Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

World Video | Defence | Foreign Affairs | Natural Events | Trade | NZ in World News | NZ National News Video | NZ Regional News | Search

 

Fiji: Blueprint Won't Work, Says Baba

USP Pacific Journalism Online: http://www.usp.ac.fj/journ/ USP Journalism on the Fiji crisis (UTS host): http://www.journalism.uts.edu.au/archive/coup.html USP Pasifik Nius stories on Scoop (NZ): http://www.scoop.co.nz/international.htm Have your say: http://www.TheGuestBook.com/vgbook/109497.gbook

By Mithleshni Gurdayal

USP Journalism Graduate on the Daily Post

SUVA: While interim Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's blueprint is seen as a "bible" by many high chiefs, ousted Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tupeni Baba in the elected Chaudhry government thinks the document will only assist elite Fijians and not ordinary Fijians.

Dr Baba said such programmes had been put in place before and only a handful of Fijians had benefited.

The document will do very little to the lot of the ordinary Fijians, who live in villages, housing estates and those who are civil servants like police, nurses and other government workers," Mr Baba said.

"These are the kinds of promises the coup leader of the 1987 military coups [Sitiveni Rabuka] made to the ordinary Fijians and we all know that the living standards of these ordinary Fijians haven't improved over the years."

Dr Baba accepted that indigenous Fijians had grievances which needed to be looked at urgently.

However, he pointed out that some grievances were based on misinformation and lies and therefore needed to be substantiated.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"If there are genuine cases where Fijians strongly feel that they are being discriminated against then of course they need to be looked into."

Dr Baba said that people's grievances should not be used as a catalyst to bring about changes to the existing constitution.

"There are so many other ways of dealing with grievances and surely getting rid of the constitution is not the answer."

Dr Baba said the interim administration had not been able to explain to the public ways in which the 1997 constitution had failed.

"Mr Qarase hasn't fully told us where the 1997 constitution went wrong. All he said is about provisions on affirmative action but those provisions have been catered for in the social justice and affirmative action sections of the constitution.

"Then there is chapter 2 - the compact, which clearly outlines special provisions for indigenous Fijians," Dr Baba said.

"The interim administration is living with the assumptions of coup-maker George Speight that the 1997 constitution was discriminatory against the Fijians."

Dr Baba said the only way forward for Fiji was a government of national unity.

+++niuswire

This document is for educational and research use only. Recipients should seek permission from the copyright source before reprinting. PASIFIK NIUS service is provided by the niusedita via the Journalism Program, University of the South Pacific. Please acknowledge Pasifik Nius: niusedita@pactok.net.au http://www.usp.ac.fj/journ/nius/index.html


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
World Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.