A clear consensus: no one is above the law least of all an illegal regime

More to come on New Zealand's sudden show of support for the dictatorship government of Frank Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum and the raid on Fiji national's homes in Auckland. Supporting statements meanwhile of the concerns raised by the regime's own appointed Constitution chairman regarding the latest decrees ....... both geared at giving the regime immunity and control of the so-called reform process.

SDL Party statement on Commission stance

While the Constitutional Commission welcomes the promulgation of two Decrees relating to the process of drafting a new Constitution for Fiji, the Commission has also expressed concerns over several key issues.

The SDL Party joins the Commission in expressing similar concerns.

The Leader of the SDL Party, Mr. Laisenia Qarase said today that the Constituent Assembly Decree would give the Prime Minister complete control over the size and composition of the Constituent Assembly. The number and who will be appointed to represent various groups remain unclear and one can only assume that the Prime Minister will have the ultimate say. This will make nonsense of the declaration by Government that the Constitution – making process will be inclusive, participatory and transparent.

The Decree requires that immunity be provided for the 2006 and earlier coups. Fiji has experienced three or four coups since independence in 1970. Everyone should know that the crime of treason is a serious one indeed. Those who committed and aided the last coups knew this very well. The principle of “no one is above the law” should be applied equally to all citizens. Those involved in previous coups should have the courage to stand up and account for their actions before the law. There should be no exception, said Mr. Qarase.

While the SDL Party welcomes the announcement that the requirement of permits for some meetings has been temporarily suspended, the relaxation does not go far enough. Restrictions on interviews with the media and communications through radio, newspapers and television remain in force. The current environment is not conducive to free, fair and effective consultations with members of the public on this vitally important process of constitution – making.

Mara: New Zealand is picking on the wrong people

Roko Ului Mara talks to the Nukualofa based magazine, Matangi Tonga, about the assassination allegation and the process to bring about a Constitution and elections

"I am quite surprised, you know there is a mention of a plot to assassinate the illegal dictator in Fiji, so I am still surprised as to how my name came into the picture," was Ratu Tevita Mara's reaction to a TVNZ news item that the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service SIS and police had this week raided the Auckland home of Rajesh Singh, alleged to be involved in a plot to kill Fiji leader Frank Bainimarama and his Attorney General Ayaz Sayed Khaiyum. 

Mara said that was the first time he had heard of it, "Absolutely, that’s the first time."

Mara's name was mentioned in the news item because Rajesh Singh had said the members of the Movement for Democracy in Fiji were being targeted by the SIS because of their association with Mara, a self-exiled military man also known as Roko Ului Tevita Mara.

Mara is living in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, after fleeing Fiji aboard a Tongan navy patrol boat in May last year.

Mara told Matangi Tonga Online yesterday, July 19, that he had visited Rajesh Singh, a former Fijian Cabinet Minister, twice while he was in Auckland a few days ago.

While Mara was surprised by the raid and the allegation, he also said that he was not surprised with a possible assassination attempt on Commodore Bainimarama.

"This is not the first so-called assassination attempt on him. There was one in 2007, and the message is loud and clear. We are living in a democratic society and the time for dictatorship has long gone," he said.

Sense from Ghai and the Constitution Commission

Fiji: still fighting for true democracy.

 

Ghai: regime putting credibility of elections at stake

In a week where the illegal leader would have New Zealand arresting 'terrorists', his own unelected government has produced two more unlawful decrees.

They are the Fiji Constitutional Process (Constitution Commission) Decree 2012 and Fiji Constitutional Process (Constituent Assembly and Adoption of Constitution) Decree 2012.

Both relate to the drafting of the new Constitution to replace the one Frank Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum illegally abrogated in 2009 to ensure their longevity.

According to Khaiyum, the Constitution Commission decree will allow Section 8 of the Public Order Amendment Decree to be amended to allow what he says is the 'full participation of all Fiji citizens in the process', including political parties.

Supposedly, no permits will be needed other than those for meetings held on public roads, in public parks or gardens and in sporting arenas and people can appear before the Constitution and say what they want without fear of reprisals.

So if the decrees are so good, why then has the regime-appointed Constitution Commission gone public with its concerns?

