By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania
SUVA, Fiji — The National Council for Building a Better Fiji has nearly completed its first draft of its National Charter and it will be disseminating it to the public next week. Discussions are ongoing about the best way to distribute the document to the populace, the document will first have to be endorsed by the entire council (a process which should happen this week).
Once the draft has been released to the public, a consultation phase will begin that will last until September, said Council member Filimoni Kau. He added that any objections from the public will be taken into consideration.
While objections will be noted, council members were sure to point out that objections would not derail the process. “However, the charter will still have to go ahead despite any objections,” said Kau. “It is clear that we want to move forward and whatever people say will not hurt us a bit.” Another member of the draft team, Adi Finau Tabakaucoro, also told Fijilive that the Charter process would proceed despite objections
The first draft of the document is scheduled for presentation to President Ratu Josefa Iloilo on 10 October, after consultations with the three provincial divisions are finished.
For more information, please see:
Fiji Times — Draft Charter to be ready in October — 01 August 2008
Fijilive — People’s Charter draft ready for public — 31 July 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji’s council for Building a Better Fiji close to release of draft charter — 31 July 2008
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SUVA, Fiji — Human rights organizations have called for a reevaluation of police protocol this week, after an escaped prisoner was sent to the emergency room in critical condition after his recapture by Fiji Police. Jo Baleiloa was admitted to Suva’s War Memorial Hospital Thursday with several cuts on his head and with all of his fingers and both his legs broken; he was taken to surgery the same day, but he remains on life support.
The Non-Governmental Organisations Coalition on Human Rights has decried the incident and has called for a detailed investigation. “Authorities must urgently address this violence in the police force so that the Fiji public, particularly women who often face violence in their own homes, feel that police stations are safe place,” Chair Virisila Buadromo said. “These rights are protected by international law, and by our own Constitution. While we appreciate the role of police officers in our community, we absolutely abhor this alleged violent assault against Baleiloa.”
Also raising her voice against police protocol is Anisa Naukila the mother of Tevita Malasebe, a rugby player who died as a result of a beating received while in police custody. Naukila said that, “What they did to my son again happened to the boy. It’s the same injury that my son had. From head to toe. I’ve only seen it on TV but I want to go down to the hospital to see the boy. They haven’t learned. I just don’t know what’s wrong, what’s going on.”
A police spokesman said that the police will be conducting an investigation and is taking the matter very seriously. “The commissioner has not said to have an inquiry as yet. He has had a talk with our minister, the minister of defence, obviously there’s going to be an internal inquiry into the issue surrounding the arrest of Mr Baleiloa from police to our officers, but at the moment it hasn’t begun.”
For more information, please see:
Solomon Star — Further condemnation of Fiji Police Methods — 01 August 2008
Fiji Times — Pressure on authorities to probe Baleilo bashing — 01 August 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji NGO calls for end to police brutality — 31 July 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji police to probe arrest of escaped prisoner — 31 July 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Further condemnation of Fiji police methods — 31 July 2008
Fiji Daily Post — Address violence, says human rights body — 31 July 2008
Fiji Times — Stop brutality: NGO — 30 July 2008
Fiji Times — Baleiloa still in critical state — 30 July 2008
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SUVA, Fiji — This week the Fiji Electoral Committee confirmed that Fiji will not hold democratic elections next march, as had been originally envisioned. The Committee chairman Mohammed Kamal Ud Dean Sahu Khan told Radio Fiji that changes needed to be made to the electoral system before any election could be held and that such changes would take between 12 and 15 months. While it is not known what changes will have to be made, the Committee suggested that new electoral boundaries might be needed. “The Commission was putting great effort to ensure that elections are free, fair and transparent,” Mr Khan said. “So basically the electoral commission is not concerned with the reforms that the government is putting in place but we are an independent commission and we would like to continue with our work so that the people know that the election commission is not sitting idle.”
Fiji’s interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama made similar comments about the necessity of delaying elections in earlier in July.
For more information, please see:
Fiji Times — Poll will take time: Khan — 25 July 2008
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji Electoral Commission confirms poll delays — 25 July 2008
