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FREE LUNCH at a cost; CONNECTING China links; STORMY TIMES in the Cooks
Free lunch at a cost: Free lunches seem to be making their way and creating ripples of waves around the islands these days. Irked by criticisms of its position on EPA negotiations with Pacific states who are members of the ACP, copping labels like “patronising” and “dismissive,” what did the EU do? It got its Fiji office to invite journalists to lunch in one of the capital city’s most expensive European restaurants. This was after a session of what was promoted as a half-a-day workshop on EU/ACP trade, which was really simple—EU brainwashing scribes on what it thinks its EPA with the region should look like. But then Fiji’s military-sanctioned government is no better.
The line between the newsmaker and the news reporter blurred for one particular newspaper when it boasted in one of its pages that one of its scribes had lunch with the coupmakers. The paper said officers were horrified to see the scribe having his meal without the usual etiquette of fork and knife! Still on EPA, Whispers has been reliably told that Fiji’s former foreign minister, Kaliopate Tavola who had acted as chief negotiator for EPA for the region has been offered a position as EPA consultant by the Forum Secretariat. Whether Tavola has accepted the position, Whispers has yet to confirm. Tavola was terminated by coupmaker Frank Bainimarama in December.
Different rules? What’s the difference between Fiji and Tonga? Both countries are being ruled under emergency powers. Tonga because of the pro-democracy riot in November and Fiji since the military coup in December. But while Australia and New Zealand help the non-democratic government in the kingdom, they shun Voreqe “Frank” Bainimarama and Fiji’s interim government. Yet Bainimarama’s interim government is, some say, arguably far more representative of the people than Prime Minister Fred Sevele’s royal-appointed government across in the kingdom. And if some of the things happening in Tonga these days under emergency rule happened in Fiji there would be an outcry from the Downers and Peters of this world, is one comment Whispers hears. But it’s not just the Aussies and Kiwis who are silent about Tonga. The regional media body, the Suva-based Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), has also been strangely quiet. This despite the continuing pressures on Tonga’s pro-democracy news media and restrictions on freedom of expression and information on government-run Radio and TV Tonga. Surely that silence is not because PINA’s vice president is the general manager of the Tongan Government broadcaster?
Maiava’s skills: Former deputy secretary-general of the Suva-based secretariat of the Pacific Islands Forum should feel at home when he takes up his new posting as foreign secretary in Nauru. It is simply the case of one of the longest serving employees of the region joining one of the Pacific’s longest running fail states. Iosefa Maiava’s skills as a negotiator and administrator will be put to good use, there’s no doubt about it. Maybe when he has time he can look into the contract of that Fiji-based campaigner who has been doing a lot of work for his new work colleagues. As a champion on good governance, she should be an asset for both island republics—Nauru and her own!
Asking the right questions: Someone is finally asking the right questions inside the debate chambers of Solomon Islands’ hill-perched parliament. “I question what is so special about this person?” thundered former premier, Sir Allan Kemakeza. “What is so special about this person that the image of our country has to be destroyed?” Observers around the ocean had been whispering the same question to Kemakeza about the Fiji-born but Australian educated lawyer, now Australian passport (cancelled) holder, who Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare had appointed but his public service commission suspended as attorney-general! The bills are mounting meanwhile. In two months, his hotel bills in Honiara had cost Solomon Islands taxpayers S$50,000 but parliament was told this should mount further since his parents had joined him at the exclusive seaside hotel. And we have yet to include the cost of the government car he drives. Oh, this is separate from his ‘gift’ to the Solomon Islands mission in Port Moresby which has a US$1600 phone bill when he was holed up there for 10 days!
Giving to the church? By the way, what is the story behind the tithe allocations announced in the Sogavare Budget recently? According to his finance minister, Solomon Islands is a Christian nation and therefore it should practise tithing, that religious practice that some churches observe in which followers contribute one-tenth of their income to the church. (So with an almost S$100 million budget, churches should expect a S$10 million tithe allocation.) As a staunch Seventh Day Adventist, Sogavare has got his government to follow his church’s practice in the national budget. The man never fails to amaze, it has been whispered.
