricity or water supply. He says the board takes too long to provide consent and this is a constraint on economic development.

But critics of the bill, including some of those arrested, argue it will weaken iTaukei land rights. Opposition MP Lynda Tabuya was accused of a “malicious act” after she posted a “Say no to iTaukei Land Trust Bill” cover picture on Facebook last week.

In a separate post, demonstrating the low threshold for “malice” in modern Fiji, she asked:

What protection is left for landowners? This is absolutely illegal and a breach of human rights of landowners. This is not a race issue, this is a human rights issue and breaches Section 29 of the Fijian Constitution.

Tabuya is not alone. The National Federation Party has said the government has not properly consulted on the bill, and party leader Professor Biman Prasad was among those arrested, along with former prime ministers Mahendra Chaudhry and Sitivini Rabuka.

Limited media scrutiny
Media coverage, too, has felt the effects of the arrests. For example, the Fiji Sun’s one story on the issue in its July 28 edition cited only supporters of the bill and offered no insight into why it was controversial.

This isn’t surprising, given Fijian journalism operates under a constitutional provision limiting its rights and freedoms “in the interests of national security, public safety, public order, public morality, public health or the orderly conduct of elections”.

The Fiji Times took a risk last week by publishing an opinion column arguing poor drafting and failure to consult meant the bill goes further than its purported aims of administrative simplicity and efficiency.

Beyond the legal complexities of the land bill, however, the real problem is political. As the article asks, “What’s the issue?”.

As I discuss in my book Indigeneity: a politics of potential — Australia, Fiji and New Zealand, the issue is that Fiji is a fragile, reluctant and conditional democracy.

A military grip on power … Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. Image: The Conversation/GettyImages

Military interference
Coups in 1987 and 2006, and a putsch in 2000, happened because democracy failed to provide the perpetrators with the “right” answers to complex political questions at the intersection of class, military power and personal interest.

The rights of indigenous Fijians were always a side issue, as the present conflict shows.

The 2013 constitution established that “it shall be the overall responsibility of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to ensure at all times the security, defence and well-being of Fiji and all Fijians”.

Military oversight of the workings of government is intentional and explicit. When
Bainimarama (then head of the military forces) led the 2006 coup, he was dismissive of accusations of political interference. If the military did not act against the government, he said, “this country is going to go to the dogs”.

He also claimed then-prime minister Laisenia Qarase was trying to weaken the army by attempting to remove him: “If he succeeds there will be no one to monitor them, and imagine how corrupt it is going to be.”

Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu has been issued with new curfew hours amid the worsening Covid-19 crisis in the country.

As of yesterday, the new curfew hours are from 6pm to 4am. https://t.co/EMBSX9qXmo

— RNZ Pacific (@RNZPacific) July 26, 2021

No room to move
Intimidation is political strategy in Fiji. The proposed amendments to the iTaukei Land Trust Act are not what is at stake — a functioning parliamentary process could identify and resolve any substantive disagreements.

The bigger issue is that autocratic leadership, and the national constitution itself, leave little room for Fijian citizens to work out for themselves the kind of society they want.

This also leaves little room for Fijians to demand more effective policy responses to their country’s covid-19 crisis.

Dr Dominic O’Sullivan is adjunct professor in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

Fiji opposition MPs pledge not to be silenced, despite arrests over criticism

APR editor — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 21:49:55 +0000

RNZ Pacific

Fiji’s opposition MPs who were arrested after their criticism of a government land bill say they will not be intimidated or silenced.

Police have since released several leaders of the opposition who were arrested late Sunday.

One of those arrested, the National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad, said he was wanted in relation to his party’s criticism of government moves to amend the iTaukei Land Trust Act in Parliament in recent days.

After two hours of questioning, he was later released, telling RNZ Pacific that it felt like an attack on Fiji’s democracy.

“We don’t blame the police. This is coming from the government. They are using police to oppress the opposition’s political leaders, and that’s not the way democracy works.”

Prasad said the government failed to consult the public properly over the bill, and there are now calls to withdraw it because it is seen as abusing the rights of indigenous landowners.

“We are elected members of Parliament. Our job is to continue to speak and we are not going to be intimidated by such tactics by the government to silence the opposition who have an important contribution to make in the process of any lawmaking in the country.”

Accused of ‘malicious act’
Another leading opposition MP, Lynda Tabuya, was also taken into custody and accused of a “malicious act” by police for her social media posts about the Land Bill.

She said she was accused of a malicious act by police for criticising the government’s moves to push through an indigenous Land Bill.

Critics claim that an amendment removes a protection provided via the iTaukei Land Trust Board which was set up to protect indigenous landowners’ rights.

Tabuya had given a blunt message to Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama via social media:

“We are sick and tired of all the bullying and fear mongering. We are sick and tired of all the death and destruction allowed on your watch because of your recklessness,” she said.

“We are sick and tired because you don’t give a damn. You don’t give a damn about iTaukei, you don’t give a damn about human rights.”

Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama … criticised on social media for “not giving a damn about iTaukei”. Image: RNZ/Facebook/Fiji govt

The Fiji government and police have been approached for comment, but there has been no response for an interview.

However, over the weekend – before the arrests were made – Bainimarama did speak out for the first time condemning his opposition leaders on Facebook.

“These are a bunch of urban elite who are nothing but stirrers. Only a few control the show, and they become the gatekeepers of what is right and what is wrong.”

Bainimarama defended the government’s planned amendment to land legislation.

“Even this amendment makes ultimately iTaukei land a lot more attractive. It removes bureaucracy without undermining any of the protections. We should not be concerned about a piddly thing such as this when we should all be happy about it.”

Meanwhile, Acting Police Commissioner, Rusiate Tudravu said his officers were not questioning the politicians for the purpose of intimidation, but as a pro-active means to find out the truth.

He was reported in local media as saying not everyone who was brought in for questioning would be charged.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

‘Don’t blame us,’ says military chief over Fiji’s covid surge

APR editor — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 02:53:38 +0000

RNZ Pacific

The head of the Fiji’s defence force has rejected claims by opposition MPs in Parliament this week and has called for an apology over the “simply, wrong” allegations.

In a statement, Commander Viliame Naupoto said there was no “factual evidence” to suggest that the defence force had caused the initial breach.

Commander Naupoto said the military was carrying its own investigations.

Health officials have also said medical and military personnel in Fiji who have been infected with covid-19 are not part of the frontline response teams.

The assurance comes amid an escalating number of cases on the main island, Viti Levu, with clusters in both hospitals and the Navy.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said the frontline public health response teams were conducting surveillance and containment efforts in the communities.

He said the ministry screened and tested its frontline personnel for their safety and the public’s safety because “they come into contact with persons who have been exposed to the virus”.

Risk eliminated
Dr Fong said this also ensured the risk to the public from contact with their trace and containment teams was eliminated.

