Abrogation of the 1997 Constitution only compounds the illegality of President Iloilo’s position and his interim junta
President Iloilo’s abrogating the 1997 Constitution is in direct contrast to the Fiji Court of Appeal’s proposal handed down yesterday. The Fiji Court of Appeal upheld the Constitution and found the President’s prerogative powers ceased after the 1997 Constitution and all subsequent actions since the December 2006 coup were unlawful.
The Court also proposed it lawful for President Iloilo to appoint an interim Prime Minister, ‘solely for the purposes of advising dissolution of the Parliament and give advice to the President that writs for the election of members of the House of Representatives be issued.’
President Iloilo on the other hand has seen fit to follow the advice of Commodore Bainimarama and his illegal junta by abrogating the 1997 Constitution and directs General Elections to be held in 2015 in accordance with the NCCBF guidelines. It does not make any sense; except for the fact the abrogation was to protect himself, Commodore Bainimarama and his illegal junta from prosecution.
I said it does not make any sense because when he was ‘restored’ back to power on 06/01/2007, he gave several mandates to the interim Government and one of his important directives was to move Fiji towards General Elections, but his ordering General Elections in 2015 raises doubt as to the genuineness of his statement in 2007.
President Iloilo now is the 1st Head of State in Fiji to abrogate the Constitution and this stigma will endure for generations to come. President Iloilo could still have attained the same result by appointing Commodore Bainimarama or a sympathiser as Caretaker Prime Minister and using the electoral reforms, etc to justify further delays in holding General Elections.
If he had acted on the proposal of the Fiji Court of Appeal, it would certainly have placed the US, Australia and New Zealand in an embarrassing position because the Caretaker Prime Minister and their interim cabinet would be deemed ‘legal’ and all travel bans would have to be lifted. They must be sighing with relief!
President Iloilo’s curtailing this process is short sighted because on one hand it seems to offer temporary relief from any possible litigation for the illegal coup, however on the other hand it has condemned his actions and all his appointments and decrees are now illegal and void abinitio.
Since all judicial appointments have been revoked, all those currently appointed including any Australian or New Zealand citizens should refrain from taking up new appointments in the Fijian Judiciary because President Iloilo’s abrogation of the 1997 Constitution has removed without a doubt any reservations concerning its impartiality.
After the ruling of the Fiji Court of Appeal yesterday, I was sadden it took over 2 years and several thousands of dollars and agreat calamity bestowed upon Fiji for the Fiji Court of Appeal and speak the truth, which is the Bainimarama coup in 2006 was illegal. The lies and counter claims made over this period has not erased from the majority of Fijians their sense of wanting justice done and they felt vindicated in the ruling handed down yesterday, but now with President Iloilo’s abrogation of the 1997 Constitution, it may trigger civil disobedience and mass resistance.
President Iloilo has a lot to answer for and his latest action calls into question his competence to remain as Head of State during this time of crisis. He was clearly provided with a way out by the Fiji Court of Appeal to restore democratic government in Fiji and vindicate himself; yet again he shuns this opportunity, but again decides to follow the illegal and slippery route.
President Iloilo and his illegal junta, so long as the Gate’s decision was law in Fiji continued with business as usual, but as soon as it was overturned and his actions declared unlawful, he abrogates the very document he and his illegal junta have been claiming they faithfully uphold.
These are still early days yet, but President Iloilo should remember and be forewarned that he continues to compound his quagmire of illegality and has lost all objectivity and hope of redemption. All repercussions arising from his erratic and senseless action will be upon his head.
Tui Savu.
Townsville.
Queensland. AUSTRALIA.
Vinaka Tui Savu and keep up the good work.
Keep up the fight ragone!!!
Tui savu, great word works, vinaka vakalevu
Now Fijians and diplomats can cut out the pretense of calling the puppet;- ‘his excellency’.
Now when referring to ‘bernie’, all they need to say is; ‘treasonous, useless, gutless, common criminal’.
Na boci ga, na boci!
Only 2 words come to mind when considering Fiji :-
Guess who will be the usurpers’ new finance minister?
