Fiji election breaches should be denounced by Australia and New Zealand

Bainimarama accused of stealing SODELPA colours

Caught breaching its own decree, trying to steal another party's name, another's party colours - what next?

Predictably, the regime is turning a deaf ear to criticisms and blithely going ahead as though it's business as usual.

But a series of breaches have now exposed the regime's lack of transparency and ongoing unfair treatment of political parties and it should be investigated and eliminated from the election.

Australia and New Zealand and the international organisations who've supported the regime's elections plans all need to acknowledge the sham and put pressure on the Suva administration to right the wrongs, if they are to retain any credibility.

The breaches, committed by both Frank Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, are major and can't be ignored.

There is irrefutable evidence Khaiyum registered himself the name Bainimarama is using for the elections, Fiji First, in November 2009, then re-registered it again in January this year.

Bainimarama has meanwhile been campaigning 'officially' for more than a fortnight, despite not having registered his party, and has been allowed to collect the required 5,000 signatures as he goes. 

Khaiyum's Political Parties Decree says no individual or organisation is allowed to campaign or act as a party until it has been registered.

Fiji police are supposedly investigating four complaints already laid against Bainimarama, including exerting influence on election officials and naming a candidate before he had even registered, but there has been no outcome, let alone comment.


Neither has the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, voiced or noted any concern about the breaches or complaints.

That is to be expected. Saneem, the regime's former Permanent Secretary for Justice, was appointed Supervisor amid controversy by Khaiyum.

The United Front for a Democracy has challenged the  appointment saying Saneem wasn't recommended by New Zealand, Australia or 'private experts' as claimed by Khaiyum after Australian Laurie McGrath turned down the role.

UFDF, who asks what happened to the other 10 candidates who applied, says Saneem was too young to have even voted in 2006.


Fiji media are today reporting Bainimarama has delayed registering his party but is still travelling the country collecting votes and he and Dr Jiko Luveni are due to open a womens resource centre in Bua on Friday.

School principals have meanwhile been warned by the permanent secretary for the Public Service Commission, Parmesh Chand, not to engage in any political campaign or activity.

Chand says principals cannot be seen to be using their influence as it is prohibited by the Political Parties Decree, the very same decree that is being breached left right and centre by the regime.

Proposed party defers registration

07:10 Today

Taken from/By: FBC News
Report by: Apisalome Coka

The proposed Fiji First political party has deferred registering with the Elections Office.
The proposed party which was to have registered yesterday is still collecting more signatures.
FBC NEWS understands proposed party leader Voreqe Bainimarama will move to areas which he is yet to visit to gather signatures.
The proposed party is also awaiting signatures from the maritime zones.
Bainimarama will finalise the numbers then apply for registration with the Elections Office.
The Political Parties decree says a party must have at least 5000 members from all four divisions of Fiji – 2000 from the Central Division, 1750 members from the West, 1,000 from the North and 250 members from the Eastern Division.

- See more at: http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/19319/proposed-party-defers-registration#sthash.dR2DsJX8.dpuf

Beddoes: Rule of law must apply to everyone

An opinion piece by Mick Beddoes, of the United Coalition for a Democratic Fiji

 

When we fail to apply the rule of law equally to every citizen our moral & ethical compass as a society fails with it.    

                          

On May 1^st Mr Chaudhry will be sentenced and if it involves a custodial term then he will be the second of our democratically elected Prime Ministers to be sent to prison for offences that can only be described as misdemeanors when we compare it to the capital offences committed by the usurpers of our democracy in 1987, 2000 and 2006.

Speight serving time - but what of others.

Both of our former Prime Ministers have already been disqualified from participating in the 2014 elections as a direct consequence of their convictions and Mr Qarase has already served his time. Yet two of their 3 usurpers, not only remain free, they are eligible to contest the general election that has been denied to the two Prime Ministers they over threw.

The third usurper, a civilian, was charged and sentenced to death, which was the penalty for treason at the time. His life was spared when the death penalty was removed for capital crimes by parliament and George Speight is still serving his life sentence for his part in the 2000 coup.