He said the ministry expected all frontline teams would “carefully observe the covid-safe protocol and we appreciate the feedback we get from the public in this regard”.

“Covid-safe behaviour needs to be maintained by all sections of the community, but especially those in the front line of the public health response and clinical response,” he said.

“At this time, when we have seen an escalation of cases, we wish to remind all frontline workers of the higher level of covid-safe behaviour expected by the community and our profession.

“The same is true for all community leaders and persons in leadership positions in our community in setting an example of a high standard for covid-safe behaviour at all times.”

Dr Fong said last night that 23 of the latest count (28) were linked to existing clusters.

The navy cluster began when an officer contracted the virus at a funeral and later infected members of his ship. This cluster continues to grow with 31 more cases this week alone.

The infected officers were isolated onboard three separate ships anchored in Suva.

Military headquarters locked down
The military headquarters in Suva has been locked down in recent weeks after four soldiers tested positive.

Mingling between personnel at a quarantine facility in April has also been linked to cases.

The army said it was continuing to provide security services for the covid response teams.

It said two separate bubbles were already in place to contain the spread of the virus at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks (QEB).

Concerns were raised by people on social media over members of the defence forces being infected with the virus.

In Parliament yesterday, opposition MPs Lynda Tabuya and Simione Rasova criticised the military over its handling of officers who had breached managed isolation protocols at a government facility in April.

Tabuya claimed the “military officers caused the original breach and Navy officers also breached Covid borders”.

Rasova said “army and navy officers were spreading covid”.

Commander rejects claims
But Commander Naupoto rejected their claims.

He said there was no sharing of cigarettes as mentioned in the earlier press conferences by health officials, adding that one of the soldiers was in his room when the sharing of cigarettes was alleged to have taken place.

He claimed this was proven by CCTV footage.

Commander Naupoto said there was also an allegation that a soldier had come into contact with a repatriated citizen while the officer was carrying out an inspection without wearing any protective clothing, “again this was proven wrong by CCTV footage”.

“The whole border quarantine process is being reviewed by the quarantine experts in the Ministry of Health to plug any gaps that may exist in the current protocols that are being used and there are systemic issues that need to be reviewed.”

Fiji has recorded 536 cases since March 2020, 466 from the current outbreak which began in April while 349 patients remain infected with covid-19.

Four people have died.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

NGOs, MPs warn ‘draconian’ draft bill will turn Fiji into police state

APR editor — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 20:00:24 +0000

By Christine Rovoi, RNZ Pacific journalist

A proposed draft Police Bill in Fiji has come under intense scrutiny from civil society groups and opposition parties.

The draft legislation will give police greater surveillance powers if passed in Parliament.

The proposal is now open to public submissions and the government says it will replace the Police Act 1965.

The draft Bill gives police the powers to secretly or forcefully enter any premises to place tracking devices.

Police can secretly monitor and record communications of people they suspect are about to commit a crime or have committed one, the Bill states.

The draft law also allows police to recruit an informer or anyone else who can provide information in relation to a police matter.

The government has not stated why it is necessary for police to search a crime scene and seize potential evidence without a warrant as stated in the Bill.

Police powers need ‘updating’
But the Minister for Police, Inia Seruiratu, said the Police Act 1965 needed to be updated because officers were now tasked with enforcing laws aligned to new and emerging challenges such as the global govid-19 pandemic, terrorism, transnational organised crime and other crimes evident around the globe.

Seruiratu said the Bill was a preliminary draft of submissions received by police during three days of consultations with the force’s key stakeholders in May 2019.

“Policing has developed beyond the traditional roles it is known for and the Fiji Police Force needs an enabling foundation that not only assists them in the work they are constitutionally mandated to do but will greatly enhance our national efforts to effectively respond to the rapidly evolving criminal landscape.”

However, the opposition parties have condemned the draft legislation and warned it encroaches on the civil liberties, democratic values and fundamental rights of Fijians.

The leader of the Social Democratic Liberal Party, Viliame Gavoka, said they would do everything in their power to ensure the draft legislation did not reach the floor of Parliament.

Gavoka said the “draconian” draft Bill would turn Fiji into a “police state”.

“There’s lots of uproar in the community about police brutality as it has been ongoing for some time,” he said.

“And then to introduce a Bill like this is truly frightening.

People ‘fearful of the police’
“The mentality of the country right now is fearful of the police. And here we have a Bill that gives them more powers to virtually do whatever they want to do with you.”

The president of the National Federation Party, Pio Tikoduadua, said the government’s plan to introduce a law that could allow authorities to enter and search anyone’s property through force at any time was “frightening”.

Tikoduadua said it was “inconceivable, ridiculous and insane”, adding a provision in the proposed Bill would make police force subject to military law in emergencies.

“So, when police are subjected to military law, does it make them soldiers? This is unthinkable in a democracy. It is martial law and can be invoked at any time.”

Former opposition leader Mick Beddoes said the proposed legislation would empower the police to suppress instead of protecting the people who had paid $US1.8 billion in wages to the security forces since 2017.

Beddoes said the Bill would dilute people’s constitutional rights and impose on them some of the harshest penalties and fines.

He said the proposed new law was ‘unwarranted and unjustified’.

NGOs claim draft Bill violates rights
The draft bill also forbade officers from joining a union and it would be unlawful for them to go on strike or to take any other type of industrial action.

Human rights activist Shamima Ali said this violated the fundamental rights of police officers who risked their lives on the front-line to ensure Fijians were safe.

Speaking at the International Women’s Day in Suva this week, Ali said i was time to push the barriers.

“The Police Bill has the potential to further shrink us,” she said. “We might think, ‘oh it doesn’t concern us. We’re only concerned with bread and butter’. This concerns everyone.

“We already have high rates of police brutality, pending cases and other criminal allegations. There are some hardworking, honest officers in the force but there are also the bad cops.”

The Coalition on Human Rights said this was not the time to be giving police more powers when Fiji was facing a pandemic of police brutality cases where individuals had lost their lives at the hands of police.

Its director, Nalini Singh, said this was unacceptable and a disgraceful reflection on the force which should be the bastion of lawfulness in this country.

Raised human rights concerns
“As the Coalition on Human Rights, we have repeatedly raised our concerns about the excessive force used by the Police during arrests on individuals, and the lack of transparency and urgency from the Police in investigation processes.

“And yet our call for urgent action have been left unanswered. This proposed Police Bill 2020 is a sad reflection of Fiji’s priorities in its commitments towards upholding and respecting human rights of Fijians.

According to data from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, between May 2015 and April 2020, 400 police officers were charged with serious violent-related offences.

The ODPP data showed the offences included 16 charges of rape, two charges of murder and nine charges of manslaughter.

The largest women’s group in Fiji, Soqosoqo Vakamarama iTaukei, said police officers had the right to be part of a union.

