Different dimensions It took them many moons to come back to their senses and to understand that they can speak their mind freely today without the watchful eyes of their former watchdog. Now that they’ve realised that the game of politics shifts to a different dimension, I believe Mr Seruiratu (FT 14/8) and Mr Usamate (FT 16/8) sound like they are desperate and trying their best to be heard nowadays. Keep up the good work from the otherside anyway.
AREKI DAWAI Maharaj Place, Suva 92-year-old writer Ninety two years is an age which not many reach and here we have got a former politician who has penned down his beautiful political journey which will surely inspire many young politicians and politicians to be. He would be the best headmaster to school some young politicians. The achievement of Hon HC Sharma to write a book at this age is a testimony of the saying; “Wine improves with age”.
Utmost respect to Hon Sharma sir! Rohitesh Chand Lomawai, Nadroga Reject PACER Plus When PACER Plus was first mooted at a Pacific Island Aviation Conference where I was present as Fiji’s delegate, I could see it only benefitted Australia and voted against it. Now it is rearing it’s head again. Please do not agree to it.
Norman Yee Martintar, Nadi Raksha Bandhan Raksha Bandhan is an auspicious festival of togetherness and is enthusiastically commemorated across our and other parts of the country. As Raksha means protection and Bandhan means link, celebrating Raksha Bandhan represents the protective relationship between a sister who ties the holy thread on her brother’s wrist. With this, the sister wishes her brother a good life, and the brother assures her that he will defend her in every situation.
Rakhi is celebrated in the month of August. This day falls on the full moon or Purnima day in the Shravan month. The festival of Raksha Bandhan is observed as a symbol of duty between brothers and sisters.
The occasion is meant to celebrate any type of brother-sister relationship between men and women who may not be biologically related. Spending this day in the presence of each other is no less than a blessing for the siblings. The beautiful relationship between a brother and sister is unique and cannot be described in words.
Sibling bonds are extraordinary and are essential in almost every part of the world. Indians all of descendants have dedicated a festival, Rakhsha Bandhan, to appreciate sibling love. Wishing all the best on this occasion.
Neelz Singh Nelson, New Zealand Record collection With record revenue collection by FRCS, I gather that all of Fiji’s problems will now be solved. The Minister of Finance is ecstatic about the record revenue. In hindsight, his offsiders in the Fiscal Review Committee and he must be pinching themselves that instead of putting VAT up to 15 per cent on all items they should have gone a bit further and put it up to 20 per cent.
Just imagine how much more revenue they could have collected. Anyway, that is a thought for next year’s budget, because it is never too late. Congratulations are due to the Minister of Finance and no doubt they will be celebrating by cutting a cake with the ubiquitous salusalu and kalavata when the PM returns.
The people of Fiji are truly blessed. Jan Nissar Sydney, Australia Thoughtful questions I agree with Nilesh Lal, executive director of Dialogue Fiji (FT 17/8), that the current constitution does not need an overhaul. In my view it needs a new “engine” to drive the nation forward into the future.
Nilesh lauds many aspects of the current constitution but fails to acknowledge the glaring shortcomings of the electoral process eloquently described by Daniel Fatiaki (FT 16/8). Daniel challenges us with some thought provoking questions that need to be addressed and answered. Nilesh, equal citizenry was imposed by the former administration without the blessing of our Indigenous peoples or the GCC.
The removal of the GCC was a direct affront and violation of their traditional tribal values and customs. There’s a string of other anomalies in the current Constitution that directly and negatively affect our Indigenous peoples. I’m no constitutional expert but, seriously, if a country is to forge ahead without the threat of instability that you candidly describe then due consideration must be given, first and foremost, to the deep emotional and customary attachments that figure in the lives of our Indigenous brothers and sisters.
When the word Fijian was first mooted as the branding to describe all citizens of Fiji, I was ecstatic. And when it became legal, I thought it was something that was long overdue. However, on reflection, I’ve since had a change of heart.
And the reason is that I believe the very definitive identity of our indigenous peoples was hijacked. Fijian democracy cannot be compared to other democracies around the world. It must be exclusively Fijian in design, culture, language and authenticity taking into account Fijian history and our indigenous people’s values, attitudes and attachments to such matters as land ownership, customs and traditions.
The rest of us who’ve made Fiji home through different forms of migration are Fiji Islanders. And we represent a smorgasbord of ethnicities from all over the world. Protection of our indigenous peoples and their land rights, culture, heritage and traditions must be paramount in the minds and hearts of all who will be engaged in the consultation, research and redesigning process of a new constitution.
If it’s done with the blessings of our indigenous peoples and the GCC then it will remove the breeding ground for fear and mistrust. It will become the bedrock for building a cohesive and harmonious society for now and for future generations. Colin Deoki Australia Liquor and poverty levels To keep drunkards, drug addicts, kava connoisseurs and aimless teenage “loiters” off our roads and streets before each sunrise; ease our poverty levels, allow me with careful thought, propose a change to liquor trading hours.
