He says they are putting their own economic interests ahead of the need to protect Pacific Island nations from the effect of climate change.

"I won't be going to Paris wearing the usual friendly, compliant Pacific smile," warned Bainimarama. "In fact, I won't be going to Paris in a Pacific frame of mind at all. I fear that our interests are about to be sacrificed."

He said the Pacific Island nations are "Doomed to suffer the most negative impact of the rising temperatures caused by the carbon emissions that have accompanied the industrial age without having contributed to those emissions in any meaningful way at all.

"In fact, we in the Pacific are innocent bystanders in the greatest act of folly of any age."

"The industrialised nations (are) putting the welfare of the entire planet at risk so that their economic growth is assured and their citizens can continue to enjoy lives of comparative ease."

"All at the expense of those of us in low-lying areas of the Pacific and the rest of the world."

New Zealand prime minister John Key doesn't think other Pacific leaders share Bainimarama's views towards New Zealand and Australia.

He said leaders who attended the Pacific Forum meeting, "speak very fondly of New Zealand, they have a strong relationship with us and they want to engage even more with us in the future."

Bainimarama did not attend the Pacific Forum meeting.

He says the Australian government, in particular, seems intent on putting its own immediate economic interests first.

"The ‘lucky country' determined to stay lucky, at least for the short term, at the expense of its unlucky island neighbours.

Bainimarama said the prime minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull should halt new coalmines in Australia and embrace an economy based on clean energy. Such a ban has been proposed by a coalition of Pacific nations in the recent Suva declaration.

However, Turnbull, who lost the leadership of the Liberal party in 2009 over his support for an emissions trading scheme to combat climate change, dismissed the idea of a ban.

"I don't agree with the idea of a moratorium on exporting coal," he said. "With great respect to the people who advocated it, it would make not the blindest bit of difference to global emissions.

"If Australia stopped exporting coal, the countries to which we export it would buy it from somewhere else."

Australia has the highest per-capita carbon emissions of any industrialised country.

It is also a leading exporter of coal and recently approved Adani's $16.5bn Carmichael mine in Queensland, which will extract up to 60m tonnes of coal a year for export to India.

The annual emissions from this coal will be higher than the entire carbon output of New Zealand.

Source

• theguardian.com
• theguardian.com
• 3news.co.nz
• news.com.au

He also said "We congratulate Frank Bainimarama for leading us to elections and for his party's election victory."

Archbishop Peter made this statement, as Fiji celebrated the 44th-year of independence last Friday.

Archbishop Peter said that be truly an independent nation, Fiji needs to move beyond patron-client politics.

He defined Patron-client politics as being the manner in which ethnic politics or how politicisation of ethnicity is carried out.

"Patron-client politics neglect national development and its strategies were limited to the short-term gains and interest of patrons and clients and, therefore, national developments could not receive the primary focus and commitment they deserve," Archbishop Peter said.

"It develops a syndrome of dependency as they depend heavily on government assistance for their economic development.

"Patron-client politics stifles the kind of consciousness and competitiveness that are essential ingredients for democracy," he said.

Source

• Fiji Times
• Image: ABC

The new democratically elected Prime Minister of Fiji Rear Admiral (Ret) Voreqe Bainimarama says he intends to govern for all Fijians.

This was his message to about 4000 party supporters who attended the FijiFirst inter-faith thanksgiving church service at the ANZ Stadium last Sunday.

"While I'm sure supporters of other political parties are disappointed, I want to say to them that this is how parliamentary democracy works."

"I also want to say to them that I intend to govern for all Fijians.

"I will be your Prime Minister too because I passionately believe in one nation, one Fiji and that everyone has a place in it, whoever you are, wherever you come from and whoever you voted for."

Bainimarama said he believed that an overwhelming majority of Fijians have turned their backs on the politics of division and embraced a united future.

"We have chosen the path of fairness and justice. The path of equal opportunity,"he said.

"To the minority who are still caught in the past, I say to you, please come and let's all move forward together - we must have an inclusive Fiji in which no one is left behind.

