Fiji Democracy Now Blog

Frank the hypocrite parent

Fiji Democracy Now — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:07:14 +0000

Never mind that it took him days to get his arse into gear and react to our severe floods, but even then the dictator wasn’t going to let us forget what a lying hypocrite he happens to be. In a news release from the Ministry of Information which tries to make the dictator sound like a leader, Bainimarama is quoted warning parents in flood-affected areas to “look after” their children. What exactly does he mean by “looking after” children? Does that mean “looking after” a child the way he has “‘looked after” his drunken lout of a son, Meli? Does it mean arranging for the taxpayer to fly your son to Hong Kong to watch the Sevens and travel around in a stretch limo? Or does it mean teaching your son to drink himself into a drunken stupor, as shown above?

FBCL 29 January 2012 PM warns parents to look after children

How long has Air Pacific Got?

Fiji Democracy Now — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:49:23 +0000

We cannot help but suspect something is seriously amiss at Air Pacific, something we the public are not being told about because it’s something Air Pacific’s executive wants to keep secret. Fiji freedom blog, Coup Four And A Half claims a source within the airline says things are not going to get better. This is because nobody likes or respects regime supporter, CEO Dave Pflieger, who was the interfering hand behind the draconian Essential National Industries decree. The recent hold-ups, flight delays and unconvincing explanations only go to prove that instead of owning aircraft, the airline is chartering aircraft and has been for a while – at a huge cost to the company, the country and its shareholders, the people of Fiji

Coup Four And A Half 29 January 2012 Pflieger and team working hard to ‘spin’ their way out of Air Pacific woes

Our international reputation trashed

Fiji Democracy Now — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:44:22 +0000

Thanks to the Bainikhaiyum regime, our once proud reputation and international standing lie in tatters. The latest proof of this is the 2011/2012 Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders and just posted on their website. It shows that, in terms of media freedom, Fiji is ranked at 117th in the world, on the same level as Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. Frank and Aiyaz should take a bow!

Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index 2011-2012

Liar, liar!

Fiji Democracy Now — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:40:47 +0000

There are few leaders around the Pacific who know Frank Bainimarama better than the Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. And that’s why his latest pronouncement should be of special interest to anyone who cares whether democracy is ever returned to our beloved nation. According to Tuilaepa, our dictator, Voreqe Bainimarama, is lying through his teeth when he says there will be elections in just over two and a half years. Tuilaepa was very succinct: “Promises from the military regime of general elections in two years’ time are a pipe dream,” he told the world’s media. So, folks, there you have When, oh when, will there be someone in charge in Fiji whose word can be trusted?

Radio Netherlands Worldwide 28 January Fiji elections in 2014 ‘a pipe dream’: Samoa PM

Leave it to the spin doctors

Fiji Democracy Now — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:56:15 +0000

Our discount tourism brand

Fiji Democracy Now — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:54:13 +0000

Once again blogger Real Jack has put his finger on one of the key problems that Sayed-Khaiyum, our so-called Minister for Tourism, seems to know nothing about: our tourism brand has been damaged by the coups. Heavy discounting since 2006, have given us an image as the destination of choice for the lowest spending tourists from Aussie and NZ.

“the tourism sector is a discount one – there is no value in it beyond the cost of the hotel rooms and the food at the hotels.

now that we have added $FJD150 departure tax into the cost of coming to Fiji which triples the cost of coming to Fiji in comparison to what it costs elsewhere in the region, this is whats going to happen.

these tourists coming to Fiji pay for their hotel room, their departure taxes and their airline ticket.

over and above that they have no other money to spend. they have coaxed out. there’s no disposable income in their pockets to spend beyond what they have budgeted for.

this is different to whats happening in South Africa and places like that – where they attract high value tourists to do safari tracks and things like that. the value is a lot higher and their imprint is wider within the south african economy. in Europe its the same thing -with the tours of cities and historical sites and stuff like that.

here in Fiji the value is discount and the only imprint is within the fenced hotels. outside the fenced hotels we get no imprint. zero. zilch. sega bau. nai hai.”

Is this a message to the Marist Principal?

Fiji Democracy Now — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:51:11 +0000

Have we at last found out what Bole’s school zoning policy is all about? He’s warned school principals that they have to accept enrolments from any student within their zone. They’re not allowed to reject students because of low marks. Has the dimwit child of someone with regime connections been knocked back by the Principal of Marist? What Bole doesn’t seem to understand is that many school zones overlap, so Principals at top academic schools are entitled to say to the dim-wits that they should try some other school whose zone they’re in.

Radio Fiji January 28, 2012 Head teachers warned on school zoning

More regime soft-soap?

Fiji Democracy Now — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:46:02 +0000

Following the plea in yesterday’s Australian newspaper for a bit of kiss-and-make-up from Inoke Kubuabola, Ms Information has hit the Australian airwaves, offering the prospect of Radio Australia again being allowed to broadcast its signal in Fiji airwaves. Could it be that the regime has done some sums and realises that our big traditional aid donors, who give real aid – grants, not loans – are too important to be pushed away for the sake of childish temper tantrums?

Radio Australia 27 January 2012 Fiji signals it may switch Radio Australia back on

Are we supposed to be impressed?

Fiji Democracy Now — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:42:36 +0000

The military have announced that $10,000 of their bottomless bucket of funds will be transferred to the PM’s flood appeal. Are we supposed to think this is generosity? If Frank wanted to impress us, he’d hand back some of his leave money, or cut his future travel plans. All this empty gesture does is draw attention to the fact that our self-appointed rulers feel guilty about all of their thefts from the public purse.

Radio Fiji January 28, 2012 Military gives $10K to PM’s flood appeal

What is Bole on about?

Fiji Democracy Now — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:37:22 +0000

All week, the only the thing that Filipe Bole has been worried about is getting evacuees out of “his” schools. Is he senile or what? Or is this just a continuation of the regime’s denial about the scale of the disaster that’s hit the Western side? The families affected by the floods are pleading for understanding but all they get is the usual bully response from Bole.

Radio Fiji January 26, 2012 Clear all schools: Bole

Fiji Sun 27 January 2012 West schools open from Monday

Fiji Live January 28, 2012 Flood victims plea for shift in school start date