As soon as all night clubs; bars and kava saloons close at 1am each day, liquor should only be made available from 9am, and no earlier. No liquor sales should be permitted between 1am and 9am, all 365-days each year. Many of our predominantly iTaukei youths, men, women simply cannot handle alcohol responsibly.
This is a known fact, though not appropriately acknowledged, in my view. Society must be able to feel safe and secure during early morning walks for health, especially senior citizens. Women and children must be able to buy bread daily at 5am without fear, intimidation and any cause for alarm.
Besides, two dollars saved from buying liquor, a “spare roll” and/or another bilo, easily translates into a loaf of bread for family breakfast, each morning. In Martintar, Nadi I often observe school children, as young as 6, 7, 8 year-old walking to school from 6am. This is always heart-breaking and cruel.
As a retired senior, life is also a struggle. Our pensions were “stolen” post February 2012 – thanks to that “bullying” and ill-founded Fiji First FNPF Decree. Some of us were “forced” to then take “lump-sum”.
We continue to be hard done by. Poverty is very real. That spare dollar to try to assist the needy, is often times, very elusive.
Ronnie Chang Martintar, Nadi Government vehicles I agree with the Opposition Independent member Jone Usamate that at times we see government vehicles being abused. We agree that our ministers and permanent secretaries cannot be everywhere to monitor these but we see some drivers are not honest to their work. Several times I have seen these drivers overtaking us on double lines.
I did once and got booked. At times I also noticed the police cars with siren take full advantage of these lights and drive so wrecklessly causing trouble and damage to others. One good example is only last Wednesday (14/08) at about 10.
45am I was driving along Thomson St when near the Westpac Bank I could see in my rear vision mirror a police car with emergency lights on behind me. Suddenly he tried to overtake me from the left and while doing so he bumped my front wheel and mudguard causing considerable damage. The vehicle number was GS*** (I have the number with me) and the driver had no courtesy to stop.
Instead he took off at a faster pace. I tried to follow him but couldn’t do much due to heavy traffic. I also believe that some of these drivers are not experienced enough to handle expensive government vehicles.
Careful monitoring of such wreckless and less experienced drivers is essential now. VIJAY MAHARAJ Navua World Humanitarian Day 2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers. 2024 could be even worse.
These facts lay bare a glaring truth: the world is failing humanitarian workers and, by extension, the people they serve. Despite universally accepted international laws to regulate the conduct of armed conflict and limit its impact, violations of these laws continue unabated, unchallenged and unchecked. And while civilians, including aid workers, pay the ultimate price, the perpetrators continue to evade justice.
This failure of those in power cannot be allowed to continue. Attacks on humanitarian workers and humanitarian assets must stop. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop.
This World Humanitarian Day, we demand an end to these violations and the impunity with which they are committed. It is time for those in power to end impunity and #ActForHumanity. Each year, the United Nations observes World Humanitarian Day with a theme.
The theme brings together all the people from across the humanitarian ecosystem to improve and raise awareness for the survival, wellbeing, and dignity of people affected by crises and for the safety of humanitarian workers. One observance of World Humanitarian Day was themed ‘The Human Race’. The theme aimed to highlight the issues related to the global climate change emergency.
It also highlighted the immediate consequences of the climate emergency of the world’s most vulnerable people and raised awareness for their wellbeing. Such an act is to serve humankind. We all are suffering in someway or other.
Neelz Singh Nelson, New Zealand Constitution amendment Many sensible commentators have recommended amendment of our imposed flawed Constitution. But now that we have a rare serendipitous opportunity to make those amendments, some commentators are suggesting that we should slow down that process. Although it’s clear that a broadly-acceptable well-drafted Constitution will require wide consultation and input from experts and from Fiji’s diverse communities, and will therefore take considerable time to formulate, there is one section of the current constitution that should be amended without delay.
Section 160 sets out the procedure for amendment of the Constitution. It is imperative that our present Parliament moves forward quickly with a Bill to amend this section such that future amendments will only require the support of 51 per cent of all registered voters rather than the current requirement for 75 per cent. And perhaps the current requirement that 75 per cent of all Members of Parliament support the Bill can be reduced to 67 per cent for future amendments.
If these changes to Section 160 are not made during the current term of Parliament, then we will have no chance to make any broader changes to the Constitution during future terms of Parliament unless the Constitution is either abrogated (not a good option) or is referred to the Supreme Court for its determinations. For those commentators who are concerned that 51 per cent of all registered voters might be too low a threshold, this will in fact still require 73 per cent of the voters in any future referendum to support those changes if we have a normal average turnout of around 70 per cent of registered voters. It will be no easy feat for any future Government to make changes to the Constitution even with that lower 51 per dent threshold, but probably impossible, as Professor Regan mentioned, if we don’t make at least that change now.
Aren Nunnink Hooper St, Savusavu Renewable energy Fiji is committed to improving renewable fuel but EFL has increased use of fossil fuel increasing diesel consumption to an exorbitant level. Why is EFL not following instructions? Dan Urai Lautoka.