The group’s spokesperson, Adi Finau Tabakaucoro, said the Bill was supposed to help facilitate the work of the force.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission said it would, in its substantive submission, call for alignment of the Bill with the state’s human rights obligation under the domestic procedures and international conventions and treaties that Fiji had ratified.

Submission after tabling
Commissioner Ashwin Raj said his office would make its submission when the Bill was tabled in Parliament.

Raj said any commentary on the draft bill, before it was tabled in Parliament, was “premature”.

Meanwhile, police and the roads authority received an application for a protest permit march next week against the draft bill.

Lautoka-based businessman Ben Padarath also lodged applications with the Suva City Council.

The move has been supported by Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya who said she would gather signatures for a petition to be presented to Parliament when it sits next month.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Rabuka’s exit may spell ‘beginning of end’ for Fiji’s SODELPA

APR editor — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 02:23:23 +0000

By Christine Rovoi, RNZ Pacific journalist

The writing is on the wall for Fiji’s main opposition party, says New Zealand-based Fijian academic Professor Steven Ratuva.

His comments come in the wake of the sudden resignation of former Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) leader Sitiveni Rabuka from Parliament yesterday.

Ratuva said it was expected after Rabuka lost the SODELPA leadership to Nadroga MP Viliame Gavoka just 11 days ago.

Rabuka told Parliament his departure would pave the way for the President, Jioji Konrote, to ask Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama to work with the new leader of the opposition and party members.

Rabuka said he could not continue as opposition leader and an MP because the prime minister did not trust him enough to work with him.

But Dr Ratuva, director of the MacMillan Brown Pacific for Studies at the University of Canterbury, said there was more to it than that.

It also signalled more trouble for SODELPA, which has been rocked with months of tensions which split the party in April.

SODELPA was suspended by the Supervisor of Elections over breach of political rules and the party constitution.

The suspension was lifted 35 days later but factions within the party remain.

On November 27, Rabuka was replaced as leader by Gavoka who had supported his predecessor to remain as SODELPA leader.

Rabuka’s resignation ‘no surprise’
Ratuva said Rabuka’s resignation was no surprise to him.

“It was coming because of the leadership struggle within the party and the multi-layered tensions to do with vanua politics, regional loyalty, personality differences, gender ethnicity and the generational gap,” he said.

“They are all packed on top of each other and Rabuka had to resign as a result of all of these complex tensions within the party.

“The writings were on the wall.”

Ratuva said it was unfortunate because Rabuka had the biggest voter-pulling power in SODELPA.

That was evident at the 2018 election when Rabuka returned to politics and led SODELPA to win 21 seats in the 52-seat parliament, Ratuva said.

He was not sure if Gavoka had the same charisma and mana to pull the voters into SODELPA.

“But certainly Rabuka was [able to pull the voters],” he said.

“And Rabuka could have easily won the next election if he had continued with the leadership of the party.”

Rabuka was elected leader of SODELPA in 2016, succeeding high chief Ro Teimumu Kepa, who publicly disapproved of Rabuka’s nomination to replace her at the time.

On 26 November 2018, Rabuka was appointed as the leader of the opposition to Parliament following the party’s 2018 election defeat.

But this week, Rabuka – who led two coups in 1987 – announced he was leaving the august house.

No-one knows how long for – all Rabuka said was he would go away and ponder his next move.

Mixed reactions
Reactions have come fast and hard following Rabuka’s resignation, and they have been mixed.

New SODELPA leader Viliame Gavoka said he was shocked and saddened because he looked forward to contesting the 2022 polls with Rabuka by his side.

Gavoka said Rabuka had the firepower to help SODELPA win the election.

“This country needs a lot of institutions to be strengthened and someone like him is someone we can call up for help and he has agreed to do that.

“We are still trying to process this, no doubt at the end of the day we’ll know where we stand.”

Ro Teimumu said Rabuka had left a “huge gap” with his departure from parliament.

The Roko Tui Dreketi thanked Rabuka for his contributions, saying “his shoes would be difficult to fill”.

Ro Teimumu said it took a lot of courage for Rabuka to do what he did.

“He departs the opposition and the parliament with a clean heart and a clear conscious and he is a happy man believing that what he has done was the right thing to do.”

There’s no doubt that the future of SODELPA will determine Rabuka’s next move.

Prime Minister Bainimarama and the attorney-general acknowledged Rabuka’s contributions to the house.

Opposition whip Lynda Tabuya said she supported Rabuka’s move.

Tabuya lost the deputy leader position to Suva lawyer Filimoni Vosarogo when Rabuka was replaced.

MP Mosese Bulitavu said Rabuka’s resignation did not come as a surprise, saying he had “done the honourable thing”.

National Federation Party (NFP) leader Professor Biman Prasad said the NFP had always supported Rabuka and was sad to see him leave parliament.

Road to recovery
Ratuva said SODELPA now had its work cut out, less than two years out from the general election.

SODELPA needed to maintain the support Rabuka had brought to the party, “which it is probably going to lose”, he said.

Although he has said he would remain with SODELPA, Rabuka had options elsewhere if he wanted to distance himself from the tensions within party, Ratuva said.

“He’s got a number of choices either to remain within the party – which means that his role will diminish significantly – or he moves on and joins perhaps the Fiji Unity Party which is growing in terms of its significance and attractiveness to voters at the moment.

“The Fiji Unity Party is the only party now which has a coherent plan for economic rehabilitation and development for the country.

“Led by the former governor of the reserve bank, the Unity Party is well positioned to welcome some of those supporters of SODELPA who are probably looking for alternatives.”

Ratuva said if Rabuka joined the Unity Party, he would take his voters with him and “some of his supporters have been with him since 1987”.

Rabuka was still “seen as a hero to some Fijians, although that may be misplaced… But they are that voting block that Rabuka still has some degree of control over.”

If that did happen, SODELPA would lose that group of voters and the Unity Party could come out on top, Ratuva said, adding that the Unity Party could be the only people who would gain from Rabuka’s departure from SODELPA.

This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.

Democracy and media freedom – the paradoxes of Fiji, Kanaky

APR editor — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 02:10:26 +0000

Pacific Media Centre newsdesk

The Pacific Media Centre has wrapped up the academic year with a seminar dedicated to democracy and media freedom in the Pacific, featuring three people who reflected on events of 30 years ago and their legacy today.

The seminar featured the just-completed Fiji general election, which returned Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama to power with a reduced majority, and the New Caledonia referendum on independence from France earlier this month.

Sri Krishnamurthi, recently arrived back from Fiji after an extensive coverage of the second post-coup general election since 2006 with two trips to Fiji, was the first speaker.

It was the first time he had stepped on Suva soil since his departure in 1987 – a week after the first coup when he was aged just 21.