"I am the Prime Minister of all Fijians, for all Fijians."

A Pacific studies academic Steven Ratuva says Bainimarama's landslide victory in the Fiji election is mainly due to his appeal to all ethnicities.

He says the prime minister's FijiFirst party garnered about 58 percent of the indigenous Fijian vote and about 70% of the Indo-Fijian.

"For the Indo-Fijians, since the 1987 coup and since the 2000 coup they've been looking for something and that is political security."

"For them security can be provided most effectively by an indigenous Fijian who provides them that political space and support."

Source

• The Fiji Times
• Radio New Zealand
• The New Zealand Herald
• Image: dw.de

Speaking in the iTaukei language, Tikoitoga said a lot of trying situations developed over the years but the military managed to pull through.

He said God was leading them all the way and brought them to where they were.

Last week Military Chief of Operations Lt. Col Amani Suliano confirmed that Tikoitoga has started visiting all the military camps in the country

"Last week he visited the Land force command unit, the logistics support unit, the engineers regiment and the Fiji Navy, this week he started yesterday at the Army camp in Nadi and today he is now in Lautoka".

Bainimarama, has stepped down from the post of Military commander so he can launch his political party and contest the elections he has promised for September.Source

• Fiji Times
• Fiji Broadcasting Corporation
• Radio New Zealand International
• Image: Fiji Broadcasting Corporation

The Constitution protects the right of every person either individually or in community with others, in private or in public, to manifest and practise their religion or belief in worship, observance, practise or teaching.( #22)

The Constitution also states that religious belief is personal and that religion and the state are separate. (#4)

However, Chong says Faith is not a private matter. "Faith is for Christians, non-Christians, even atheists — we all experience something," Chong said. "That is why faith is something that is public and that's why we need to challenge our Constitution that says faith is private — which is not true. The need for faith, the need for God is something that belongs to our humanity."

Source

• The Fiji Times
• Fiji Sun

Chong said interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has used the patron-client political strategy to gain support, particularly with the grassroots iTaukei (indigenous people).

He said studies showed that in the Bainimarama patronage, loyalty to the chiefs and traditional systems had shifted to the army.

"The military had become the institution of patronage. In other words, the form of power, namely patron-client politics exercised by former Fijian governments, has not changed.

"The only recognisable change in Bainimarama's regime was the change in personnel. Instead of chiefs dominating the system, military officers now headed the important governmental institutions."

More than 40 military officers have been appointed to senior positions within the civil service and statutory bodies since 2006, replacing those whose loyalty Commodore Bainimarama has questioned.

Click here for full text of Archbishop Chong's Address to World Association for Christian Communication

Source

• The Australian
• Radio New Zealand International
• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: Fiji World News

"From the perspective of the church and faith-based organisations, we have a huge constituency and network which can be used for development, advocacy, education and attitudinal change," PCC General Secretary, Rev François Pihaatae said.

"The PIDF move to engage with faith leaders, the media and other institutions which can influence change is positive and we would like to see other regional organisations take similar approaches."

"Leaders must not gather, talk about important issues and then walk away without putting these points into actions which make positive changes to the region and the people," Pihaatae said.

"Matters such as climate change, extractive industries, fisheries, gender-based violence, poverty and self-determination must be addressed and the voices of our people must be heard."

He said if institutions - including churches and governments - wished to remain relevant, they must address the needs of the people with real, sustainable initiatives which protected lifestyles and the environment.

The PIDF is an initiative of Fiji's interim Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama and wound up it's inaugural three day meeting on Wednesday.

Outlining how the Secretariat would work, Commodore Bainimarama said it would be very different from the Secretariat of the Pacific Islands Forum.

He said the Pacific didn't need expensive facilities or an army of overpaid officials, but results from committed publically-minded individuals ultilising scarce resources to maximum effect.

Source

• Island Business
• Radio Australia
• Image: Pacific Scoop

He says the accusation that they have remained silent, in the face of the abandonment by the interim government of the People's Charter principles, is untrue.

The writer says they did speak out in a 17 November 2011 letter to interim Fiji Prime Minster Bainimarama which has not previously been made public.