Anyone want to bet on chaudhry the cheat!
The president has clerly taken sides – he dont care for the people.
He should be taken to court for treason.
Great article as always from Tui Savu.
The good to come from this is simply that it is now all ‘out n the open’. The IG has been hiding behind a veil of legality thanks to the childish antics of Shameem and Khayum in exploring every abuse of the legal system available to them.
Clearly they had this on their mind when they excluded the 4 Parties from the meeting yesterday. Now they will have a mandate to do whatever they please thanks to the 64% of stupid people who signed that they had seen the Draft Charter and as we all knew would be misrepresented to the President as support for the Kindergarten document.
I hope that it doesn’t mean violence.
But I do hope that NZ and Aus now take direct action against those citizens that have helped to prop up this farce in Fiji.
Tui , thanks for the article , but can you clarify for me please , does the President actually have the Authority to abrogate the Constitution in the 1st. place ?
If not , then that would mean that until an appeal is heard on yesterday’s case , that Mr. Qarase is still the legally elected prime Minister wouldn’t it ?
And if that is so , then Mr. Qarase could ask for intervention or assistance provided Cabinet ( the legal one ) endorses that .
My understanding is , none of the Members of parliament , ( the legal one ) , have resigned !
Please take the time to e-mail Kevin Rudd :-
http://www.pm.gov.au/contact/index.cfm
Listen if we took our cue from the CoA judgement then everything that happened after 5/12/2006 was illegal. It therefore follows that the GCC was illegally dismantled. So the GCC could now reconvene and make an emergency meeting to elect a new president since old fart has gone off on a tangent and abrogated the constitution which in effect puts him out of office since he is supposed to uphold the constitution which is the supreme law of ths land.
Alternatively we could appeal to the UN for their intervention through the ICC. There seem to be no other peaceful or patient way of getting out of this mire.
Another option , assuming the abrogation is in itself legal , is to elect me your President .
A free four burner toaster and Volkswagen for all , roads and electricity to be supplied at a later date !
Goodness gracious me :-
The new Fiji :-
I mean Chindia .
Right on the mark Peace Pipe…I was thinking exactly on the same line…our chiefs and leaders should now meet and march on to govt. house and vacate the useless guy in there…cos what will the security forces do??…SHOOT THEM bcos they’re walking on to do THEIR JOB for the people whom they SERVE!!!!!
Good thinking,Peace Pipe but Frank will not allow the GCC to meet and will detail the chiefs if necessary. It would be good for individual chiefs to provote a crisis by insisting on going ahead with the meeting. The Vanua will be drawn into the conflct and it might get fractions within the military to act. Who knows. But John Samy, relaxing in NZ safe with his NZ passport, must be feeling very satisfied with his work, for his Charter is now being used by the President to support his action in abrogating the Constitution. Dont be surprised that there will be a puppet PM appointed like Serulagilagi, Bogileka, Sopate Sivo, Ului Mara, Mahen, Aziz or even long falla, with Frank eyeing the Presidency.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the President soon dies , imagine if Frank is made Vice President , 1st. that would put him in line for the Presidency in that case .
So Josefa should watch what he eats from now on !
By the way , does anyone know how Hitler came to power ?
http://www2.dsu.nodak.edu/users/dmeier/Holocaust/hitler.html
The Chancellor died after Hitler was made Vice Chancellor !
He was never elected to that position .
Sound like anyone you know ?
@ Mark,
if I can assist in trying to answe your question above:
The President can only revoke the Constitution in very limited situations where the existence and security of the nation is at hand. This was definitely not the case here as he was provided with a way out as explained by Tui Savu.
What this means folks is that these bastards had anticipated Qarase winning his Appeal, but I am not sure whether they anticipated the proposal made by the Court of Appeal.
Iloilo’s speech read out today had been prepared well in advance and I agree with Tui Savu, that Vore and his illegal junta have jumped the gun by having Iloilo abrograte the Constitution, when there were other options to choose and have the same result.
Iloilo’s abrogation is clearly illegal and will be challenged in the courts, but Shammem and Aiyarse will hand pick their ‘yes men & women’ to stack the courts in their favour.