“It’s been 30 years since I watched Rabuka take the parliamentarians down the backstairs of the Fiji Parliament and bundle them into two trucks,” says Krishnamurthi.

Nik Naidu (left) and Sri Krishnamurthi … discussing photos about the New Zealand protests against visiting coup leader in Auckland in 1991 at the PMC seminar. Image:” David Robie/PMC

The chair of AUT’s PMC, Associate Professor Camille Nakhid, also welcomed the other two panellists Nik Naidu, convenor of the Coalition for Democracy in Fiji, and Professor David Robie, director of Pacific Media Centre.

He covered the Kanak struggle in the 1980s and wrote the 1989 book Blood on their Banner about the insurrection, and returned three decades later for the historic independence referendum on November 4.

Taxi driver
Upon his arrival in Fiji on his visit for the elections on November 14, Krishnamurthi interviewed a taxi driver who had a close to a “perfect prediction” about the Fijian election results – an interview derided on social media by Fijian academic Dr Ganesh Chand.

“Tarun Chandra – the taxi driver, a refreshing insight – calculated FijiFirst would win by 29 seats, two more than they actually did,” says Krishnamurthi.

Nil Naidu, who is also an Asia-Pacific Human Rights Coalition (APHRC) campaigner, critiqued current issues in Fiji while reminiscing about his past struggles as a young campaigner.

He spoke about his and other youthful protests, including protesting against the first coup in 1987 alongside the current Attorney-General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

In fact, Nik Naidu and others such as Marie Leadbeater, Del Abcede, David Robie and journalist turned lawyer Richard Naidu carried on the protests after he arrived in New Zealand in 1988 with the remnants of the Coalition For Democracy In Fiji.

During the controversial visit to NZ by then Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in 1991, Naidu protested against Rabuka’s arrival in Auckland. However, Krishnamurthi says Rabuka – who he likened to Freddy Kruger in Nightmare on Elm Street at the time – is a changed man now.

“Rabuka has changed a lot, he has mellowed and he has transitioned to become a true leader in some ways,” says Naidu.

Echoed thoughts
Similar thoughts were being echoed by Krishnamurthi three decades later.

In his presentation, Krishnamurthi said due to the fake news and media trolls being a critical factor in the elections of 2018, it was suggested that an investigation was needed into the role of Qorvis Communications, a Washington DC based public relations contracted to work for government, and NADRA, a Pakistani software company with a questionable reputation.

Alleged expenses such as $1.9 million on advertising and campaigning and $80,000 for social media in FijiFirst’s financial accounts for September (Source: Twitter) leave questions about their role in the election.

Krishnamurthi posed the question “where next for Fiji?”, saying that political stability was the most important election issue for Fijians.

Education, health, jobs, housing, a minimum wage and removing VAT from basic items were also vital, along with exploring indigenous land and identity issues for the next four years.

It is expected the opposition (made-up of Social Democratic Liberal (SODELPA), and the National Federation Party (NFP) with A combined total of 24 seats (of which SOELPA holds 21) will be more effective in holding the government to account.

However, the warning is on the wall that after winning the 2018 the election narrowly with just 50.02 percent that it will possibly need Coalition partners for the next election.

Future coalition?
Possible future coalition partners for FijiFirst to woo could outstanding women leaders such as Lynda Tabuya (lawyer and deputy leader of SODELPA, Lenora Qereqeretabua (NFP, broadcaster) and Tupou Draunidalo (HOPE party, lawyer).

All three could possibly lead their parties at the next elections and the irony for the mainly male-dominated Fiji is that they are women.

The New Caledonian press during the referendum. Image: David Robie/PMC

PMC’s Professor David Robie spoke about Fiji (he was the first journalist to name the Taukei Movement leaders at the time of the May 1987 coup), media freedom (he was keynote speaker at the recent University of the South Pacific journalism awards) and the independence vote in Kanaky/New Caledonia (where he reported on the 1984 elections boycott by the pro-independence FLNKS and the Hienghene massacre and other murders of Kanak political leaders.

He gave an optimistic view of the independence vote for the future of New Caledonia, describing it as a victory for youth and a multiracial vision of the country.

With a 56.4 percent “no” vote and a 43.6 percent yes vote, the supporters of independence rocked the French establishment with their strong turnout (80 percent)and this has in turn forced a more collaborative negotiation about the future.

“The demographics are gradually favouring the youthful Kanak population and an emerging new cross-cultural generation that is far less polarised than in the past,” he said.

“It is taking time, but I do get a sense of the winds of change starting to take hold in New Caledonia.

“The big question is whether these changes can happen fast enough to catapult the pro-independence Kanaks into power in the territorial elections next May and in time for the new independence referendum due in 2020.”

Dr Robie also remarked on the ironies of the seminar – “here we had an election in Fiji between two former coup leaders, and we ourselves are the 30 Years Club!”

The seminar details

Pacific Media Centre’s director Professor David Robie with young Kanak voters at the Loyalty Islands polling station in Noumea. Image: PMC

Fiji women have confidence that their gender in politics will hear their voices

APR editor — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 01:37:31 +0000

By Koroi Tadulala in Suva

The role of women in every segment of society is vital and this is slowly been reflected through more women contesting political spaces in Fiji.

This year recorded the highest number of women contesting the country’s general election compared to previous elections – and also the highest number elected.

The new 51-seat Parliament includes 10 women, five in government and five in the opposition.

The highest polling woman, SODELPA’s Lynda Tabuya – a talented lawyer and former beauty queen described by media as a “breath of fresh air”, being the fifth highest of the successful MPs.

Speaker of Parliament Dr Jiko Luveni says this the success of women is “wonderful news” and she is expected to continue as Speaker.

A total of 56 women from all 6 political parties contested this year hoping to represent women and their issues in political debate.

Amelia Qalituraga, 40, of Banaras Lautoka, is delighted that more women stood for election despite politics being a male-dominated field in this country.

Grassroots support
While casting her vote last Wednesday, she expressed hope that women in Parliament would be able to help out women at grassroots level, especially over the minimum wage rate.

“Working as a cleaner at the rate of $2.70 an hour hasn’t been any easy for me and my family,” she says.

“Na veika ga keimami kerea jiko vei ira na marama era na curu I Palimedi me ra rogoci keimami kei na neimami gagadre,” she added. (The only thing we want from women representatives is to listen to our needs and voices.)

With the rise in sexual assault and rape cases victimising women, Qalituraga hopes that women in Parliament will be able to make a change.

“Na levu ni sexual assault kei na rape sa yaco tu ni kua, au sa vavinavinaka saraga ni na rawa ni rogoci na neimami gagadre.” (With the rise in sexual assault and rape cases against women, I believe that women in political spaces will be able to listen to our concerns now).

Krishneel Vikash Chand, a 21-year-old student at the University of Fiji, says “only a woman will be able to understand the needs of other women and their issues”.