Remember Steve Gibson? What now for Steve Gibson, the Australian who used to head the Samoa Sportslotto operation? Those with long memories will recall the popular Gibson was removed from his job. Then he was prevented from leaving the country by one of Samoa’s notorious so-called “stop” orders. After a seemingly endless police investigation, Gibson was finally charged with financial wrongdoing just as the “stop” order was about to expire. But when the matter came to court, there was postponement after postponement and charge after charge was dropped. Now a court has dismissed the last charges remaining. After all this, Gibson has been left free but struggling financially and with his reputation dented. Gibson had said from the very beginning that he suspected some influential people in Samoa were out to get him. The question now being asked is: who is going to compensate Gibson for the ordeal he has been put through.
Stormy times in the Cooks: Those thunder clouds out over the eastern Pacific might have something to do with events in the Cook Islands. Tempers were rising and questions being asked over the appointment of the country’s new Financial Secretary to replace the long-serving Kevin Carr. A selection committee recommended the country’s tax collection boss, Geoff Stoddart. But this was then apparently overturned by cabinet. Finance Minister Terepai Maoate wanted the job to go to a “local”, treasury operations manager, Sholan Ivaiti.
The Cook Islands Times reported allegations there was also another reason Stoddart was not wanted. This was said to be some in business did not like his hard-nosed approach to doing things right.
This came just days after it was revealed the Democratic Party Government’s cabinet had decided to sack Julian Dashwood, the chairman of the powerful Cook Islands Investment Corporation. This was alleged to be because Dashwood supported a candidate of the opposition Cook Islands Party in the general election last September. Dashwood said the opposition candidate was a lifetime friend. The question being asked by the opposition Cook Islands Party after all this was: One wonders what will be next?
Connecting China links: Taiwan’s support for the big Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) conference coming up in Honiara in May produced some huffing and puffing of protest from a couple of quarters. China was not happy about the involvement of Taiwan, which it regards as a renegade province. Its views became quickly known. Regional observers said it was interesting to see a couple of places where the loudest noise was coming from and the Chinese links in the background.
The singing Fijians: Four Fijian ex-soldiers who came out of hiding at the Musingku hideaway recently have drawn the attention of many at Buka. Spending time at the Buka police cells, they keep up their routine. To the surprise of many, they heard the chorusing sound of the four men belting out a number with the ordinary prisoners. Who knows, maybe they are asking for safe passage out of Bougainville?
Troubles in Samoa tourism: All’s not well in Samoa’s Tourism Authority either, it seems. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi ordered an investigation by the Ombudsman into allegations some women working there were sexually harassed. As the month ended, a report on the investigation was in the hands of Tourism Minister Misa Telefoni.
Prince Philip’s god: Did you know that Britain’s Prince Philip is being regarded as a god? Well, if media reports are correct, then a remote village on the island state of Vanuatu has been worshiping Prince Philip as a god for half a century. The Telegraph said that for 50 years, the Duke of Edinburgh has been labelled a veritable god in the small village of Yaohnanen as its residents have tabbed him as the son of an ancient natural spirit. The tribe’s elderly chief, Jack Naiva, explained that the spirit of the British royal family member resides on the island and area residents can hear his voice occasionally. Philip knows of his worshippers and has sent the tribe three framed photographs of himself that its members treat like rare artifacts. Naiva said that with his own age and that of the tribe’s god increasing with time, his people have only one wish they want granted before either man dies. “You must tell King Philip that I’m getting old and I want him to come and visit me before I die,” the chief told the Telegraph.
PINA membership renewal: All good things come to an end as Fiji’s premier and only commercial television station is only beginning to discover. With its former boss opting to stay away from this May’s bi-annual convention of the region’s only news organisation—Pacific Islands News Association)—the station is now wondering whether its membership is at all necessary. Renewal of its membership has been put on hold as the new boss works on a cost/benefit analysis of its membership.
Royal apologist: ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the apologist of ‘em all?’ For the Pacific’s last surviving monarchy, the answer lies in the strangest of places, in the newsroom of ABC radio in Ozland. “How did a man who was close to the Royal Family, who had banned the country’s main newspaper several times, and who had been involved in a series of attempts to put pro-democracy leaders in jail (often successfully), become a People’s Representative and an ally of people who had previously damned him as their worst enemy? Well, in a word—self-interest,” wrote Tonga’s new-found friend. If you know the language, you can actually read the Tongan version in one of the many Tongan websites, as the scribe’s piece was translated and circulated by the office of Tonga’s Prime Minister.
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