Fiji police drag feet on election decree breaches

Two more complaints have been filed against Frank Bainimarama for breaching the regime's own decrees, aimed at annihilating the political parties at the September poll.

Fiji police say they are investigating but our question is: Will there be a quick outcome as when the chair of the Media Industry Authority, Ashwin Raj, decided without a hearing that Ratu Timoci Vesikula had made a 'hate speech' and that Fiji TV was wrong to run it?

Raj ruled within a day of receiving the complaint from Sharon Smith Jones of the Fiji Ministry of Information.

Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum listed as buying Fiji First domain

The United Front for a Democratic Fiji and Mick Beddoes filed the complaint about Bainimarama campaigning without first registering his party on March 30 and for using the country's coat of arms on his campaign bus on April 1.

Another two complaints were filed yesterday (one of exerting influence on party officials and the other that Bainimarama doesn't have the required 5,000 signatures yet is in full campaign mode), but there has been no comment other than police acknowledging complaints have been made. Par for the course.

Bainimarama has been using government and taxpayer resources to vote hunt, for at least two years, if not longer, bringing us to another discovery: there is  evidence his strategist, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, bought the domain name Fiji First several years ago - 2009, according to some sources.

Bainimarama revealed only recently he was going to the polls under the banner Fiji First, a name we now know has been around since 2008 and the 2012 Constitution consultations.

Question: When was the plan for an election hatched? - and was the domain name bought in anticipation of installing Bainimarama 'legally' in government, even before they started manufacturing decrees?

Another question: Is Qorvis still being paid $1million in Fiji taxpayer dollars to fund Bainimarama's campaign?

Ashwin Raj speaks of the need for media to play fair, but it's the political parties who are getting the raw deal.

In recent days Fiji Village made a big fuss about SODELPA youth leader, Pita Waqavonovono, getting ticked off for using swear words in a tweet about Fiji First.

In another story, a second SODELPA official, Tupeni Baba, was cited as 'complimenting' Bainimarama for his campaign style of going out to the people.

The Fiji Sun, meanwhile, trumpeted 'True democracy is a high turnout at the polls' plus the line "The prime minister has shown it pays to get out among the people."

It only pays though, it seems, when Bainimarama gets accolades and not a talking to, as Timoci Vesikula gave him at the Tailevu Provincial Council meeting.


Be prepared for more 'fair play rulings' while genuine complaints are delayed or buried.

Editor's Note: C4.5 did not run the Vesikula speech and the MIDA reaction at the time and takes the opportunity to publish both at this time. We will also try to catch up on some of the debate that came about as a result of the 'mixing water and kerosene' comment.

Fiji coup leader again caught for breaching electoral decree

BLATANT BREACH: First it was the coat of arms, now it's this.

Fiji's self-appointed prime minister has been caught for a second time breaching the Electoral Decree as he continues to chase votes for the September 17 election.

Frank Bainimarama's Fiji First Party is clearly promoted right at the top of the Elections Office page. 

We quote from the Decree:

Section 113  Prohibition on use of State resources to campaign

 (1) It shall be unlawful to use State authority, including law and tax enforcement authorities, to pressure or intimidate political opposition.

 (2) It shall be unlawful for any public officer to conduct campaign activities.

Bainimarama and his Party are already being investigated by the Fiji police after using the country's coat of arms on his campaign bus the first week he outed his party.

The complaint has been brought by Mick Beddoes of the United Front for a Democratic Party.

Beddoes has also complained about Bainimarama campaigning before he registered his party.

The name Fiji First was already taken.

There is also the question of the 2006 coup leader snaffling the name Fiji First, which had already been registered by two other people.

Readers can go to the Elections page itself to see how Bainimarama's propaganda team, Qorvis, are using government resources unfairly to get votes for him. 

We'll also keep a track on how long it stays up there. 

http://www.electionsfiji.gov.fj/shortlist-for-voter-registration-assistant/

Bonuses for Fiji Airways staff but what of FNPF loan?