“I think it’s good to have more women in politics because it gives women more empowerment,” he adds.

Better represented
Chand says the idea of women being part of the decision making process would allow women to be better represented and ensure their voices are heard.

Despite the positive response from most people about women competing in political spaces, some prefer men to address their issues rather than women.

Madhuri Nair … supports idea of empowerment for women but prefers men to address women’s issues. Image: Wansolwara

Madhuri Nair, of Field 40, Lautoka, likes the idea of women empowerment but prefers men to address women’s issues.

“I think it’s good that more women are participating in political spaces, however, I want men to solve women’s issues because sometimes women don’t think nicely.”

Despite the mixed responses from people around Lautoka, it is clear women at the grassroots level want their voices heard and issues to be addressed.

Premila Kumar, Selai Adimaitoga, Veena Bhatnagar, Mereseini Vuniwaqa and Rosy Akbar are included in the 27-member FijiFirst-led government while Social Democratic Liberal Party members Lynda Tabuya, Ro Teimumu Kepa, Salote Radrodro, Adi Litia Qionibaravi and National Federation Party member Lenora Qereqeretabua are included in the 24-member opposition.

Koroi Tadulala is a final-year student journalist at the University of the South Pacific. This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement between USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

Other Fiji election stories

2018 Fiji elections – the ‘fake news’ catchphrase of this poll but beware

Sri Krishnamurthi — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 04:44:15 +0000

By Sri Krishnamurthi

“Fake News” was the catch phrase of the 2018 Fiji Elections – the second democratic elections since Commodore, now Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, carried out Fiji’s fourth coup in 2006.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama … reelected with easily the strongest personal vote in the Fiji general election but his FijiFirst party has lost ground since 2014. Image: SK/PMC

That FijiFirst with 227,241 (50.02 percent) votes won the elections with just over half of 458,532 votes cast, giving it 27 seats, is testimony to how nervous it was going into the elections.

The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) won 181,072 votes (39.85 percent), close to 40 percent of the vote and gets 21 seats in parliament, doing better than it did in 2014, while the National Federation Party completes the makeup with 33,515 votes (7.38 percent) and three seats in the 51-seat Parliament.

“SODELPA – It’s strong indigenous propaganda supported by some deliberate misinformation contributed to a much improved performance, compared with 2014,” said the pro-government newspaper Fiji Sun today in its analysis of the elections.

This was a quaint way of accusing SODELPA of indulging in fake news by the government’s self-confessed propaganda organ.

FijiFirst … triumphs again in a general election, but only just. Image: SK/PMC

In his statement on winning the elections yesterday, published in the Fiji Sun, Bainimarama took the unusual step of accusing the other national daily newspaper, The Fiji Times, of colluding with the opposition in a thinly veiled attack on SODELPA.

“These same disruptive politicians of old, aided and abetted by The Fiji Times did not care to tell you the truth – the truth that iTaukei (Native) land is not only safe like never before under our Constitution but as total land holding has grown under FijiFirst,” he said in a statement.

‘Dishonest politicians’
“In fact it was only under the leadership of these same dishonest politicians that iTaukei land was actually and permanently alienated.

“Their lies and deception knew no boundaries, as individuals, whole communities and religious sentiments were slandered and belittled in an atmosphere of political deceit. They were willing to create economic chaos and undermine our economic future in their greed to win government,” Bainimarama said in his statement from New Zealand, where he was attending his brother Sevenaia’s funeral.

The 48-hour media blackout period – extended until Saturday, November 17, to allow for 22 polling venues to be opened for 7,458 people who were affected by floods – made it easy for social media trolls to make mischief.

At a press conference during the election, Ashwin Raj, the CEO of the Media Industry Development Authority (MIDA), admitted to being caught out by the ferocity of fake news and the social media.

In an interview with ABC’s Pacific Beat programme. Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) co-chair Bernadette Carreon put her finger on the problem.

She said the vacuum left by the media blackout had led to fake news and misinformation being shared.

“The media is not allowed to publish any information regarding the election and so there have been reports of some fake websites coming up during the blackout and we call it fake news because it could potentially influence the voting,” she said.

Fact checking
“Media or the readers cannot fact check because the media is not allowed to air any news or information about the election process.”

That fake news dominated the media at the Fiji Elections Office (FEO) for more than two days was hardly surprising – as nothing could be reported on the campaign or the candidates.

FijiFirst’s financial statement for the nine months until 30 September 2018. Image: SK/Twitter

It has been reported on Twitter that FijiFirst, from the financial declarations last month, spent $1.9 million on advertising and $80,000 on social media as of 30 September 2018. (See image)

However, the media blackout and fake news did not have any influence on the Monday before the elections when SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka faced the High Court for the appeal by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) against charges of corruption which were initially dismissed.

The appeal was subsequently dismissed as well to loud cheers from his supporters.
The media scrum was a sight to behold as Rabuka emerged from courtroom victorious accompanied by his protégé Lynda Tabuya.

With more than 2000 people singing Fijian songs in harmony he was escorted down the steps of Parliament which backs onto the court house.

It appeared to be in defiance of the government which have for so long subdued the Fijian people and their natural exuberance.

Sigh of relief
It clearly signalled the portent of what was to come two days later in the elections, and one shudders to think of what could have happened that day had he lost the court case.

But, for now a collective sigh of relief in Fiji, relief that stability continues with murmurings of corruption, relief that a strong opposition is in place, and 10 women have made to Parliament making up 20 percent of the seats, but it bodes for uncertainty in the 2022 elections.

As Professor Jon Fraenkel from Victoria University of Wellington, a visitor and speaker at the University of the South Pacific, told the Australian Associated Press (AAP) on November 14.

“Many indigenous voters are wary of the endless polarisation and mind games of FijiFirst, and there is also considerable anti-Muslim sentiment targeted at the Attorney-General and his many appointees.”

A third term in government is difficult for any party and the warnings are already been written on the wall for FijiFirst – the people have spoken and will again.

Sri Krishnamurthi is a journalist and Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies student at Auckland University of Technology. He was attached to the University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme, filing for USP’s Wansolwara News and the AUT Pacific Media Centre’s Asia Pacific Report.

The courthouse media “scrum” when SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka was cleared by the High Court last Monday to contest the 2018 Fiji general election two days later. Video: SK/PMC

FijiFirst wins Fiji election after tightly contested race – awarded 27 seats

Wansolwara — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 03:53:23 +0000

By Wansolwara Staff

It’s official. FijiFirst has narrowly won the 2018 general election in Fiji, raking in 227,241 votes (50.02 percent) from 2173 stations counted and securing a second four-year term in office.

FijiFirst dominated the polls in the later counting ahead of the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) in an earlier tight contest. SODELPA finished in second place with 181,072 votes (39.85 percent).