What they don’t realise is that human being have a deep sense of deceny and justice and despite all the crap Iloilo, Vore and his illegal junta will claim to the people of Fiji, their bullshit will never be accepted and people will be counting their days!
from news ltd in Aust
“”President Ratu Josefa taking Fiji backwards, says Kevin Rudd”"”
THE Australian Government has condemned the Fijian president’s decision to cancel his country’s constitution, saying it’s a grave and unwelcome development.
President Ratu Josefa Iloilo today announced he had repealed the country’s constitution and appointed himself head of state.
He also said he had sacked the country’s judges, following yesterday’s Court of Appeal ruling that Fiji’s military regime was illegally appointed after a coup in 2006.
Fiji’s self-appointed prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, announced he was stepping down following the court ruling.
“The Australian Government strongly condemns today’s abrogation of the constitution in Fiji and calls upon the president to take the opportunity of yesterday’s Court of Appeal decision to take Fiji forwards and not backwards,” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s office said in a statement.
“Yesterday’s Court of Appeal ruled clearly that the ousting of the democratically-elected Qarase government in 2006 was invalid, that (Commodore Voreqe) Bainimarama’s interim government was illegal, and recommended that elections should be held promptly.
“This is the right course for Fiji and the only way forward for the people of Fiji.”
President Iloilo’s decision to cancel the constitution and defer elections was a backward step made at the behest of Commodore Bainimarama, Mr Rudd’s office said.
With the Fijian economy already in decline, the move away from democracy and the rule of law was a grave and unwelcome development, the statement said.
“The delaying of elections to 2014 is completely unacceptable.
“Australia remains firmly of the view that Fiji needs to be returned to democracy as soon as possible, consistent with the position taken by the Pacific Island Forum Leaders in Port Moresby in January.”
By abrogating the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji our puppet president is turning his back on the rule of law.
Let’s make no bones about it. His act makes our beloved nation a rogue state.
And by publicly praising the performance of the military-backed regime the president has made it very clear whose side he is on.
It is not the side of law, which means that it’s not the side of the we, the people of Fiji.
Thanks to the president, we’re now at the mercy of Voreqe Bainimarama and others pulling the president’s strings.
If their performance over the past 28 months is anything to goby, we know that darker days lie ahead.
Without our Constitution to protect our human rights we can expect more suppression of the media and free speech.
Bloggers, it’s going to be a long haul and, we fear, a very unpleasant one.
But the announcement of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon that he will review the UN’s mediation role is a sign that the international community is mindful of what we face.
And we expect our regional friends and neighbours will be quick to condemn our president’s abandonment of the rule of law.
While the short-term outlook is bad, we know that over the long term, our friends will be looking out for us.
And in the end, we’ll overcome and democracy will prevail!
Who gives this old fart the power and right to do what he did? Nowhere does it state he has these vested on him. It is in fact a coup by Iloilo himself as a person and not as president since president don’t have all these far reaching powers. There must be petitions or a appeal lodged to the UN/ICC to intervene since the person in power has no mandate or right and has commited treason and has to be charged and arrested. No one is above the law not even iloilo.
What puzzles me is now that the constitution has been abrogated what law is in force. the old fool has not even got a replacement when he tossed out the constitution.
This Advice is current for Friday, 10 April 2009.
Fiji overall–Exercise caution
Suva–High degree of caution
This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information under Summary and Safety and Security: Civil Unrest/Political Tension (update). The overall level of the advice has not changed.
Summary
We advise you to exercise caution in Fiji due to the unresolved political situation and deterioration in the rule of law following the December 2006 military coup.
Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
On 9 April 2009, a Fijian court ruled that the interim Government, which was installed after the 2006 military coup, is illegal and elections should be held. Subsequently, Fiji’s President declared that he was abrogating the Constitution and would appoint a new interim government. These developments have increased political uncertainty in Fiji.
