NEWS
TWO of Fiji’s opposition politicians have told Radio Australia they don’t believe the commitment made by military regime to allow a return to democratic rule in 2014.
President Ratu Josefa Iloilo had promised elections in September 2014 when he scrapped the country’s constitution on Good Friday.
Fiji’s international neighbours have criticised that date, arguing instead for elections to be held this year.
But the two politicians, Ted Young of the Soqosoqo Duvata ni Lewenivanua Party, and Pramod Rae of the National Federation Party, said they did not believe Voreqe Bainimarama’s commitment to elections in 2014.
The two are in Australia talking to academics and politicians, and were guest speakers at the Fiji Democracy and Freedom Movement’s march and rally on Sunday.
While Young said there had been no physical beatings or physical harassment by soldiers so far, Rae said psychological intimidation was a regular occurrence.
“Mental torture, psychological intimidation is just as bad or even worse [than physical intimidation],” Rae said. “We receive calls, telephone calls on a regular basis from senior military officers telling us they’re unhappy about what we’re saying.
“So what I’m more concerned with is the feeling I get when I receive these calls as to what the caller is feeling. Like some of these senior military officers appear to be really frightened of what might happen in Fiji if people like us continue to criticise the performance of the interim regime.”
Young said no one Fiji believed that Bainimarama would keep to his promise and have elections in 2014, a view Rae echoed.
“As to the September 2014 date, well it was Ratu Josef Iloilo himself who in written communication to us earlier on had said March 2009,” Rae said.
“Bainimarama several times said March 2009. That didn’t happen. Now they say September 2014. We are under no illusions that it will happen in September 2014.
Rae said they were afraid that by the time elections were called, the regime would have already decreed that parties like SDL and NFP were ineligible to participate.
“Because this is specifically provided for in the charter. There are provisions there to penalise political parties like ours who do not go along with the values that they are trying to create.
“They’re trying to systematically and culturally re-engineer Fiji society. And the society that they’re trying to create they obviously see no place for political parties like Mr Qarase’s SDL, Mr Young’s SDL or our NFP,” Rae said. – fiji uncensored
I think in Bai’s 2nd rehash of Iloilo’s coup speech, he clarified that the 2014 date was the EARLIEST possible election date. So in that light, the date is already meaningless!
But as things continue to deteriorate, and the Regime slowly wakes up to the fact that there probably won’t be any turnaround point for the economy, or the Charter, or their “popularity” this side of 2014, then it will become obvious to everyone that 2014 is a mirage
Comment by Jean d'Ark — May 26, 2009 @ 21:43 |
Bula JD! Good to see you’re still around fighting the good fight. Have a good one. BB.
Comment by ratubill — May 27, 2009 @ 08:14 |
Who wants SDL and its controversial, racially divisive policies in Fiji? Hope they never ever be seen in parliament again. For you Pramod Rae and your NFP, go home son, the electorate has rejected you lot repeatedly. Dont you get the message? The NFP was strong and credible when the late A D Patel, the late S M Koya and were at the helm, as was the late Rt Hon. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara for the Alliance Party. This is 2009 for God’s sake. Have you conveniently forgotten Pramod that your fellow NFP members stabbed Mr Koya in the back when he won the 1977 election and was to be sworn in as PM. Remember that infighting for 4 days after NFP being declared winner? Do you also remember the “Dove” and “Flower” faction of the NFP? Do you expect Fijians to trust your NFP with running the affairs of State with your secularly polarised history? When the late Ratu Sir George Cakobau, the then Governor-General appointed the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara as PM of a minority Govt after waiting for more than a considerable amount of time for your NFP to get their act together, you cried foul, didnt you?? May be the anti- Koya, Irene and Ramrakkha can elaborate further on this, but the fact is that the NFP should be liquidated effective immediately. I challenge you Pramod to reply to this because I have more to tell you about your own party the NFP
Comment by joe — May 29, 2009 @ 04:52 |