SUVA, Fiji Islands (June 21, 2000 - PINA Nius Online)---Suva can be a city
of rituals. Prior to the events of May
19th, nighttime rituals for many of the jet-set crowd involved cruising the
restaurants and bars on the main strip
and dancing at clubs 'til the wee hours of the morning.
Since George Speight and his group of armed supporters wreaked havoc on the
day to day of Fiji's capital, a
different set of rituals has presented itself. Much healthier, much cheaper,
but a lot less fun.
Mornings are busy in Suva, as life continues on -- in spite of the economic
and political crises facing the nation --
achieving a moderate semblance of the 'normalcy' the military is coaxing a return
towards. Conversation in
corner stores and bread shops, while residents pick up copies of the daily newspapers
seems repetitive, with
hopefuls speculating, day after day: "maybe it will end this week."
Though people have been saying that for 34 days now, local reports suggest
there might be some truth in that
utterance now.
The military and George Speight have been engaged in meetings for five days,
with both parties presenting lists
of potential individuals for the interim civilian administration. The military
has urged the media not to be
premature in reporting names, with spokesman Lt. Col. Filipo Tarakinikini telling
Fiji Television last night they are
at a "delicate stage" in the negotiations.
This morning, FM 96 reported that a "solution looks close." Both
parties were said to have agreed that an accord
would be reached by later today, and an agreement by the end of the week, signaling
that the hostages might be
home by the weekend.
Once this interim civilian administration is finally decided upon, one thing
is certain: they have a major task on
their hands.
First, they must address how to reverse or repair damage to the economy. Major
industries -- such as tourism,
sugar and garments -- have all suffered, and will continue to do so long after
the hostages are home if strategic
measures are not taken.
It is hoped that trade bans, implemented by Australia and New Zealand, will
be lifted once the crisis is over. The
garment industry -- which employs 20,000 people -- is at a virtual standstill
due to a lack of raw materials
reaching factories. Thousands of workers have been laid off in the past few
weeks, creating additional
socio-economic problems in unemployment.
Tourism officials have said that a major marketing campaign must be launched
to convince visitors that Fiji is still
an idyllic vacation spot. The industry has lost F$1.3 million per day since
May 19th, to a whopping F$20 million
dollars in just over one month. This monetary loss has also manifested itself
in job losses, as major hotels - that are
normally full this time of year - sit with as little as 10 percent occupancy
rates.
The interim civilian government must also address those important sectors that
have been neglected in the past
five weeks, such as health, education, welfare services and the environment.
Army Commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama told the Commonwealth Delegation
that it might take Fiji
two years to return to democracy. The Commonwealth has frowned upon this timeline.
But according to the
Harare Declaration - that emphasizes democracy and human rights - and the Millbrook
Action Programme,
which addresses violations of the Harare Declaration, two years is the allowed
timeframe for countries that have
strayed from the basic principles revered by the Commonwealth.
However, with Fiji positioned to tread down a similar path as the one followed
in 1987 there is little question as to
the future of the country's membership in the Commonwealth. Amending the 1997
constitution so that only an
Indigenous Fijian can hold top political offices will undoubtedly reek of racial
prejudice, a no-no by
Commonwealth standards. The Commonwealth, in their visit to Suva last Friday,
stressed that Fiji must uphold
the Harare Declaration.
The few unanswered questions, such as the future of Fiji's trade relations
with the European Union - which buys
Fiji sugar at preferential trade prices - and the role Indo-Fijians will play
in government and society, seem to
present more potential problems rather than solutions.
The only thing that continues to be stressed - by the military, by the business
community and by the people - is
that the crisis must end. Oddly enough, the hostages at the center of this crisis
have become secondary in the
power struggle, save for the occasional media story about their health and welfare.
However, once they are out of the parliament complex in Veiuto, a different
story will begin.
On Day 34 of the Crisis:
* George Speight and his armed supporters continue to hold Fiji's first democratically-elected
ethnic Indo-Fijian
Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, and members of politics hostage inside the
parliamentary complex in
Veiuto. Yesterday, family members of the hostages were briefed by the military
as to the health and welfare of
their relatives. Fiji TV reported that Mrs. Chaudhry did not attend, as she
was at home praying for her husband
and son, Rajendra Chaudhry, also still being held captive.
* The Fiji Times reports that civil servants face a 20 percent pay cut beginning
in August 1.
Public Service Commission secretary Anare Jale told the Fiji Times that the
pay cut was the best option to avoid
redundancies, but if the economy deteriorated further the interim government
would have to look at laying off staff.
Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)
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last revision June 21, 2000