We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Suva due to the unresolved political situation in Fiji. The current political uncertainty could lead without warning to an outbreak of violence and civil unrest, in particular in and around Suva.
we should not be refering to him as the President…and certainly not Ratu either. Plain iIloilo..is what he needs to be called.. ..all of thoes part of the regime needs to be called by their first name. they dont deserve other
Did the TV news in Fiji go to air tonight?
“”"Fiji to be under Public Emergency Rule
Friday, April 10, 2009
Update: 5:50PM FIJI will soon be placed under public emergency rule, said permanent secretary for Information Major Neumi Leweni this evening.
Speaking to the chief editors of the mainstream media, Major Leweni said the Public Emergency Regulations would be in place as soon as the necessary paperwork and decrees were ready to be effected.
The Regulations provide for the “control of broadcast and publications”, he said.
Section 16 of the Regulations stipulates that the State has the authority to stop any broadcast or publication it believes could cause “disorder”, “undue demands” on security forces”, “promote disaffection or public alarm” or “undermine the Government and the State of Fiji”.
The media’s editors were told that in order to facilitate this, a Ministry of Information officer and a plain-clothed policeman would be stationed in every newsroom so that editors could consult them when in doubt about whether a news item was suitable for publication or broadcast.
Fiji Times editor-in-chief Netani Rika said the company’s news operations would proceed as normal.
“We will as normal conduct ourselves with fairness and dignity despite the added pressures,” he said.
intelligentsiya.blogspot.com pretty well sums all this up. They are so predictable – confusing it with transparency.
Frank is so cowardly as to even steal what last remaining dignity a blithering old idiot of a man has to do his dirty work for him, and even as we blog, Teleni will be trying to conjur up words to relate the actions of the coupsters in order to give them some sort of credibility – perhaps by trying to relate them to it being “Good Friday”.
Shame on Iloilo’s family.
Frank knows he’s in a hole though – he just hasn’t yet worked out that the quickest way out isn’t to keep digging downwards.
Tui
could you give us your views as a Solicitor as to whether or not this statement is correct or close to the truth and whether or not the President in any situation , has the authority to Abrogate the Constitution ?
The Presidency is not a person , but an Institution , and it’s the Institution that must be protected at all costs .
The President simply represents that Institution and is bound by it’s ( the Institution of the President ) to uphold it’s laws etc.
Didn’t Yabaki support the regime at one stage ?
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=118897
One would have to wonder if Frank is performing oral sex on the President to gain his approval in the 1st. place , given that this seems to be the practise of many in the Military .
I imagine now that Rabuka must be holding his head down at these latest events , considering he started it all in 1987 .
I’m just waiting for the price of land in Fiji to plummet so I can buy an Island once the land laws are changed in my favour , then I’ll rent it back to Fijians an an exorbitant rate .
Now 80 years old :-
http://calvinnewton.net/contact.php
This was 15 years ago when he was 65 , he’s now 80 :-!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfISkbm3cVg
Did anyone notice Elvis’ base singer and that both these men belonged to this group of old ? :-
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZNRlW59L2VEC&dq=calvin+newton&source=bn&ei=fv7eSYL4GZOVkAXKj7TdCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=6
@ Meme,
Tui Savu has asked us to reply to your question as follows:
President Iloilo cannot abrogate the Constitution without just cause and in the present situation, there was no dire situation to warrant just cause and his abrogation of the 1997 Constitution is treason. The Fiji Court of Appeal held President Iloilo’s powers only arises from the 1997 Constitution as his perogatives powers ceased when the 1997 Constitution came into existence, so what residual/perogative powers did he rely upon to abrogate the 1997 Constitution? There isn’t any!!! It clearly shows his incompetency to understand the remifications of his illegal and/or treasonous actions further validating his unfit to hold the high office as Head of State of Fiji.
Thanks for that clarification Tui and others , I hope meme reads that soon too !
So all we need now , is some bright intelligent brave and honourable soldiers to take control of the Military , but i forgot , there’s none left in the Military !
This reminds me of Fijians debating what to do about the Regime , all piss and wind at the moment !
