By Ryan L. Maness
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji — Fiji’s interim government has remained resolute that social change must precede the reinstatement of the electoral process, but this position has been sharply criticized by both foreign and domestic voices.  The interim government, in turn, has been sharply critical towards those organizations which it feels are hindering Fijian progress.  At the moment, among the top targets of the interim government’s anger are media outlets which have printed unflattering portrayals of the interim government and its People’s Charter.  The two most recent examples of the tension between the media and the interim government are the media’s leaking of salary of the National Council for Building a Better Fiji (NCBBF) secretariat director, John Samy, and a text-message conducted by the Fiji Times which found that a majority of Fijians do not support the People’s Charter.

Samy’s Salary Revealed

Fiji Village is reporting that they have received information that the five overseas consultants commissioned to work on the People’s Charter are being paid between $90,000 and $190,000.  While the Charter commission has yet to confirm these numbers, all information points the Head of the Technical Support Secretariat, John Samy, working for a salary of $12,000 per month.  This number alone has caused a stir. 

National Federation Party General Secretary, Pramod Rae, called the revelation outrageous.  He has called it a grave injustice for Fijian tax payers to be footing this bill during a time of economic downturn in the country. 

The interim government responded to the allegations sharply, saying that it was inappropriate for the media to report on the issue of salaries at all.   They point out that the report is “illegal” and that media outlets should compare these salaries to the money lost from the decades of corrupt government spending.  They have also pointed out the fact that for ten months last year Samy worked for free and that even his current fees are only a third of what he is normally paid for his international consultancy work. 

The editor of the Fiji Times responded that taxpayers of Fiji have a right to know how much their civil servants are being paid.  He insisted that if the interim government is professing the virtue transparent government, they should live up to their promise.

Fiji Times Poll Show Mixed Support for People’s Charter

A Fiji Times Poll that ran from 8 A.M. Friday until 6 P.M. Sunday found that 46.2 percent of respondents (761 in total) “disagreed with the plan to set up a People’s Charter”, while 45.8 percent of respondents (755 in total) said that they did agree with the plan to set up the People’s Charter.  7.9 percent of respondents were on the fence.  The Fiji Times did not report a margin of error for their poll.  The poll itself was conducted by text messages, with prepaid members subscribers to the Vodaphone and Inkk services. 

According to the Fiji Times, those people who expressed their dissatisfaction with the People’s Charter said that they the Charter was a waste of money better spent on health, education, roads and sea travel.  They also expressed their feeling that only government officials would be able to clearly express their feelings about how Fiji should move forward. 

Those in favor of the Charter, statistically also younger members of the population, said that they were optimistic that the Charter could reduce the price of goods, will be good for the environment and will reduce crime. 

The interim government has criticized the newspaper for running the poll, accusing them of using the poll as a money making endeavor.  The interim government points to the fact that, in order to participate in the poll, respondents had to pay 50 cents, half of which was kept by the newspaper.  A spokesman for the Council said that the poll “mark[s] a new low from the media of Fiji.”  The interim government said that a poll is perfectly acceptable, only that the timing was suspect. 

The paper responds that it conducted the poll in such a way as to maximize accessibility.  While admitting that they did make some money off the poll, $411.50, the poll was never designed to be a source of revenue.  Pointing to a projected $6000 price tag for advertisements of the poll, the paper said, “It’s clear this was not a money-making exercise for us, nor was it ever going to be. Instead, it was a service to our readers a chance to express an opinion on an issue of major importance to the country.”

For more information, please see:
Fiji Times — Majority says no to Charter, but ‘ayes’ close behind — 15 April 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji interim administration’s charter receives thumbs down in text poll — 14 April 2008

Fiji Times — NCBBF man receives $12, 000 a month — 15 April 2008

Fiji Village — Salaries outrageous – Rae — 14 April 2008

Fiji Village — Calls made to Reveal NCBBF Consultants’ Salaries — 14 April 2008

Fiji Village — I’ve sacrificed a lot: Samy — 14 April 2008

Fiji Village — NCBBF yet to confirm consultants’ pay — 14 April 2008