Yabaki calls on regime to remove Media decree

Yabaki: POAD statement

The CEO of the Citizens Constitutional Forum, Akuila Yabaki, who has been cited for contempt by the regime's illegal attorney general, is challenging the regime to allow people to speak freely.

In a statement titled POAD, Amendment Included Needs To Go, Yabaki says the suspension of Section 8 of the amended Public Order Act must be seen for what it really is - an initial step towards the removal of restrictions on the freedom of expression placed on all Fijians.

“Critical to this process is the opportunity for Fijians to be able to speak freely about their aspirations and dreams and their fears and frustrations about past, present and future governments.

“If the discussions on the constitutional process are to be transparent and in order that all people may be apprised of the views of others, the media must be permitted to provide unfettered coverage of discussions, views and consultations."

Yabaki himself has been curtailed by the regime, with the illegal attorney general Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum yesterday revealing he was taking the CCF CEO to court for publishing a story on the controversial Nigel Dodds report, Fiji: the Lost Rule of Law in its quarterly newsletter.

Bainimarama tries to push NZ's buttons over so-called 'terrorists'

Earlier times: Banimarama and Mara

Not surprisingly Fiji's self-appointed prime minister has taken advantage of reports of a so-called plot to kill him to urge the New Zealand government to do something about what he claimed is 'terrorists' and to blame the democracy movement for stopping the work of his unelected government.

In an interview with the Auckland based Radio Tarana, Frank Bainimarama said he is not surprised at the suggestion of an assassination plot against him and Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, saying  New Zealand should do something about 'terrorists' in its country.

The former SDL Fiji Cabinet Minister, Rajesh Singh, yesterday revealed New Zealand security officials had raided his home on Tuesday claiming they were investigating an assassination plot, and taken his daughter's laptop and his cell phone.

Called to account: Gillard and Key pic The Australian

Singh said he and other Fiji nationals spoken to by the plain clothed policemen had been told there was 'credible evidence' the former 3FIR commander, Tevita Mara, and New Zealand national, Anthony Fullman, had plotted the killing while in New Zealand a fortnight ago. 

The allegation has been denied by Mara and Fullman but Bainimarama told Tarana from Korea where he flew to two days ago, that a plot would not surprise him: "That is the work of cowards." 

Fiji Kiwi's homes raided over so-called 'plot to kill Bainimarama'

Rajesh Singh. pic TVNZ

The Former SDL MP, Rajesh Singh, says New Zealand SIS and police raided his home and those of other Fiji nationals over an alleged plot to assassinate Frank Bainimarama.
 

Singh has told New Zealand media police officials, armed with a search warrant, took  his daughter's laptop computer and his cell phone yesterday.
 

He told Fairfax media the security officials told him they had "credible evidence" the 'assassination' was planned in Auckland a fortnight ago during a visit by Tevita Mara.
 

Rajesh Singh said he was also asked if he knew Mara, who was in New Zealand two weeks ago.
 

He says the told him they had 'credible evidence' Mara and another New Zealander were planning to kill Bainimarama and his attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum.
 

Singh told Fairfax: "I said that was news to me... I said it never happened, we never talked about those things."

Greedy Gates and Goundar exposed by judiciary staff

Gates: exposed by staff

More explosive details from the judiciary with Coup 4.5 today getting details and evidence of the illegal Chief Justice, Anthony Gates, abusing the authority of his office.

GOUNDAR: exposed by judiciary staff.

Sources within the judiciary have leaked documents from the illegal Chief Justice Gates directing the principal accountant by way of a memo dated August 17 2009, to ensure that he and Daniel Goundar did not lose any of their entitlements.

Gates' memo stipulated that both his and Goundar's service record must remain intact, along with their salaries, FNP entitlements and leave as if there had been no abrogation of the 1997 Constitution in April 2009.

 
Information supplied to us shows that Gates and Goundar received six weeks salary and benefits from the time the regime abrogated the Constitution to their reappointment on 22nd May 2009 - when there was effectively no judiciary and no judicial appointments made.

Our sources have confirmed that Gates and Goundar received between $18,000 - $26,000 when neither were officially appointed judicial officers.

Khaiyum cites CCF for publishing rule of law report that singled him out as culprit

The regime has turned on its pom pom girls with the illegal attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, now taking the Citizen Constitution Forum to court for publishing a story on the loss of rule of law in its newsletter.