He says he believes the letter goes a long way towards redeeming the reputations of these two individuals who clearly held strongly enough to the principles of their Charter to protest in no uncertain terms, when the interim government refused to abide by the principles of the People's Charter they had themselves helped formulate and approve.

He says the recommendations made by Samy and Archbishop Mataca are still of relevance to the problems that Fiji faces today, and have greater weight coming from previous Regime supporters.

Source

• Fiji Today Open Blog
• Image: Fiji Times

There are concerns that the document could be used by the current military ruler Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama to maintain his hold on power.

Critics say that what Bainimarama is doing amounts to a "constitutional coup".

In an interview on El Jazeera Bainimarama denies this. He says he is committed to holding free and fair elections late next year.

Earlier he stated that everyone should make their own decisions regarding the draft Constitution and they are free to make any submissions they like.

He also said all submissions will be considered but that only the best one that will help the country move forward will be taken on board.

A civil society group, Citizen's Constitutional Forum, says the draft constitution concentrates power dangerously in the offices of Prime Minister and Attorney General.

The CCF's head, Reverend Akuila Yabaki, says the power that the latest draft vests in the Prime Minister and Attorney-General is unprecedented in most modern democratic constitutions.

"The draft is reflecting what actually is taking place at the moment unfortunately and not what should be taking place in future. They control nearly all appointments to the judiciary and independent commisions."

Source

• Pacific Media Centre
• Island Business
• Radio New Zealand International
• Image: Screenshot ElJazeera

Having scrapped its commitment to form an expert group to prepare a new constitution, Fiji's interim government has instead given the people of Fiji a fortnight to provide feedback on the draft document.

No details have been given on how the feedback will be collated or analysed.

The final constitution is due out on the twelfth of April.

A Pacific politics expert says the draft constitution contains several unique aspects which may cause problems in the future.

Source

• Radio New Zealand International
• Radio Australia
• Image: Pacific Scoop

Speaking to Radio Australia last Thursday, The Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilepe Sailele, who is a Catholic, said he was delighted at the election of a Pope from a developing country.

The Prime Minster of Fiji, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama,in a letter of congratulations to Pope Francis said:

"We in Fiji joined the rest of the Christian world in celebrating the appointment of the first Latin American Pope and hope that your tenure will be marked by a renewed focus on the struggle of the developing world to address the challenges of poverty eradication, child mortality, education and gender equality amongst other issues."

"We are aware of your work amongst the poor and marginalised in the Diocese of Buenos Aires and recognize and welcome your particular sensitivity to social problems and for ecumenical dialogue."

"As you have requested in your first message to the world, we in Fiji will also be praying for you...."

Father Michael O'Connor, the president of the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, said he was "surprised but very happy" at the election of Pope non-European. "This highlights the fact that the centre of the Catholic Church, at least in terms of population, is located outside of Europe. And for us, it is also the first time a Pope has the southern hemisphere, which is another plus," he said.

In American Samoa Bishop Quinn Weitzel, said the Diocese of Samoa - Pago Pago is "very pleased" with the new Holy Father, Pope Francis.

"Our former Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI was a wonderful holy servant of the Church and he fully endorses Pope Francis," Bishop Quinn wrote. "Pope Francis asked all of us to pray for him and that, we will do."

Bishop Quinn concluded, "Pope Francis is well known for his simplicity and for being a pastor among his people in Argentina. He used to take a bus to work, cook his own food, and was a great defender of the poor. He is a Pope who wants to serve others as a true servant."

Source

• Newspad
• Newspad
• Samoa News
• Image: Radio Australia

• FijiVillage.com
• Stuff.co.nz
• ABC News
• Image: BobCarr.blogs

Barr, who has lived in Fiji for over 30 years, is an Australian citizen and his work permit expires at the end of the year. Radio New Zealand International reports that he is considering taking out Fijian citizenship now that the laws allow dual citizenship.

