Bai Laws questioned

It’s years since Bainimarama promised iTaukei villages that they could have by-laws to regulate life in villages according to their own customs and values. By-laws were drafted and sent to the iTaukei Affairs Board for approval, but nothing happened.  Roko Tui Lomaiviti, Penijimani Velitokaduadua, has now felt strong enough  to ask: what happened? Everybody else knows they’ve been sent to Khaiyum for his approval and that has not been forthcoming, so Bai needs to come clean.  If he doesn’t support by-laws let him say so. His hypocrisy has been exposed.  He never meant it.  He lied when he made this promise, just as he did when he promised to hold elections in 2009.

Fiji Times July 31, 2014  By-law execution difficult

 

PDP listens to the people

The People’s Democratic party has been visiting iTaukei villages in the Northern Division and listening to the concerns of the people about the protection of their traditional lands. Bainimarama has told them that their lands are protected under the constitution, even though the constitution scrapped all past protections, but the people are asking questions and they want answers.  And while Bainimarama is attacking chiefs, PDP is saying: “We are also working with chiefs and traditional leaders and their involvement is important”.

Fiji Times June 12 2014  Call to secure land rights

Can Frank backdown?

Lease money distribution was hot on the agenda of Ba Provincial Council meeting in Viseisei, Vuda. It seems some people are not happy with the lease distribution system improsed by Bainimarama without any consultation. Everyone knows the system was the brain child of Khaiyum but Bainimarama has taken responsibility and fears he’ll lose face as the tough guy who calls all the shots if he’s forced to back down. People knew how the old system worked and the change was made without any consultation. Why couldn’t he just leave it as it was until he’d asked landowners what they want?

Fiji Times June 03, 2014 Call to change system

Fiji Sun’s pure BS on Bainimarama’s land policy

According to the Fiji Sun, before the changes made by Bainimarama to the distribution of the iTaukei land rents, Sawani Savai of Veisaru in Ba lived in poverty. After the changes he’s rolling in wealth. He “owns a tractor, a carrier van, a house, a 10-acre farm which he owns and plants sugarcane on and another 14-acre farm where he does share farming with the landowner.” The Sun doesn’t explain why he’s share farming with the landowner, when he IS a landowner. Nor does it explain how much rent is received by the mataqali and how much land it owns, or how many other landowners share the rent received. In short: no facts, just pure BS.

Fiji Sun October 28, 2013 PM’s land policy success
http://www.fijisun.com.fj/?p=184355

Not all Fijians are equal

How many times have we been told that in Frank’s Fiji we are all Fijians and we are all equal. If an NGO wants to visit some Fijians, however, it seems they have to have the permission of Government officials. According to iTaukei Affairs Board provincial services division manager Timoci Namotu, any NGO wanting to visit an iTaukei Village must seek approval from the relevant Provincial Council. So it seems that iTaukei are the Natives, some protected species that the Government must protect from foreigners.

Fiji Times October 28, 2013 Council must approve NGO village visits
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=249454

Khaiyum admits playing with iTaukei land in the constitution

Freedom blog site Fiji Leaks exposed changes that were made to the 22 August draft of the new constitution when it was finally signed off by the President. Khaiyum said nothing about this on the day the Constitution was signed but exposure on Fiji Leaks has forced him to admit the truth. Changes were made to the Section 29 covering iTaukei land. He claims the changes increase protection but if that was true why did he not declare this on the day. And what is the difference? Why is there more protection? If legal experts advised him that the changes increased protection why doesn’t he show us what they said to justify the change.

Fijilive September 17, 2013 There are changes, says AG
http://fijilive.com/news/2013/09/there-are-changes-says-ag/55061.Fijilive

Race-based scholarships?

Radio Fiji is spruiking the latest round of iTaukei Affairs Board scholarships and a lot of people are asking why we still have them? Isn’t everything race-free these days? Bainimarama is always delivering sermons on racism directed at his political rivals but he hasn’t dared to abolish the race-based scholarships handed out by the iTAB. Does his new constitution allow such scholarships to be reserved for members of one race?

Radio Fiji Sep 11, 2013 FAB Scholarships
http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/13618/fab-scholarships

Bainimarama’s hypocrisy on land

Lands permanent secretary Tevita Boseiwaqa, has admitted that there was a decline in land dealings, including sales and purchases of land from 2009 to last year. Bainimarama has been urging iTaukei to lease their land but has also been hanging on to Crown land rather than leasing it. He can’t even find land that could be used to restore sugar production.

Fiji Times September 02, 2013 State land underused
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=244362

The Bainikhaiyum leadership factory

Apakuki Kurusiga, the man appointed by Bainimarama to carry our the Khaiyum mission of consigning iTaukei culture to the rubbish bin of history, has declared that “Good leaders are made, not born”. According to the Bainikhaiyum plan, chiefs have to be systematically removed from power. But if good leaders are made, not born, who takes responsibility for Mosese Tikoitoga becoming the Land Force Commander? This potted-bellied, cardiac case couldn’t lead anything more than a charge to the Buffet table. He’s a joke with real military officers.Z

Fiji Sun August 4, 2013 Leadership training for chiefs: Kurusiga
http://www.fijisun.com.fj/2013/08/04/leadership-training-for-chiefs-kurusiga/

Methodists on their knees

Bainimarama loves to humiliate the Methodist Church. He knew he couldn’t deny them the Annual Conference which is the governing body of the church so he has to resort to denying them their choir contest. This is an act of pure malice which will cost him a lot in support from the iTaukei community. The choir contest is always the highlight of the Conference and choirs all over the country spends months preparing. Bainimarama will pay a big price for this petty spite.

Fijilive August 02, 2013 Church awaits response from PM
http://fijilive.com/news/2013/08/church-awaits-response-from-pm/54555.Fijilive