The National Federation Party (NFP) finished in third place with 33,515 (7.38 percent) followed by Unity Fiji with 6,896, Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality with 2,811 votes and Fiji Labour Party (FLP) with 2,800 votes.

EARLIER REPORT: FijiFirst wins second four-year term

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, FijiFirst leader, finished off on a strong footing, raking in 167,732 votes in the results by candidate tally.

“I’m proud to become your prime minister once again,” Bainimarama told FBC News from Auckland where he has been attending his brother’s funeral.

Ratu Sevanaia Laua Bainimarama, a jazz musician living in the Bay of Islands, died in the early hours of Tuesday morning – the day before the general election. He was aged 61.

SODELPA’s Sitiveni Rabuka came in second with 77,040 votes followed by Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum with 17,271 votes.

National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad finished off with 12,137 votes, followed by the leading woman candidate Lynda Tabuya with 8,795 votes.

Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem announced the results at the National Results Centre this afternoon after the final results were released on the FEO elections app.

The new Fiji parliamentary lineup. Graphic: FBC News

Official results handover
The official elections results were then handed over to Electoral Commission Chairman Suresh Chandra.

“After receiving the results of the 2018 general election, the Electoral Commission will now retire and calculate the seat allocation for the 51 seats for the next term of Parliament,” Chandra said.

Wansolwara News reports the Electoral Commission later announced the allocation of the 51 seats in Parliament.

As anticipated, 27 seats will be taken up by the ruling FijiFirst Party, 21 seats to the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) and three seats to the National Federation Party (NFP).

Below are the elected members of Parliament:

FijiFirst Party:
1. Voreqe Bainimarama
2. Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum
3. Alipate Nagata
4. Parveen Bala
5. Mahendra Reddy
6. Vijay Nath
7. Premila Kuma
8. Joseph Nand
9. Viam Pillay
10. Inia Seruiratu
11. Mereseini Vuniwaqa
12. Osea Naiqumu
13. Sanjay Kirpal
14. Alvick Maharaj
15. George Vegnathan
16. Semi Koroilavesau
17. Jone Usamate
18. Ashneel Sudhakar
19. Rohit Sharma
20. Selai Adimaitoga
21. Jale Sigarara
22. Ifereimi Waqainabete
23. Rosy Akbar
24. Alexander O’Connor
25. Vijendra Prakash
26. Veena Bhatnagar
27. Salik Govindra

SODELPA:
1. Sitiveni Rabuka
2. Lynda Tabua
3. Ro Temumu Kepa
4. Niko Nawaikula
5. Atonio Naiqama
6. Mosese Bulitavo
7. Anare Jale
8. Peceli Vosanibola
9. Viliame Gavoka
10. Jese Saukuru
11. Ratu Suliano Matanitobu
12. Simione Rasova
13. Mitieli Bulanauca
14. Ro Filipe Tuisawau
15. Inosi Kuridrani
16. Aseri Radrodro
17. Mikaele Leawere
18. Adi Litia Qionibaravi
19. Salote Radrodro
20. Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu
21. Tevita Navurelevu

NFP:
1. Biman Prasad
2. Pio Tikoduadua
3. Lenora Qereqeretabua

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement between USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

The final results in the Fiji general election announced by the Fiji Elections Office (FEO) in Suva today. Source: FEO

FijiFirst leads election polls, 772 stations yet to be counted

APR editor — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 23:23:17 +0000

By Wansolwara Staff

The ruling FijiFirst party has taken a narrow lead in the Fiji general election final results today ahead of the opposition Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) after 1401 of 2173 stations were counted.

As of 5am today and with 772 stations yet to be counted, FijiFirst has so far topped the results by party with 131,629 votes compared with SODELPA’s 115,150 votes.

The National Federation Party (NFP) trails in third place with 19,312 votes followed by Unity Fiji with 4239, Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality (HOPE) Party with 1725 votes and Fiji Labour Party with 1664 votes so far.

Final Fiji election progress results as at 5am today. Source: FEO

FijiFirst leader Voreqe Bainimarama has maintained a strong lead ahead of SODELPA’s Sitiveni Rabuka in the official results by candidates, raking in 97,352 votes so far compared with Rabuka’s 47,764 votes.

All smiles … caretaker Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in lead in final progress results in the Fiji election today. Image: Sri Krishnamurthi/PMC

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is in third place with 9840 votes followed by Biman Prasad on 6975 and Lynda Tabuya with 5170 votes.

Alipate Nagata has placed in the top 10 results by candidates with 4117 votes ahead of Niko Nawaikula with 3820, Ro Teimumu Kepa with 3571 votes and Mosese Bulitavu with 3561 votes so far.

Some notable changes so far with the final results include an increase in the number of stations being counted.

Provisional results and early counts from the final results were from 2170 stations. However, the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, has since clarified that there are now 2173 polling stations after the inclusion of three more polling stations to account for the postal ballots.

Voting today
Wansolwara’s Laisenia Nasiga reports that registered voters who cast their votes on polling day (Wednesday, November 14) at the 22 polling venues that were later adjourned as a result of bad weather will still have to vote today.

According to Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem, 7498 people were expected to cast their votes at these 22 polling venues.

“If a voter’s finger contains indelible ink, they will still be allowed entry into the polling venue to mark their ballot paper. The voter will then have to ink another finger,” Saneem told a press briefing in Suva yesterday.

“Any voter who has already voted at these locations will be allowed to vote again. All votes that were received from these places on Election Day will be cancelled. They will not be counted.

“We will be using freshly printed ballot papers as well as new ballot boxes to facilitate elections at these venues and voters can come and vote between the hours of 7.30am to 6pm.”

The final election result is expected tomorrow.

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

SODELPA leads official Fiji party tally after 527 of 2170 stations counted

APR editor — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 02:20:58 +0000

By Wansolwara Staff

Official poll results for the Fiji 2018 general election are trickling in slowly as the Social Democratic Liberal Party leads the race by party after 527 of 2170 stations were counted.

SODELPA raked in 44,501 votes so far by party as of 6.27am today.

It was followed by FijiFirst with 37,469, National Federation Party with 5897, Unity Fiji with 1494, Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality with 552 and Fiji Labour Party trailling with 452 votes so far.

The party vote after 527 polling stations had been counted. Source: FEO

Leading the official results by candidates, FijiFirst leader Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama has maintained the top spot with 28,033 votes so far, followed by SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka with 18,356 votes, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum with 2598, Lynda Tabuya with 2530 votes and NFP leader Biman Prasad with 2269 votes from the 527 stations counted so far.

Anare Jale follows closely behind with 2173 votes, Ro Teimumu Kepa on 1516 votes, Alipate Nagata with 1385 votes and Ratu Suliano Matanitobua with 1365 votes. Simione Rasova sits on 1124 votes, followed by Niko Nawaikula with 1073 votes and Peceli Vosanibola with 1020 votes so far, ahead of Mere Samisoni’s 1007.