He says he has retained his Australian citizenship so that he can continue with his Australian pension "because as you get older you need some money to live. "

"I guess we'll wait and see what happens when the time comes but I'd like to stay on in Fiji because as I said this is my home and this is where my friends are and I am very much attached to the Fijian family that I stay with."

Barr has expressed gratitude that the deportation order for breaching his work permit has been revoked by Fiji's Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama.

The deportation order was issued after Barr wrote a letter to a local newspaper in which he jokingly suggested that a proposed new Fiji Flag could use a small version of the Chinese flag, to replace the Union Jack "to show that our old allegiance to Britain is being replaced with a new allegiance to China."

Also a confidential letter which Barr had written to the Archbishop and a few close friends found its way into the hands of what Barr calls "anti-government bloggers" who, he says, "publicised it widely and made me appear to be anti-government."

On Sunday the Fiji Times reported that Archbishop Elect, Father Peter Loy Chong, said that no church should be directly involved in politics.

"The church is not trained to handle political events such as elections and therefore it will have no direct role in such affairs," Chong said.

According to Chong "The Roman Catholic Church will have no influence on party politics nor influence the choice of its members for the purpose of enhancing a political party's victory in any elections."

Barr has confirmed that he was rung by Bainimarama after the comments about the flag appeared. Bainimarama told him the letter was irresponsible coming from a community leader.

Bainimarama then swore swore at him and accused him of being anti-government and told him to go back where he came from, before hanging up the phone.

The telephone conversation was followed by several abusive texts.

Source:

• The Fiji Times
• Australia Network News
• Pacific Scoop
• Pacific Media Centre
• The Fiji Times
• Image: Pacific Scoop

The report has been circulated for a meeting to get feed-back from local experts and public servants.

It says that as a result of this colonial policy Fiji is now "a nation in crisis with its two major ethnic groups in conflict, creating deep uncertainty amid a declining economy".

It says both Fijians and Indians were victims of forces beyond them; deprived of free choice and will; both communities suffered greatly in the colonial system.

Instead of dealing with the forces that subordinated and in many respects exploited them, they regarded the other community as the obstacle to the advancement of its members - and made little effort to understand the suffering of the other.

The Chairman of Fiji's Constitution Commission, Professor Yash Ghai, says people shouldn't regard preliminary proposals for the constitution as final.

He said it is inaccurate to claim that a document with the preliminary proposals is a "leak", as has been reported in Australian and New Zealand media.

Ghai clarified that the document was circulated for a meeting with leading local experts and public servants on some preliminary proposals for the constitution.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• FBC
• FijiLive
• Image: Zeetraveller.blogspot.nz

"China has always opposed those big, rich or strong countries bullying the small, poor or weak ones," Wu added.

According to blogger and journalist Graham Davis, while Wu was careful in his public comments not to mention any country by name, the message to Australia and NZ is blunt: Stop bullying Fiji. Stop isolating it. China will continue to try to persuade you to engage with Fiji in a constructive way and on an equal footing.

Guo Chunmei, an expert on Australian studies at China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said China's aid and support to the civic development and infrastructure of Pacificisland countries has been consistent and selfless.

She said the new agreements signed on Friday, including the planned favorable loans,answered Fiji's urgent need to develop its economy. Fiji's relations with Australia and NewZealand were strained after the two countries condemned the Pacific island nation's coup in 2006. Recently, the two countries began to show an interest in restoring diplomatic ties with Fiji.

"And different from other countries, China does not provide aid motivated by gains," Guo said.

Source

• ChinaDailyUSA
• Grubsheet
• China Daily
• Image: Xinhua

"Fiji was given to God," Waqairatu told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat.

"When we say that Fiji is a Christian state…we say it was decided by our chiefs who ceded Fiji to Great Britain that Fiji be a Christian country.

"When it was given to God, it has already established its covenant relationship with God, and that covenant relationship is eternal - it cannot be withdrawn."

The party removed from power in 2006, the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua, was in favour of Fiji being declared a Christian state.

However, the interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and his Government and other major Christian churches support the separation of church and state.

