On behalf of Unity Fiji, I congratulate the coalition Government for completing its first year in government.

The Prime Minister has the most difficult job of keeping his team under control, made more complicated by the three-party coalition which at times seriously appear to be at breaking point.

There were high expectations of the coalition Government when they removed the Bainimarama dictator.

 

The people expected it to quickly return the country to economic prosperity, reduce poverty, and reverse many things that the Bainimarama government had implemented to reduce our rights and freedoms.

After one year in office, which is a quarter of its four-year term, Unity Fiji is disillusioned with the performance of the Government even taking into account the coalition complexity.

 

WE POINT TO THE FOLLOWING:

 

1. The absence of a clear and coherent economic roadmap even after the National Economic Summit. The Government now wants to prepare a National Development Plan.

2. The lack of initiatives to diversify the economic base. In our view, it is very unlikely that the Government will diversify the economy within its term.

3. The lack of actions to moderate the rise in prices. Imported inflation has now become a domestic-led inflation which is making lives very difficult.

 

4. Poverty has, in our calculation, worsened and the Government has not updated the data.

5. There has been only one court case against the previous government. It is uncertain if the Mastermind of the previous government will ever return to Fiji. People now believe that politicians can get away with breaking the law.

6. It took almost one year to reduce the Minister’s travel allowances which may still be offset by the higher number of overseas travels by the Ministers led by the PM.

 

7. People are still burdened by hosting ministerial and government visits.

8. The change-of-name policy is slowly making its way through consultations when no one supports this policy. The simplest solution is to rescind the amendments to the law.

9. There has been no investigation into the last two elections which had clear indications of manipulation. There is no move to reform the electoral system.

 

10. There is no move to change the self-imposed 2013 Constitution.

11. Government is still appointing political cronies to public boards, committees, and diplomatic postings. The situation appears worse than in the previous government.

12. Slow pace to restore the independence of key national institutions.

 

13. No move to review the compulsory digital TV platform.

14. No move to review the labour laws including workers rights.

The list goes on. Government may have good reasons for not moving quickly on some of these matters. But in our view, these are straight forward.

 

Government is spending a lot of time on so called “consultations” when we expected it to have formed its own views by now. Let us move on smartly.

The people deserve a faster pace of change.

 

STOP DIGGING A DEEPER HOLE

 

At the National Economic Summit earlier this year, I cautioned the coalition Government to avoid digging a deeper hole than what the Fiji First Government left behind.

I urged the Government to do two things:

a) The first was to make sure that those that abused offices, broke the law, abused human rights, and illegally lined their pockets must be brought to account.

 

b) The second was to appoint people with the right skills to committees and boards. It is disappointing that while the Government is one quarter into its term, there are no signs that it wants to change what the previous government committed.

 

ACCOUNTABILITY

 

The Government has filed only a single court case against Voreqe Bainimarama and lost.

Are there no other cases? Why has there been no court case filed against others in the previous government?

This lack of investigation will give the wrong signal to the people that there is a different law for those in power I urge the Government to appoint a special investigation team with the right skills and experience to bring any who had abused their powers to account.

 

APPOINTMENT

 

The militarization of the public sector started after the first military coup in 1987 and significantly worsened during the Bainimarama government.

However, ironically, in my assessment, the militarization of the public sector may have worsened further under the Coalition Government. I am not referring to Section 131 of the Constitution.

I am referring to the increasing positions in the in central government, public corporations, statutory bodies, and committees that have been awarded to former military personnel.

 

Moreover, the Government continues to appoint their political cohorts and buddies to public offices and overseas missions.

This seems to be a classic case of what is sauce for the goose is source for the gander.

A Unity Fiji Government will strengthen accountability in government and ensure that all public sector appointments are based entirely on capabilities and not on past associations or political alignment.

 

Feedback: inoke.rabonu@fijisun.com.fj