Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) has expressed concern about NGO groups that are funded or sponsored to advance issues that are opposed to the the Government’s policies. In written submissions to the Constitution Commission, the military said these practices were aimed at undermining and destabilising the good work done by the government. The Military proposes that if Read more
The colonial policy practiced in Fiji of pitting one community against another has succeeded and its effects still remain according to a preliminary report from the Constitutional Commission. The report has been circulated for a meeting to get feed-back from local experts and public servants. It says that as a result of this colonial policy Fiji is Read more
The Catholic Church in Fiji on Monday expressed its support to the government’s non-negotiable principle of secular state, stressing that everyone in the island nation should have the freedom of choice with their religion. Vicar General, Fr Beni Kaloudau, said the Catholic Church in Fiji welcomes the principle of equal rights to worship. Kaloudau said that Read more
Fiji’s Commissioner of Police has approved the permit application for Methodist Church meetings including the annual Conference in August and the Standing Committee meetings scheduled for June and July. Church general secretary Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu said they were happy the permit was received early, giving them time to prepare for the conference. In granting the approval Read more
The chairman of the Fiji Wages Council, Father Kevin Barr, has repeated an earlier call for the FTUC and Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions (FICTU) to consider coming together under one umbrella in the interest of better addressing workers’ issues. “We have an unprecedented opportunity for the two organisations to come together and speak Read more
About 800 representatives of the Methodist Church are awaiting the outcome of its application for a permit to meet in August. Church acting general secretary Reverend Tevita Nawadra said the annual meeting which was disallowed in the past four years was crucial to the operations of the church. “We’re still awaiting the decision by the Read more
The Fiji Sun has reported that in meetings with Fiji’s new non-resident Ambassador to the Holy See, Naivakarurubalavu Solo Mara, Pope Benedict and Vatican officials wish Fiji well The Pope received Mara in an official audience for the presentation of his Letters of Credence on Friday 5 May at the Clementine Hall in Vatican City. He Read more
“The obsession to remove racial issues from the governance of this country is short-sighted and ill-conceived, for ethnicity is a fact of life”, says Paramount Chief Ro Teimumu in a letter to the interim Prime Minster, Frank Bainimarama. “The revolutionary changes you are making cannot be made without the involvement of the Great Council of Read more
The Fiji Literary Festival was held in Nadi from 2 to 9 October 2011. Speakers included Graham Davis, an independent Fiji-born journalist and publisher of the political blog Grubsheet, and Fiji Ministry of Information permanent secretary Sharon Smith-Johns. Both addressed issues regarding the role of the media in Fiji. Davis asked, “In reporting in Fiji which version Read more
Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Affairs, Richard Marles, was recently interviewed about the relationship between Australia and Fiji. He said that Australia’s beef is not with the the Fiji people, “in fact quite the opposite. We want to stand with the people of Fiji in what is a very difficult time for them.” He said Australia took issue Read more