Constitution in 2013

This Fiji Times report obviously displays the censorship that is currently taking place in our media newsroom, as opposed to the report given by Peceli Vocea in Geneva that all is well and good in Fiji with regards to the public having access to news reports. But as it is clear here, the public has been denied the right to hear the WHOLE REPORT, as it is heard by the rest of the world.

Mary Rauto

Monday, February 15, 2010

FIJI'S new Constitution will be in place by September, 2013.

This is the assurance Fiji's Ambassador to the European Union Peceli Vocea gave the Working Group of the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
While presenting the country report, Mr Vocea said this would give the people of Fiji a year to become familiar with its provisions before elections are held a year later.

He reiterated that work on the new Constitution would commence by September 2012.

"Consultation on the new Constitution will involve all the ordinary citizens of Fiji as well as civil society groups focusing on issues such as electoral reform, the size of the new parliament, the sustainability of a bi-cameral system, the term of office of a government and systems of accountability of government to the people," he said. IS THIS FOR REAL? DOES THIS MEAN THE SDL PARTY MEMBERS WILL ALSO BE INVOLVED IF THEY WANT TO. AND DID YOU TELL THE WORKING GROUPS HOW VOREQE PLANS TO PLAY lord OVER ANY NEW GOVERNMENT, MEANING HE'LL STEP IN AGAIN WITH HIS GUNS, IF HE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON?

Mr Vocea said despite the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution, the respect and enjoyment of fundamental human rights in Fiji had not been affected nor did it affect the rule of law. MY OH! MY. THEN WHY THE P.E.R AND MEDIA CENSORSHIP?

He said critics had asked why work on the new constitution would not commence before September 2012. "The answer is very simple, at least to those who know and understand Fiji's history," he said. "Fiji has had a colonial history which created many anomalies and inequalities, the legacy of which resonates today.

"On each occasion that a new government has been voted into power, the old elite who benefited financially from the previous established government has been able to successfully destabilise the government and replace it with its own supporters and representatives." AGAIN, WHO ARE THESE OLD ELITE? CAN YOU NAME THEM, PLEASE? AND GIVE US EVIDENCE OF THEIR FINANCIAL GAINS, SO, WE CAN HOUND THEM AND GET BACK WHAT WAS OURS THAT THEY TOOK. AND WHILE YOU'RE THERE TELL VOREQE HE OWES US $180+K ETC ETC AND WHATEVER HIS NEW ELITE IS GETTING AWAY WITH FINANCIALLY.