@ Hopefiji
There is a Korean serial being aired on TV1 at 4.oo pm on Sundays called Dae Jang Geum where the King is called in his presence something sounding like ” Shoonnaaa ”
No offence meant to the Koreans as it is only sounding Korean but with Fijian meaning; an appropriate name for Iloilo would be
RA SONA ! !
De time has come.
Thank you Tui!
We have gone back to when it first started except this time we have nothing left in the closet to shame them. It has all been said!
I would like to ask Rabuka and those in the judiciary still living today that supported Rabuka in 1987 where do we draw the line?
Will it always be stage a coup and abrogate the constitution? Anyone that has the military on their side will have the power to carry out a coup!
I am sorry to say this is the legacy that KKT Mara has left behind!
Mara had the intelligent and the support to prevent that first coup from happening but then again it is difficult to prevent something when you will end up the beneficiary!
DFAT warns travellers to Fiji
Australia has condemned the end of democracy and the rule of law in Fiji, and warned its citizens to be cautious when visiting the country.
President Ratu Josefa Iloilo appointed himself head of state and repealed Fiji’s constitution today.
He also sacked the country’s judges, following Thursday’s Court of Appeal ruling that Fiji’s military regime was illegal.
Military leader Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama resigned as prime minister after the president’s announcement, but it’s expected he will retain effective power.
“The Australian government strongly condemns today’s abrogation of the constitution in Fiji and calls upon the president to take the opportunity of yesterday’s Court of Appeal decision to take Fiji forwards and not backwards,” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s office said.
“Yesterday’s Court of Appeal ruled clearly that the ousting of the democratically-elected Qarase government in 2006 was invalid, that Bainimarama’s interim government was illegal, and recommended that elections should be held promptly.
“This is the right course for Fiji and the only way forward for the people of Fiji,” Mr Rudd’s office said in a statement.
With the Fijian economy already in decline, the move away from democracy and the rule of law was a grave and unwelcome development, the statement said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says there have been reports of increases in violent crime, with expatriates and tourists targeted.
“This (cancelling the constitution) is a significant decision which may lead to increased political uncertainty in Fiji,” DFAT says on its smartraveller.gov.au website.
“We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Suva due to the unresolved political situation in Fiji.”
An Australian expert said, however, that outright rebellion on the streets of Fiji was unlikely.
“Not on the streets, no,” Professor Brij Lal of the Australian National University told AAP.
“All the guns are on the other side, and people are wary .. with four coups in 20 years, I think there’s a kind of fatigue factor as well.”
President Iloilo’s move had been made at the behest of Commodore Bainimarama, Mr Rudd’s office said.
Prof Lal agreed, saying the president was a “puppet”.
“He is old, he is over 80, he is ineffective and ineffectual and in ill health,” he said.
“My reading of the situation is simply this, that this is the culmination of the coup of 2006 and what the military wanted (then) was to get rid of the constitution.”
Fiji’s judiciary would now be stacked with people sympathetic to the military, he said.
The political instability would make Fiji’s economic problems worse, Prof Lal said.
“In these these times of global financial crisis, no one is going to invest in an environment where there is no respect for the rule of law.
“Finance needs political stability and there is no stability, so why would people invest in Fiji when they can invest somewhere else?”
AAP
The illegals are at it again.
“Gazettes have been released in Suva tonight containing Presidential decrees that bring into law, Fiji President Ratu Josefa Iloilo’s abrogation of the 1997 Constitution and the revocation of all appointments to the country’s judiciary.
The Executive Authority of Fiji Decree spells out the powers of executive authority Iloilo assumed today after he announced he had appointed himself head of State.
The decree states until a Parliament is elected in accordance with a Constitution yet to be adopted, the President will have the power to appoint a Prime Minister by decree, appoint other ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister, make laws “for the peace, order and good government of Fiji by decree in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet”, and, to “exercise the executive authority of Fiji which is hereby vested in the President”.
The document defines “Constitution yet to be adopted” as “the full written Constitution to be drawn up to replace the Fiji Constitution Amendment Act 1997, to be adopted by the people of Fiji in such manner as the Government of Fiji may in the future determine”.
Section five of the decree also says “No question as to the validity of this decree or any other decree shall be entertained by any court of law in Fiji”.