PFLIEGER: Led the borrowing spree.

Profit shares and bonuses for Fiji Airways management and staff but no mention of National Provident Fund pensioners being repaid.

Fiji Airways borrowed millions from FNPF to use as collateral for the purchase of three new Airbuses when it was still operating as Air Pacific.

The CEO who hatched the plan with the illegal attorney general, Dave Pflieger, has since fled these shores but his successor, Stefan Pichler, has revealed staff are in line for

PICHLER: Handing out the bonuses.

more than $1.25M in profit-share and bonuses.

Pichler says 67 in management will get $4,000 while 810 non-management employees will get $1,400 each.

Staff are also expected to be get  quarterly performances bonuses of $1,200. 

Workers employed by the subsidiary Pacific Sun (soon to be Fiji LINK) all qualify for the share payout.

Pichler says the profits are due to a 2.5 per cent increase in passengers and were approved by the Board last year.

David Pflieger and Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum borrowed $200 million from FNPF to fund the purchase of the new planes at a cost of $1.8 billion but the Airbuses are owned by a company registered in Ireland as Waqavuka Financing Ltd, which leases the aircrafts to Fiji Airways.

Khaiyum funnels $40,000 into lame dance show to save brother

FBC's new dance extravaganza all over the place.

A small but deadly little gem about convenient deals behind the scenes between the Khaiyum Brothers.

Riyaz Khaiyum and Sandeep Narayan.

Moles have revealed the illegal attorney general,  Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, bailed younger brother, Riyaz Sayed Khaiyum, out of the Fiji's Dancing Superstar show because it was a big flop.

The older Khaiyum gave the head of FBC News $40,000 to allow the last two episodes of the show to go to air after Ganesha Productions and producer, Sandeep Narayan, ran into money trouble - despite the show the getting prime spot, just after the News.

Booklet drama shows race on for grassroots vote

CCF BOOKLET: Under attack. Below: Khaiyum's selective memory.

Ironies on ironies but as those who've been fighting for a true return to democracy know, it's par for the course.

In another important battle in the lead up to the September elections, the illegal attorney

general is waging war on the Citizens Constitution Forum again, claiming a booklet it is distributing is 'misleading, full of lies and damaging.'

Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum claims the CCF is trying to cause disquiet among landowners, denying there will be compulsory acquisition of land.

He insists the regime's 2013 Constitution makes it clear that if the state no longer requires land for public purposes 'it must give back that land.'

Chaudhry concedes he's had the $1.5m but will it be enough for a get-out-of-jail card?

The verdicts of two important cases expected tomorrow - that of bail variation for Sri Lankan national Jagath Karunaratne and the verdict on Fiji Labour Party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, breaching the Exchange Control Act.

Karunaratne is accused of sedition after allegations he and four others wrote anti-government graffiti in Nausori and Suva, in 2011.

Karunaratne wants to be able to report to any police station and to have his curfew lifted.

Chaudhry's situation is murkier.

Coupfourpointfive followers will know the charges revolve around the $1.5 million Chaudhry collected in India during a visit rallying for support for the victims of the 2000 coup.

Election date and party named as Bavadra's daughter rekindles NFP links

DRAUNIDALO: NFP's new president

So we've been told at last: the name of Frank Bainimarama's political party and the date the election will be held: Fiji First Party and September 17.

It follows the release of the overdue Electoral Decree 2014. 
 

More on the decree later but significant development today with the announcement by the National Federation Party that lawyer, Tupou Draunidalo, has been elected president.

New names touted for Fiji election

Names are starting to emerge from the rival camp for the elections.

Self-appointed prime minister Frank Bainimarama has announced Minister of Women’s Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Jiko Luveni, will run in his party - yes, the same party that has yet to muster 5000 supporters and be officially established.

Another one to poke his head out from the woodwork is the illegal health minister, Dr Neil Sharma, who says it’s a 'distinct possibility' he will stand.

Police moles say the former police chief, Esala Teleni, is also thinking of fielding his own party, using his brother's new 50-thousand strong Methodist Church as his support base.