AN appeal for the release of the hostages in Parliament by the People Passive
Resistance, a group trying gauge public
opinion on the attempted coup, is receiving overwhelming support. Organiser
of the petition, Mick Beddoes, said he
received 2000 signed petitions by fax in just two hours after connecting three
fax machines yesterday.
By June 30, he hopes to have collected 500,000 signatures which he will present
to the Fiji Military Forces, the Great
Council of Chiefs, the European Union and the United Nations. "At the end
of the month what the majority of the people
in this country think about the coup by George Speight on May 19 will be known,"
he said.
"My objective is to get 500,000 signatures. People have been talking in
the media but this petition will represent the
opinions of those not heard yet," he said. The petitions have been sent
from all over the country by fax, e-mail and hand
delivery.
"We have a network of people in other parts of the country that are over
looking at the project," he said. "The petition
started on Friday, but in just two hours after connecting the fax machines to
receive signatures, over 2000 signatures
were received," he said. "All volunteers of this petition are asked
to be patient with the fax as it may be engaged. "The
response to the petition throughout Fiji has been overwhelming and based on
this response, I am very confident of
achieving the target."
Signed petitions can be faxed any time now until the end of the month on fax
numbers 725444, 725572 and 725685. For
more information call Mr Beddoes 910820 (m) or 978004 (m) or e-mail: mick@cs.com.fj.
Fiji's Daily Post
THE Suva City Council is making plans to give city a facelift after the May
19 riots. "We are coming up with a proposal
to all plans submitted by proprietors through their architects," said Mataiasi
Ragigia, the Lord Mayor of Suva.
"What we are trying to tell the business people of Suva is that as far
as their refurbishment plans are concerned, we are
giving them top priority."
Fiji's Daily Post
CAKAUDROVE chiefs will meet on Taveuni next week to discuss forming a separate
Tovata government. Ratu
Naiqama Lalabalavu said the time is now appropriate "noting the meeting
of the Western chiefs" last week.
Western chiefs met at Nadi on Thursday and agreed to have a separate confederacy
to be known as the
Yasayasa-vaka-Ra. The chiefs had floated the idea of a Western government but
reports said this was abandoned in
favour of a separate confederacy. Ratu Naiqama, son of the late Tui Cakau, Ratu
Glanville Lalabalavu, said the meeting
was considered urgent in the present situation. "The economic conditions
of our people is deteriorating, their livelihood
is threatened, and their right to determine their political destiny is being
ignored and denied," he said. Ratu Naiqama said
the meeting will be convened once all chiefs of Cakaudrove have been informed
in the traditional manner.
"We thought that it was appropriate we make a stand on the matter given
that Bua and Macuata chiefs have made a stand
on the political crisis facing the nation," he said. According to press
statements from the Bua and Macuata chiefs, faxed
from the parliamentary complex, they wanted the military government to hand
over to a civilian administration. Ratu
Naiqama said the concerns raised by their close relatives in these two provinces
would have to be considered. "We would
have to make a stand and inform the Turaga Tui Bua, Turaga Tui Macuata and the
Turaga Tui Nayau of our decision," he
said.
He expressed his regret that the situation had deteriorated. "We have
always protected the close relationship we have
between the Kubuna and Burebasaga confederacies because of the chiefly blood
ties we share. "But their disintegration,
given the decision by the Western chiefs, has meant that we the people of Cakaudrove
will need to review our stand."
Ratu Naiqama said the matter of governance must be decided by the Great Council
of Chiefs. "In many situations the
chiefs had moved in to solve national matters. Why can't the military accept
that?" Military spokesman Lieutenant
Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini said the proposed meeting was "news" to
him.
He reiterated the military's stand that an interim military council will run
the nation and the Great Council of Chiefs will
be convened three months later. Meanwhile, Western chiefs on Friday said their
meeting with the head of the military
government, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, and rebel leader George Speight was
merely to inform them of their
decision to form their own confederacy.
Fiji's Daily Post
CRUSHING at the Rarawai sugar mill is expected to resume on Wednesday. Fiji
Sugar Corporation board chairman
Hafiz Khan said this yesterday after talks with the sugar unions on Friday.
"Farmers in the Rarawai milling area are
willing to harvest, so we expect crushing to resume from Wednesdsay," he
said.
"We have received indications from Tavua that many farmers there are willing
to harvest cane. "For the other mills, we
will review the situation on Thursday or Friday in the coming week to decide
whether crushing can also start at these
mills." Mr Khan said a decision to lay off 4000 workers has been deferred
for a week after the meeting on Friday.
"However, if things don't get back to normal soon then we might have to
lay off workers with negotiations from the
unions." Meanwhile, after a Sugar Cane Growers Council Ba branch meeting
yesterday four resolutions were made on
which the farmers are willing to harvest. "Farmers have given indication
that they are willing to harvest but they want four
things to be solved first," said Mr Jain Kumar, District Director SCGC,
Ba branch. "They are unsure who will harvest
with the current national curfew being imposed. "Secondly, under the martial
law they are unsure whether they will
receive their cane proceeds or not.
"They want assurance from the sugar unions that when harvesting starts
there should not be any interruptions from the
unions.
Fiji's Daily Post
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