SUVA, Fiji – Major General Sitiveni Rabuka, leader of Fiji’s two 1987 military coups, says he wants Fiji elections to be held in 2011.  He believes the interim government should ignore the Commonwealth’s order to hold elections by September.

Mr. Rabuka also says the constitutional and electoral reforms proposed by the interim government can only be made by the Parliament and the reforms should be put to the people of Fiji in a referendum.  He explained, “In that way we do not change the constitution unconstitutionally, and we leave it to parliament to make the changes that the interim government feels it should have supported or not supported in the referendum of 2011.”

Describing why 2011 is an ideal year for elections, Mr. Rabuka said, “In my opinion, the best time to have elections would be 2011, as that would be five years after the interim Government came into power.  And normally, we give a tiem frame of five years for the new government and budget cycle to work.”

For more information, please see:

Islands Business – Ignore Commonwealth deadline, elections best held in 2011: Rabuka – 18 March 2009

Radio Australia – Former Fiji PM wants 2011 elections – 19 March 2009

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – After a Fiji court convicted eight soldiers and a policeman of manslaughter last week, the Human Rights Commission in Fiji says the decision shows the country’s legal system has remained independent.

Last week, Justice Daniel Goundar found nine members of the military and a police officer guilty of manslaughter for the death of a 19-year-old man.

In 2007, the nine assaulted and beat Sakiusa Rabaka to death during an interrogation at a military training site called Black Rock.

“They were made to strip and do military type physical exercises. During the exercises they were continuously kicked, punched and hit,” Justice Goundar said. He added that Rabaka was subjected to“degrading and inhumane treatment as a form of punishment.”

Justice Goundar sentenced the nine men in Lautoka High Court to 4 years in prison.

Human Right’s Commission chairperson, Shaista Shameem, says this decision demonstrates that Fiji military and police are not immune from punishment.

“One of the important that Judge Goundar said in his judgement was that no one can take, no officers even if there law and order can not take the law into their own hands because we have separation of power in the country. You know, the Police and the Military do the arrests and it is the court that decides on the appropriate punishment,” Shameem said.

The Fiji Military Force plans on appealing the conviction later today.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Fiji’s law system is independent, says Human Rights Commission – 18 March 2009

FijiVillage – Military to appeal sentence – 18 March 2009

Fiji Daily Post – FOUR YEARS – 18 March 2009

By Hayley J. Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – Former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Sir Rabbie Namaliu, will reportedly chair Fiji’s upcoming President’s Political Dialogue Forum.

The Presidential Political Dialogue Forum will hopefully provide an opportunity for Non-Governmental Organizations as well as civil society groups to meet and discuss Fiji’s political future.

Since the 2006 military coup of Fiji’s federal government, the interim government has promised to relinquish power and hold democratic elections. Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, originally promised to hold those elections by March 2009, but now states he will not meet his own deadline.

During a multi party political meeting on Friday, the United Nations and Commonwealth reportedly endorsed Mr. Namaliu as the Forum’s chair and also named mediators to assist him.

The UN, Commonwealth’s named mediators have caused some friction among two political parties in Fiji.

Fred Caine, from the General Voters Party, says that because the named assistants are not from the Pacific region, they will not properly understand the political situation in Fiji. In addition, Mr. Caine supports finishing the Forum within 6 months and immediately holding elections without first implementing reforms.

Meanwhile, Ropate Sivo, from the Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua, warns the people of Fiji to not allow the UN and Commonwealth to trick them. Mr. Sivo proposed that the Melanesian Spearhead Group should facilitate the Forum instead of the UN/Commonwealth’s named assistants.

For more information, please see:
Fiji Daily Post – ‘More than political’ – 16 March 2009

Radio New Zealand International – Senior PNG figure could chair Fiji’s Presidential Dialogue Forum – 15 March 2009

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The Pacific Islands region, with a population of about 9 million people, presents a range of complex issues for development and gender-equality efforts, including deep social attitudes that limit women’s ability to receive education and career performance equivalent to men’s ability. The Commission on the Status of Women had a panel of presentations from several island nations who spoke of the need to have “gender-responsive programs” that grasp women’s immediate interests and implement relevant strategies for improving conditions across Pacific Island society.  A number of the presenters discussed the need to fully implement and meet the objectives of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).  CEDAW has been ratified by 185 countries but has not yet become a binding global standard for women’s equality.  The treaty has also not yet been brought before the US Senate for ratification.

Ofa ki-Levuka-Guttenbeil-Likiliki, of the Tonga National Center for Women and Children, explained the slow evolution of women’s equality in her country.  In 1975 only 1% of parliament ministers were women and in 2005 Tonga elections had 5 female candidates, the most ever.  In 2008 no women entered Parliament, and only one woman currently serves as MP.

Kairangi Samuela, of the Cook Islands Women’s Counseling Center, explained how cultural standards are used as an excuse for not advancing women’s rights further.  She added that Pacific Island society is now more in need of women in public life than before and would benefit from taking advantage of individual talents of women who may be unable to access positions of leadership or decision-making.

The rising risk of HIV/AIDS to the Pacific Island nations was also discussed and linked to women’s rights and economic independence.  Women who are bound to the home and restricted from accumulating property are less able to take preventative action to avoid becoming infected.  The risk of infection has increased as sex workers from larger Asian nations have moved into the Pacific.

During his address to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the Honorable Willy Telavi, Tuvalu’s Minister of Home Affairs listed some factors contributing to discriminated against women in the Pacific, “the use of custom, culture and tradition as justifications for discriminatory and violent treatment; early and forced marriage, especially in Melanesia; limited access to education; teenage pregnancy and the consequent impacts on health and education; and social acceptance of violent punishment of children.”

For more information, please see:
Islands Business – Commission on the Status of Women Reviews “Pacific Realities” – 16 March 2009

United Nations Development Programme – Translating CEDAW Into Law: Opening Remarks – 07 March 2009

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

SUVA, Fiji – The 18political parties of Fiji and the interim government have come to an agreement for the President’s Political Dialogue Forum agenda after a meeting.  The groups agreed the agenda will be democratic experience in Fiji and parliamentary reform, electoral reform, general elections, and the People’s Charter.  The meeting also agreed there will be 23 representatives from the registered political parties.  The 23 representatives will include 3 members from government.  It was also agreed that 15 NGOs should be represented in the process as well.

Each political party must submit the names of their representatives and the name of 3 NGOs to the Secretariat by March 20th after which the Secretariat will decide which will be included.  The meeting also agreed that the forum can be convened after all outstanding matters are figured out and feedback from the United Nations and Commonwealth on their preparedness are received.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International – Political parties and Fiji interim govt agree on agenda for President’s Forum – 13 March 2009