Reprieve for Aussie priest comes at same time as Bainimarama telling camp he'll stand in 2014

The country's unelected prime minister has told camp he will contest the 2014 elections, the same day he has allowed the Catholic priest he threatened and tried to deport to stay on.
 
Voreqe Bainimarama announced at camp this morning that he will stand in next year's elections.

Soon after it was revealed he had reversed the earlier decision to have Father Kevin Barr deported.

Father Barr, who has worked in Fiji for 32 years, was forced to take refuge in the Australian High Commission yesterday after he was told the Minister of Defence wanted to 'talk with him'.

He was expected to be either deported last night or Sunday.

Aussie priest holed up at High Comm after eluding Fiji soldiers

The Australian Catholic missionary who was threatened by Frank Bainimarama recently is understood to have taken refuge at the Australian High Commission.

Father Kevin Barr, who has been working in Fiji for 32 years, was tipped off about the Minister of Defence, Joketani Cokanasiga, seeking him earlier this afternoon.

C4.5 was told told soldiers had tried to pick him up from Wailoku earlier this afternoon.

We've since heard that he managed to avoid soldiers and has taken refuge with the Australian High Commission.

Qarase support still the key to SDL success and regime downfall

Qarase: Harnessing huge support that will need to be transferred to a new leader.

 

Ro Teimumu Kepa

Fiji's last democratically elected prime minister continues to influence politics on the ground, even though he's been behind bars for six months.

Laisenia Qarase was jailed last August after being found guilty by regime prosecutors of the abuse of office and failure to discharge his duty as a company director in the 1990s.

Voreqe Bainimarama's nemesis, however, continues to wield influence from Korovou: his SDL party met today to find an English name as required under the new Political Parties Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosure Decree with leaders saying he's still leader.

The party has agreed on the Social Democratic Liberal Party as suggested by the party's patron and former Education Minister and Rewa chief, Ro Teimumu Kepa.

'Pyschopathic' attorney general puts boot into Fiji democracy movement

Darling Grubby,

It has been a quieter week, thank goodness. But it has been really enjoyable for all that. 

There is no better sound than the death throes of the political parties in Fiji. The sound of their whingeing is music to our ears and you know what was best of all? Hearing them bleat to Australia and that final death moan as they realized Carr Crash couldn't care less.

I have spent some time with the True Leader, Aiyarse, this week. He is fascinating and good company. In fact, he is fast becoming my absolute hero. 

Grubby, if you want to get back to the top of my Most Wanted list, you will need to acquire some of Aiyarse’s better characteristics. Just to help, I did some intense research into the matter. (In fact, I went straight to Psychopath in Wikipedia.)

Fiji regime's hefty salaries unravelled

BAINIMARAMA: Enjoying the high life but denying big salary and backhanders

The regime is under fire again for its salaries but as has been its practice, it refuses to disclose how much it's paying itself and how they're being paid.

Not surprising: the unelected government of Frank Bainimarama has been trying to deflect revelations (most of it coming from insiders) for some time.

KHAIYUM: Salary and perks just the icing on cake.

Information tunnelled out in the past three years show Bainimarama and Khaiyum are being paid more than any other prime minister and attorney general ever have been in the history of Fiji: intel sources maintain Bainimarama is pocketing $700,000 a year and Khaiyum over $800,000 for handling between them at least 15 portfolios.

Others, including the minister of police, the illegal chief justice and the minister of education are all doing very nicely as well and no one is getting less than $100,000 FJD.

Bainimarama had promised in 2007 all government ministers would be paid one salary instead of per portfolio. 

Latest Chinese visit sparks whispers of Fiji land deals

Pomp and ceremony but Fiji's not unique in the scheme of things and neither is it China's only ally.

Qian at QEB yesterday.

Qian in Sri Lanka in 2011 doling out the same support package.

The illegal leader Frank Bainimarama was all frocked up for the visit of China's Minister of Defence, Major General Qian Lihua, but others have been there before him and he won't be the last one donning whites to secure funds from China's estimated $200 billion military budget.

According to statements, Qian's visit, which included a tour of the Queen Elizabeth Barracks, means more support from China for training, vehicles, uniforms and stationery; pretty much what Beijing doles out to other military run countries it has relationships with.


Qian's visit will have been noted by the United States, Australia and New Zealand, along with the news from the Fiji Sun that Fiji could also receive new navy vessels to replace its 'aging' boats.

Call for income and assets to be disclosed extended to include RFMF and flood funds

United Front for a Democratic Fiji

JOINT  STATEMENT

20 January 2013

Tax payers want plain answers, Mr Khaiyum- stop evading the issue!

Why is the Attorney General dodging issues we raised demanding accountability from Prime Minister Bainimarama and himself, the Leaders of the United Front for a Democratic Fiji (UFDF) asked in a joint statement today.

These two hold high government office and are required by law to maintain transparency and accountability in the management of public funds and taxpayers’ moneys.

The UFDF Leaders said the AG was being evasive by claiming that government accountability was not the issue.  It is very much the issue. The regime is demanding transparency and accountability from everyone else except itself. Isn’t this the height of hypocrisy?

The principles of transparency and accountability, as important aspects of good governance, apply equally to all persons holding high public office whether they are officials of political parties or holding executive government positions.

Indeed, these principles of good governance are even more important in the case of those in executive government positions such as the PM and the AG as they are responsible for the management of public funds or taxpayers’ moneys. 

China and India: the elephants in the Fiji room

By Professor Wadan Narsey

When it comes to Fiji affairs, the international media usually focus on what Australia and NZ think.

Thus when the Fiji Regime recently created a political crisis by rejected the Draft Constitution devised by its own Yash Ghai Commission, Jenny Hayward-Jones, in her article (The Interpreter, 11 January 2013) noted "despite this setback, international actors including Australia should continue to press for progress in re-establishing democracy in Fiji and engage where they can to maintain momentum in the process".

But the dialogue needs to also include the two "elephants in the room"- China and India - whose critical support for Fiji's Military Regime has arguably undermined the diplomatic stances and sanctions imposed by Australia, NZ and the EU.