Vijendra Prakash, general secretary of Sanatan Dharam, one of Fiji's main Hindu groups, told Radio Australia his members would prefer Fiji to be a secular state where religion does not mix with politics.

"Because this country is multicultural religion and a multilingual country, and we have been living so happily," he said.

"All the religious organisations are given respect and rights and no one is given supremacy over another or try to undermine the others."

Source

• The Fiji Sun
• Radio Australia
• Image: Coup Four and a Half

"This doesn't mean that the State is anti-religion but just a feeling that the function and responsibility of religion of beliefs within societies should be separated from the functions and policies of the institution of the State," he explained.

"We will have to look at the views we have received on this, some have been in support of separation but most have been made by Christians who want a Christian State."

"I didn't get the impression that people who asked for a Christian State fully understood what is generally meant by a secular State or separation of religion and State."

A separation of church and State is one of the guiding principles set by Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.

Source

• The Fiji Times
• Image: Coup four and a Half

This was the Prime Minister's response to the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) party submission summary handed to the Constitution Committee by the party constituent leaders.

The SDL said Fiji should be a Christian State and Christianity is the state religion.

"This will never happen," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said Fiji as a secular state would tie in well with Government's new roadmap in building a better Fiji for all.

Fiji is a multi-cultural and multi-religious society and the Prime Minister said these had to be respected.

Continue Reading

"I wish I had done this in 2001," he said.

Fiji, a former British colony made up of about 330 islands in the central Pacific Ocean, has been without an elected government since Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, also known as Frank Bainimarama, took power in a 2006 coup. It was the country's fourth putsch since independence in 1970, and he insisted that military rule was the only way to ensure an end to the spasms of political and ethnic violence that have so often destabilized the country. Mr. Bainimarama, who now eschews uniforms for civilian dress, carries the title prime minister and describes his tenure as a cooling-off period before an eventual return to democracy.

Mr. Bainimarama seemed to be keeping his word when, in January, he lifted the state of emergency that had been in place since he abrogated the Constitution in 2009. He then went further in March by announcing public consultations on the drafting of a new Constitution and a return to free elections by 2014, moves that were praised by Australia, the United States and other countries.

But before the ink was dry on the order lifting emergency rule, Mr. Bainimarama had issued sweeping new public order regulations, which many say contain provisions harsher than the laws they replaced. Censors may no longer stalk newsrooms to vet stories before they are published, but editors still risk heavy fines and prison terms if what they publish is deemed objectionable. Political parties and labor unions can hold meetings, but they must first secure permission from the police. Read more

Sources

• The New York Times
• Image: The Sydney Morning Herald

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has used the opportunity at the Rio+20 conference in Rio de Janeiro to promote its Declaration of Environment and Climate, recently signed by MSG Leaders in Fiji.

Prime Minister of Fiji Voreqe Bainimarama also addressed the conference on the matter of climate change.

The sub-regional group comprises Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the FLNKS of New Caledonia.

Speaking on behalf of the MSG, Vanuatu Prime Minister Meltek Sato Kilman Livtuvanu used the Pacific Island side event, convened by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to urge potential donors and partners to support MSG's climate change initiatives.

The MSG covers a land area greater than 500,000 square kilometres and includes almost 2,000 islands, the flora and fauna of the Pacific region. It is also one of the world's most significant biodiversity areas - both terrestrial and marine.

In his presentation Prime Minister of Fiji Voreqe Bainimarama highlighted the measures implemented by government to combat climate change and also touched on the challenges facing Fiji as a 'Small Island Developing State or SIDS'.

"Recent global developments, such as the financial, fuel, and food crises have served to underscore this reality, particularly as we move forward together in facing the adverse impacts of climate change, climate variability, and rising sea levels. Our vulnerabilities have increased, whilst our capacity to cope has not", the Prime Minister said.

"As a small island nation, Fiji continues to face significant and mounting challenges, amongst other things, safe energy supplies; biodiversity; and disasters related to climate change".

He also called on "the world's most advanced nations" to assist small island nations in "addressing matters of environmental and economic development and security".

Source

• PACNEWS
• The Jet
• Image: Fiji Live