The Public Emergency Regulations 2009 was also published tonight, giving the police and military widespread powers for maintaining public safety.
The regulation governs the conduct of public meetings, movement of persons, and control of arms and possession of offensive weapons among other things.
Anyone found guilty of an offence under the regulations is liable to a maximum fine of $1000 or imprisonment of not more than two years, or both.
What a really shallow revisionist woman the Shaista is:
“Update: 8:27PM THE Fiji Human Rights Commission accepts that the President Ratu Josefa Iloilo had no option but to annul the Constitution and appoint himself Head of State.
In a press statement, the Commission’s chairperson Dr Shaista Shameem expressed “great sadness” over the Constitution’s abrogation but said “the Commission understands that His Excellency felt that the Court of Appeal decision in the Qarase case left him… with no option but to abrogate the Constitution”.
She said the Appeal Court’s ruling was “unenforceable” and she blamed this on the Attorney-General’s lawyers who handled the appeal.
“…the Court of Appeal could not have reached any other decision” because the State lawyers “alarmingly jettisoned the main legal strategy they had employed in the High Court,” said Dr Shameem.
She added that despite the Constitution being abolished, the Bill of Rights remained the prime protector of human rights in Fiji.” FijiTimes
NO OTHER OPTION?
How about simply abiding by earlier promises and undertakings made?
How about just recalling Parliament?
How about even just keeping to the (false but widely harped on about) reasons for the coup in the first place – you know: weeding out corruption, etc., etc.
No Shaista – there’s NO point in now trying to blame everyone else for an ill-conceived coup, lawlessness, nepotism, violence, murder that you yourself signed up to. The world is not fooled and nor are most Fijians.
Silly seato of the Fiji tourist board should be crying today.
Last night, the ABC news had a 4 minute segment about Fiji at the start of the 7pm news. Millions of Australians were glued to their TVs watching images of Fiji.
UNFORTUNATELY for the Fijian tourism industry, the images they saw were of a demented old man suffering from Parkinson’s Disease claiming to be the head of state. The poor old fool could hardly say the words let alone understand what he was mumbling.
The photos of undisciplined, obese police standing everywhere painted a very negative picture of Fiji. Of course the revised travel warning would have sent alarm bells ringing in the minds of many Australians.
The news that Fiji now doesn’t have a judicial system would have been the final straw for many who would be off to the travel agent this morning to change their holiday from Fiji to Vanuata.
The tourist people in Bali and Vila must be smiling this morning as they experience an increase in bookings at Fiji’s expense.
silly stupid seato should just give up; he is fighting a losing battle with idiots like bananasinpyjamas and his puppet, bernie.
Ladies and gentlemen, the new illegal prime minister of Fiji is…..
The envelope please……..
[[rustling sound of paper]]
Well surprise, surprise; it’s bananasinpyjamas.
Bainimarama sworn in as caretaker PM
11/04/2009
Fiji’s military commander Voreqe Bainimarama has been appointed caretaker Prime Minister.
He was sworn in 20 minutes ago by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo at the Government House in Suva.
His Cabinet line up will be announced and sworn in at 3pm today.
Newly-appointed permanent secretary in the PM’s office Viliame Naupoto and Police Commissioner Esala Teleni were present at the swearing in ceremony.
A statement is expected to be issued later today.
Can someone tell us what does “Jo Mirror” (Josaia Iloilo) and Frank (of course, o we know that Frank and Co wrote Mirror’s speech), but anyway, what do they mean when they refer to an electoral system that is “truly democratic” because that is what’s being given as the justification for the abrogation. Does it mean one-person-one-vote? And why does it need 5 years to bring about? It seems Frank will be the one who decides in the end what will be good for Fiji. He relies on Rev. Alms largely theoretical constructs on democracy. Why does Fiji have to put up with these sanctimonious foreigners like the Rev. Alms, Fr Kevin Barr, and others who think they know what’s best for Fiji and have no shame in expressing their minority views?
I want to see them dangle @ the end of a noose Sadam Hussain style.