The politicians vote are 527 polling stations had been counted. Source: FEO

Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem said they had started to release the final results tally on to the FEO App, which is compatible with mobile smartphones and can be downloaded from Google Play or Apple Store.

“There seems to be a misconception that this is a recount. Please note, it is not a recount but results that have now been physically transmitted to us from the polling places in protocol of results,” he said.

Data entry

After 636 polling stations had been completed. Source: FEO

“This data-entry process will continue until we have completed data entry from all the locations. So it is not a recount, it is data-entry starting from zero once again.

“There seems to be a misconception that the 584 venues would have to be recounted. No they will not be recounted. After 584 venues that were not included in the provisional results, there are three poll stations we are still counting, probably 360 or so venues that are yet to be counted, that is why the data this morning [yesterday] could not have all the information.

“Some 220 plus polling stations that did not transmit the results to us via mobile phone because some of those areas were in low-connectivity areas, and in some areas the staff directly transmitted the printout signed copy of the count results instead of calling us to let us know.”

Saneem said they would continue to update the FEO App with final results once counts were verified.

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

Fiji’s Bainimarama maintains strong poll lead, 618 stations to be counted

APR editor — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 20:18:13 +0000

By Wansolwara Staff

Caretaker Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has maintained a strong lead early today in Fiji’s general election, polling 140,631 votes from 1552 of 2170 stations being counted at the National Results Centre in Suva.

Opposition SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka has so far raked in 65,650 votes followed by Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum with 15,252 and Biman Prasad on 10,461 at 5.50am.

In a surprising twist, Lynda Tabuya has climbed a few votes up, sitting on 7197 votes so far followed by Alipate Nagata with 5270 and Ro Teimumu Kepa with 4699 votes.

Parveen Bala closes in with 4429 followed by Mosese Bulitavu with 4176, Atonio Lalabalavu with 3198, Niko Nawaikula with 3095, Viliame Gavoka on 2929 and Savenaca Narube with 2439.

The provisional results by candidates were released via the Fijian Elections Office FEO App, which is compatible with smartphones and can be downloaded from Google Play and Apple Store.

In terms of provisional results by party from the 1552 stations counted so far, FijiFirst Party is still in the lead with 190,233 votes (51.79 percent). Other results out of the FEO App as of 5.50am today include:

Social Democratic Liberal Party – 139,130 (40.19%)
National Federation Party – 27,631 (7.52%)
Unity Fiji – 5723 (1.56%)
Fiji Labour Party – 2408 (0.66%)
Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality – 2225 (0.61%)

The announcement of provisional results will end at 7am but counting will continue until the final results are tallied and released from the National Results Centre at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva.

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

Provisional progress results in the Fiji general election at 6.20am today. Source: FEO

Bainimarama, FijiFirst take strong lead in provisional election count

APR editor — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 11:12:21 +0000

By Wansolwara Staff

Caretaker Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama took a strong lead in the Fiji general election last night, raking in 55,203 votes from 651 of out 2170 stations counted so far.

This compared with opposition SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka’s 25,659 votes and Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s 5849 votes.

The provisional results by candidates released via the Fijian Elections Office FEO App, which is compatible with smartphones and can be downloaded from Google Play and Apple Store, also showed 3647 votes for Biman Prasad, 2626 votes for Mosese Bulitavu and Lynda Tabuya with 2607 votes.

Update: Provisional Results as of 11.17pm. Source: FEO APP

Ro Teimumu Kepa trailed by a few votes with 1970, Alipate Nagata with 2054, Atonio Lalabalavu with 1711 votes and Parveen Bala with 1779 votes.

In terms of provisional results by candidates from the 521 stations counted, FijiFirst Party leads the race with 75,158 votes (51.26 percent). Other results out of the FEO App as of 10.40pm include:

Social Democratic Liberal Party – 57,182 (30 percent)
National Federation Party – 10,439 (7.12 percent)
Unity Fiji – 1968 (1.34 percent)
Fiji Labour Party – 1022 (0.70 percent)
Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality – 848 (0.58 percent)

Sixth update of Provisional Results as at 14th November 2018 10.46pm. Source: FEO

Blackout period
Speaking to local media tonight, Media Industry Development Authority chairman Ashwin Raj said the blackout period was still in effect as more than 7000 voters were yet to cast their votes after 23 polling venues had been closed because of bad weather.

“The blackout period gives voters that moment to reprieve so they are able to cast their vote without pressure.

“Both mainstream, social media and the civic space have been saturated with campaigns so what we need is that space to make up your mind about who you want to vote for,” Raj said.

“In essence, those 7852 (voters) have yet to cast their votes. We are still in the blackout period and what that essentially means is that we are going to be in the blackout period until the day of polling [for those voters from the 23 affected polling venues].

“We will wait for the Electoral Commission to announce when the polling day is going to be [for those 7852 voters].”

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

Young voters brave the cold weather to cast their vote in Wainibokasi today after public buses failed to turn up. These voters walked for more than an hour before a bus finally arrived. Image: Mereoni Mili/Wansolwara

Fiji youth open up about what they expect from this year’s election

Sri Krishnamurthi — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 22:45:46 +0000

By Sri Krishnamurthi in Suva

It’s wrong to think that the youth in Fiji are unaware of the forthcoming election. They are engaging through social media but want a bit more education on the electoral system in Fiji.

“A whole lot of young people are on social media and you can see a lot of campaigning going on via social media, especially by future women parliamentarians,” says Epeli Lalagavesi, a second-year student at the University of the South Pacific in Suva.

“It is creating awareness about them at the same time.

FIJI PRE-ELECTION SPECIAL REPORTS

“Digital is definitely the trend and that is happening right now. You see the likes of Lenora Qereqeretabua and Lynda Tabuya making use of the social media platforms to share their message. They are campaigning on these platforms.”

USP second-year student Epeli Lalagavesi discusses the forthcoming Fiji election. Image: Sri Krishnamurthi/PMC/Wansolwara

According to Lalagavesi, social media platforms allow the youth to interact and share their views on the election compared with traditional modes of getting the news.

“You don’t see a lot of discussion by young people because they feel in a physical environment they don’t have a say, but online is where they feel safe. That is their space to share and learn. That is where you have active participation,” Lalagavesi says.

Social media is a safe distance away from politicians, they feel they can engage with them instead of reading it in the third person (newspapers) hampered by media decrees.

Hushed tones
The conversations aren’t spoken in public but behind this wall is where their voices may be heard.

“The conversations are underground essentially,” says Lalagavesi in hushed tones.

“I feel as a young person, youth voices are not heard and this has been echoed since the previous election in 2014.

“I feel there needs to be more awareness of young peoples’ voices, not just during the election but after the election. I feel that after the election, youth are sometimes ignored and not thought of as part of the constituency.”

