It is Sunday morning. The hostages are free, church bells are ringing, and
hymns are in plentiful supply. Most overseas journalists living at the most
expensive hotel in Suva, and amid the ever-increasing stench pervading the
Parliament grounds have gone home. For them the story is over.
But reading the local newspapers, it is clear that the preliminary joys of
the hostage release are quickly being overtaken by a grimmer view of the new
millennium Fiji.
"Arms stay in wrong hands" notes The Sunday Times (16 July) in a
front-page
story. "The army fears that some dangerous arms are still in possession
of civilians."
What is disturbing about this report apart from the failure of the
terrorists to return all the stolen military weapons, is the comment from
Speight's Head of Security Ilisoni Ligairi who says the weapons are being
used by civilians at checkpoints, but that they will be returned next week.
Officially there are no civilian checkpoints. Only the army should be
carrying guns. But a quick glance of two Sunday newspapers confirms four
takeovers of land by civilians and a report that that during the past week
the army apprehended a woman in a mini-van carrying a gun. She was on the
Nadi road two hours drive away from Suva
While the army are mopping up lost and stolen guns, and maintaining the
nightly curfew for least another two weeks, voices are being raised about
who supported and backed George Speight. Deposed Prime Minister, Mahendra
Chaudry who has shaved his hostage beard, is now publicly asking Speight
what his (Chaudry's government did wrong. Poseci Bune, the deposed
Agriculture Minister is talking about a list of 135 people, which includes a
number of Indian businessmen who supported the terrorist takeover of the
government minister. Dirty washing is now being publicly aired. For readers
who are feeling literally minded, The Sunday Times also generously includes
a photograph of real washing being dried on the verandah of Parliament House.
Interim Prime Minister Qarase has been busy. In less than two weeks in
office he has had the energy to draft a ten year "blueprint" on a
new
economic direction for Fiji. It was published in all the main newspapers.
The preamble notes that over 51% of the country are indigenous Fijians and
Rotumans, and that they are majority landowners with 83% of all the land
under their control. Mr Qarase offered this blueprint to The Great Council
of Chiefs who accepted it. (Section 2, Item vii) of the blueprint (Fiji
Daily Post July 14) says that:
"Government to convert the $20 million interest -free loans to the Fijian
Affairs Board (shares in Fijian Holdings Limited) to a government
grant. "
The most interesting opinion relating to Fijian Holdings Ltd. company must
surely be that of a letter writer researching links between the Fijian
Interim Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase and Fijian Holdings Ltd. The
correspondent in The Sunday Times, 16 July quotes a Hansard Report on what
he calls, "the suspicious circumstances surrounding the Fijian Holdings."
He
alleges the company belongs to all the fourteen provinces, but that it also
has a number of private shareholders. He says Mr Qarase is one of the named
persons who have "significant" shares in Fijian Holdings Limited.
It is
surely prudent as the letter writer implies to ask the interim Prime
Minister to make public the list of all company shareholders.
< END >
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