Bring on the ICC!!!
Pate!
Alms’ model is based on the Israeli system – commonly thought of as the closest thing to a pure democracy (whatever that is) on the planet.
But what does that mean? Their system is diabolically difficult for any Government to get anything done in – you regularly get single-issue or fringe parties like Shas who can undermine whole Governments because all the main parties need their support if they want to stay in power.
The reason I imagine the Regime is looking at a system like this is because they believe that it will fracture the support of the SDL and FLP, and make them beholden to small parties who will not allow them to introduce controversial bills (like Qoliqoli, or Land Use Commission).
But of course, as we can see from the Shas example, this model can work in the EXACT opposite manner, where single-issue parties hold the major ones to ransom.
Thus you can get untenable but insoluble situations like the Israeli one where every single able-bodied Ultra-Orthodox male doesn’t even have to work a day job. Instead he is fully funded by taxpayers to a full government pension just to sit around and study the Torah/Prophets/Writings. Neither major party wants this, but neither can avoid it either if they want to stay in power.
Looked at in this way, the more “true” or “pure” the democracy is, the more unstable it is. I am therefore surprised that military officers who say that national security is their primary concern, are moving Fiji so obsessively and thoughtlessly in this direction.
Taking some examples closer to home, friends and neighbors like PNG and Solomons are moving to change their electoral and Parliamentary systems in the EXACT OPPOSITE direction to the way Fiji is trying to go. Fed up with years of instability, and the inability to get anything major done, they are moving to put MORE workability into their democracies, not less.
So far from solving any problems for us, this exercise in futility will probably just trade one set of problems for another. And at ruinous cost, too!
I’ve just been reading the Fidgety Times ( I mean we can hardly take their publications seriously now can we ? So why not rename the newspaper ! ) and I had a bit of a laugh .
1st. , we’re told by the President , that there is no Government , yet he decides that he will remain ( head of ” the ” state ) not ( ” Head of State ” ) , this was what he said in his broadcast to the Nation !
So , if there is no Government , how come he and Frank remain at their posts ?
You can’t have it both ways !
So , we have a ( head of ” the ” state ) , not a ( ” Head of State ” ) and a Military Commander who wouldn’t mind being a Prime Minister of an illegally appointed Government again !
The Fidgety Times is surrounded by Military Officers who decide what will and won’t be written in their own articles . So we can’t believe anything that is printed in the newspapers or said on the local radio , as the 1st. casualty of war , is TRUTH !
And make no mistake , this is a war !
With control over the media ( apparently the blockheads in the Military Unintelligence haven’t heard of the Internet and forget that they can’t control broadcasts from outside Fiji ) we need to understand quite clearly that the Military can twist delete and distort all information from the media to suit their own ends , in order to fool the general public , as has been done over the past 22 years .
I’m trying to understand the President’s logic though .
He couldn’t appoint a caretaker Prime Minister and dissolve Parliament , as was suggested by the Court of Appeals , because the Nation was without a Government from 3 p.m. Thursday the 24th. of April 2009 , yet he was able to appoint a whole cabinet , including an Interim Prime Minister !
It’s not even a woman’s logic , but then a gain , it may be , if his wife was his adviser , as has been suggested !
I’m really surprised ( not ) that Frank wouldn’t mind being the Prime Minister again .
Well who would have thought ?
Do any of the Fijian civilians realise or are they going to be told , that the President doesn’t have the Authority to abrogate the Constitution which he himself is sworn to uphold and protect ?
Do any of the Fijian civilians understand , that the President’s own argument that there was no Government from 3 P. M. Thursday the 24th. of April , and a country needs a Government to function properly , that the President could have just as easily have appointed a caretaker Prime Minister , as was suggested by the Fiji Court of Appeals ?
Do any of the Fiji civilians understand that the President is sworn to uphold the laws of Fiji and to protect the Constitution and that it is on this basis that he is appointed President ?
No one person , male or female , can abolish a Constitution .
I know , as do many , that this illegally appointed Government will fail .