Khaiyum's court action follows the mystery break-in at the CCF's Suva office and the theft of a laptop.

Nigel Dodds and report

National Intelligence Bureau police are investigating along with the theft of hard drives, laptops and cameras from the Peoples Charter Constitution Commission. (see our ealier story)

At a news conference today it was revealed Khaiyum's office had been granted leave by the High Court to issue contempt proceedings against CCF and its director, Reverend Akuila Yabaki.

Hard drives and laptops stolen from office of Peoples Charter and CCF

Offices broken into: Yash Ghai, Yabaki Aquila and Jill Cottrell.

Both the offices for the Peoples Charter and the Constitution Commission and that of the Citizens Constitutional Forum (CCF) have been broken in to but Fiji police are not treating the burglaries as related.

Items were taken from both organisations with offices of the Peoples Charter at the parliamentary complex losing the most: computer hard-drives, cameras and laptops.

Just a laptop was taken from the CCF office.

The break in to the offices of the Peoples Charter and the Constitution occured in the early hours of Thursday last week and was discovered on Friday morning.

But police are baffled because there was no forced entry into the building.

Fiji regime deploys more personnel to UN ops than NZ, Australia and Canada combined

UN Plaza: pic Selwyn Manning and Scoop Media.

By Sewlyn Manning

A UN Mission’s Summary report obtained by 36th Parallel shows that on May 31 2012 Fiji had deployed 359 soldiers and/or police to UN operations. This same report showed Australia had contributed 112 personnel, Canada 158, and New Zealand 24 personnel.

The comparative report for April 30 2011 showed Fiji had deployed 278 soldiers and/or police to UN operations. That snapshot report showed Australia had contributed 109 personnel, Canada 213, and New Zealand 24 personnel.

The data shows that the governments of Australia and New Zealand have not impeded the participation of Fijian troops in UN peace-keeping operations in spite of their public calls to that effect, and in fact have not impeded a rise in the number of Fiji troops being deployed to United Nations operations since the December 2006 military coup.

Despite Fiji’s military being warned by the United Nations secretariat in November 2006 that if it conducted a coup, overthrew its government, and installed a military-led regime, then its contribution to UN-led operations would be reduced or suspended, the United Nations increased the number of Fiji personnel deployed in the immediate post-coup period.

That trend has increased in the six years since.
In December 2006, at the time of the Fiji military coup, Fiji had 275 troops serving in UN peacekeeping missions. By April 30 2007, a report published by the United Nations’ Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) showed Fiji had 17 extra soldiers deployed to UN missions – with a grand total of 292 soldiers participating in UN peace missions.

Qarase case reaching critical stage

Qarase and Draunidalo heading to court. pic Fiji Village

The Laisenia Qarase trial got to the heart of the matter today with defence lawyer Tupou Draunidalo filing for a permanent stay on proceedings.

Draunidalo pointed out that potential witnesses, namely the chairman of Fijian Holdings Limited and Fiji Development Bank, Lyle Cupit and the former minister of finance, Josevata Kamikamica, have died and the unavailability of Cupit is a disadvantage to Qarase.

She also reminded the court that during cross examination, the FICAC's star witness, Sitiveni Weleilakeba had named Cupit as the main player. 

Draunidalo also noted that Qarase was originally charged in 2008 and that it is now 2012, adding that Fiji authorities had waited about 16 years to investigate the charges against Qarase and yet no explanation has been given for the long delay before the case was finally heard.

Villager made to pay for EVR muck up

Police charge villager. FBC pic

The heavy hand of Fiji's military government at play again today.

The regime has charged a 58 year old man from Serua with criminal intimidation after he confronted electronic voter registration clerks for arriving a day later than they were supposed to.

Peni Turagacovu is to appear in the Navua Magistrates Court today with the regime using media to warn people that 'disruptions to the EVR process will not be tolerated.'

Director Police operations SSP Rusiate Tudravu is quoted widely as saying: “I want to make it clear to the public that the Police will come down hard on anyone who tries to disrupt the EVR process. This is the government’s intention and we are here to provide the safety and security of the officials.”

Coupfourpointfive last week reported that glitches in the unelected government's ambitious campaign to register 600,000 voters in eight weeks were already surfacing.