Lalagavesi says universities have a role to play in the political process instead of being subdued.

“To an extent, I feel the need for universities to also open up the discussion about the election, but it is sort of a no-go zone. We can’t discuss this because the university is not political. If you say something political, it be might be seen as an anti-government institution,” he said.

As a first-time voter, he thinks there isn’t enough education around the electoral system.

Not confident
“I don’t feel confident in voting. The way the whole system works – it’s like you are voting for a party and not the person,” he says, voicing his frustration.

“If I am voting for a certain person, and that person does not have a seat in Parliament then it is of no use. My vote becomes invalid unless I vote for the party.

“We definitely need a bit of education on the electoral system because it will allow us to see how the whole system works. I just know bits and pieces of how the system works. So, voter education awareness will help young voters like myself.”

First-time voter Dhruvkaran Nand hopes there will be more focus on people living with disabilities when a new government is elected. Image: Sri Krishnamurthi/PMC/Wansolwara

Another youth, Dhruvkaran Nand, thinks the great unknown about the elections is intriguing.

“It’s going to be a very interesting election and we are looking forward to that,” says Nand without elaborating.

“I’ll be voting for the first time. My expectation is for a government that comes into power to be accountable and transparent – this will help move the nation forward.

“I am also very interested in people with disabilities. I am looking forward to what the government has in place for people living with disabilities. Creating a disability-friendly environment is very important,” says the young man who is living with a disability.

Words of warning
He has words of warning for those relying on social media alone.

“Social media is a great tool if it is used wisely. If you look at it from a global perspective, countries like India and the US are using those platforms to run their campaigns so that is probably a good thing,” he says.

“But you cannot believe what is on social media unless you have verified the information from reliable sources.”

Other young people show just how much they need to be educated about the elections.

Naomi Saurara of Suva is not interested in the elections because of the uncertain date.

“Right now I have no idea about the election because the election date hasn’t been set,” the Fiji National University student says.

However, her friend Kirisitiana Kula is aware and has read several policies.

Better future
“I have read the policies and some of them are good. It is up to us which government we vote in but I’m not sure what is going to happen after the election,” she says pondering the future.

“It depends on what government the people vote for because if you want a better future then you will pick the right government to take over.

“The young should care about the election because they need to focus on their future and think of others too.”

For Krishneel Krishna, it’s a matter of looking at the best benefit.

“We have to vote for the party which gives us benefits for our education,” he said.

“I will stay in Fiji if the wages are good, but if the wages aren’t up to our expectation then that’s a different story.”

There are many choices to be made when it comes to engaging and participating in a country’s national election. But for these Fijian youths, weighing in on the election is a whole new experience, one they know will have an impact on their future.

Sri Krishnamurthi is a journalist and Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies student at Auckland University of Technology. He is attached to The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme, filing for USP’s Wansolwara News and the AUT Pacific Media Centre’s Asia Pacific Report.

Eliki Drugunalevu and Krishneel Krishna exchange views about the impending election and what it means for youths in Fiji. Image: Sri Krishnamurthi/PMC/Wansolwara

Fiji’s anti-corruption investigators charge Rabuka over ‘anomalies’

APR editor — Fri, 25 May 2018 06:31:41 +0000

By RNZ Pacific

The leader of Fiji’s main opposition party, Sitiveni Rabuka, was today charged by anti-corruption investigators, apparently over “anomalies” in his financial declarations.

The SODELPA leader, who is a former prime minister and was the first coup leader in 1987, was called in for questioning last night and for much of this morning before the charges were announced at about midday.

He was due to appear in court later today.

In a brief statement outside the Suva offices of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), Rabuka’s lawyer Lynda Tabuya confirmed he had been charged with a regulatory offence.

RNZ Pacific understands the charges relate to an alleged anomaly in his financial declarations for 2017, a requirement under the Political Parties Decree. Rabuka maintained his innocence.

Rabuka is not currently an MP, so SODELPA’s makeup in parliament will not be affected by the charges. However, this does throw a spanner into the party’s plans ahead of elections scheduled for later this year, on a date yet to be announced.

The instigator of both 1987 coups, Rabuka was made party leader in 2016 to go up against Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, the FijiFirst leader and instigator of the 2006 coup.

‘Politically motivated’
In his statement, Rabuka hinted that the charges could be politically motivated.

“We are under attack,” he said to a group of journalists outside the offices.

“So many forces coming against us at this time, the only thing we can do is appeal to the supreme strength, and that is God.”

In an earlier video statement posted to his Facebook page, Rabuka called for supporters to remain calm.

“I urge all members to remain steadfast and not to panic. If I go I go, others will be there to continue the race.”

Earlier this week, in an interview with RNZ Pacific, Rabuka criticised what he considered a lack of democratic freedoms in Fiji, particularly the sedition laws under which The Fiji Times, a letter writer, and senior journalist were being tried and acquitted.

The SODELPA leader is the second member of the opposition party to be taken in by ICAC this parliamentary term, after the MP Ratu Isoa Tikoca was charged and suspended.

He was acquitted last year.

This RNZ Pacific news item is published under a content sharing agreement with the Pacific Media Centre.

Changing politics trigger predictions for Fiji’s first woman prime minister

Pacific Media Watch — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 20:40:31 +0000

By Nasik Swami in Suva

Fiji might see its first woman prime minister after this year’s general election, predicts New Zealand-based political sociologist Professor Steven Ratuva.

Following in the tracks of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Dr Ratuva believes politics in Fiji is drifting away from the old patriarch-type where men led in the political arena.

“Politics is shifting away from the old patriarch-type to the paradigm-shifting women who have been able to break through the glass ceiling like Jacinda Ardern,” he said.

Dr Ratuva said for Fiji’s upcoming general election, women such as National Federation Party’s Lenora Qereqeretabua, Social Democratic Liberal Party’s Lynda Tabuya and Tanya Waqanika, were strong provisional candidates.

“They are all young, ambitious and smart and they represent the new generation of women politicians who will no doubt become dominant voices in Fijian politics.

He said the three women in particular had become dominant voices in the country.

“Interestingly, Lynda Tabuya, Lenora Qereqeretabua and Tanya Waqanika are all from Kadavu Island where I also come from and they bring with them the critical and intelligent voices from the south of Fiji, which is still one of the least developed parts of the country in terms of infrastructure such as roads.”

Dr Ratuva said the lead-up to the polls would be interesting with many parties yet to announce their women candidates.

‘Anything possible’
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre co-ordinator Shamima Ali said with the shift in the ideologies of the public, anything in Fijian politics was possible, including the election of a woman PM.

Ali said she’d love to see a woman taking charge of the country.

She believes the country needs to get away from its traditional thinking and support women candidates who think outside the box and address pressing issues.

Ali said Fijians needed to look at things realistically, and support and young intelligent women to garner for a seat in Parliament.

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