When you consider that the coup of 2006 started with the detaining , torturing and abusing of Fijian civilians on Christmas eve ( a sacred day in the Christian calendar ) 2006 , and has finished , in part , only to commence a new phase , on Good Friday ( another very sacred day in the Christian calendar ) !
I can’t think of a bigger insult in the Christian sense , but am looking forward to seeing it all blow up in their faces in due course .
To the good people of Fiji who are struggling right now , I feel for you and your families . I pray that you find peace and prosperity in the not too distant future and that you find a way to resolve these issues to the benefit of all Fijians , preferably without further bloodshed .
God bless Fiji and have a blessed and Happy Easter despite these current , temporary difficulties .
Many outside of Fiji , and God , are on your side .
Thanl You Jean d’Ark, Appreciate yr quick analysis on the electoral system that Rev. Alms wants that Frank wants to impose on Fiji. No wonder the smaller parties are ganging up to support Frank on this one, as they stand to gain the most.
Mark Manning . . . bro, login doesnot work with these guys. 1 plus 1 does not equal 2 to them. It equals 5 and the answer is no apparent before you but buried under a pile of rocks that no one can see.
Thats the logic of the mediocre and the uneducated . . . the people who now run Fiji.
In abarogating the Constitution Jo Mirror (Iloilo) has booked himself a meeting with the ICC. The President of Sudan only last month became the first sitting Prez to be charged by the ICC. Iloilo’s unpecedented and illegal usurption of power and sovereignity from the people of Fiji is tantamount to political genoicide and therefore he should be hauled struggling, kicking and squealing to the ICC.
Ropate :- my post from yesterday and many times over the last 2 years .
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Sorry to harp on about the same thing over and over , but I’ve been warning you all for over 2 years now :- as you know , this is an old comment and 2 replies to my comment :- From ” the battle is already won ” February 2008 !
http://thingsimthinkinbout.blogspot.com/
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THE REAL MOTIVE OF THE 2006 COUP!
An interesting excerpt from Mark Manning:
Mark Manning Says: February 18, 2007
The following is a comment I made on the Fiji Times and then two replies to my original comment . I think that the replies fully explain the true intentions of those behind this coup and perhaps even indicate that it was planned well in advance ! I have copied it directly from the pages of the have your say section of the Fiji Times , it has not been changed nor anything added to it in anyway . It is a genuine article from two emotional individuals .
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Subject: Today’s reply to my comment !
1. Mark Manning of Sydney,Australia (38 minutes ago) It matters not what anyone thinks , this regime decided years ago just exactly what it had in mind and how it would achieve it’s goals . Anyone who believes otherwise , is deluding themselves ! The processes this regime have put into place , are merely a smokescreen to hide their real intent . And one can only assume that that is total dominance over all facets of fijian society . Hasn’t anyone in Fiji understood yet , that Fiji is being sold out to the asians from under your feet , by your own countrymen ?
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2. Indian of India (29 minutes ago) To Mar Manning of Sydney Australia-#343.
These silly Fijians do not know- ha!ha!ha!ha!ha! We are controlling their Military now. We will do it slowly until we destroy all the Fijian Institutions and the their land rights. The silly Fijians including the selfish Ganilau and Bai do not know and do not bother. GENOCIDE is the MISSION. It can achieved politically.
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4. GO INDIA GO.5. Crash Stock Exchange of United States (14 minutes ago) To India and Manning
6. hahahaha…yeah lets start with crashing the South Pacific Exchange dominated by India and the banks! Maybe the Fijians can start thinking about the 6 billion deal now…hehehehe Take your pick!
7. Fijians are lousy merchants anyway because their eyes have always been to big for their stomach(traditionally) thus the need to have a corporate body(GCC new look) to curb the crooks that take advantage of the Natadola projects etc. I say Code of conduct is necessary because no chief should be above the law neither are accountants!
Mark mate you begining to sound like and old broken record on this article. I have been reading it for the last year or so and once is enough and I am sure others would agree can we move onto other things.
Celua
your right , but it’s not being posted for those who have already read it , I’m posting it over and over for the newcomers to understand that this has been planned for a long time before the 5th. of December 2006 .