Been a bit busy lately. Since I last wrote for my blog, a lot has happened. Fiji won the World Cup Sevens and we all got a public holiday for it. Mr. Charles came and went. An MP and a Senator received year long sentences for coup related offences. A couple of gay guys got jailed for buggery.

Fiji TV Comes First
A few things caught my attention today. First the headline “Fiji TV comes first: Dr Ali”. The gist of the story was the Information Minister Dr. Ahmed Ali admitted that the government’s investment in Fiji TV “has a bearing when it screens applications for new commercial television companies wanting to set up in Fiji.”

Brilliant! At least now we know that this government is not interested in the general publics interested but it’s own. Bugger the public, bugger fair play. There exists no laws which give Fiji TV exclusive free-to-air license, so in theory; other players can enter the market. Well that theory will remain so, until some other provincial council decides to run another TV company with 51% major shares.

Yasana Holdings, the provincial council’s, and this government (100% Indig-Fijian) own Fiji TV. The one commendable thing about this non-tax paying venture is that it is owned almost entirely by the indigenous Fijians, and the indig-Fijians have demonstrated a great business sense by showing more concern for the shareholders then the consumers. When calls were made in the Parliament for the government to show some concern about the contents of Fiji One programs, they quite neatly dodged it, but when it comes to issuing licenses for TV, they suddenly become protective of their investments! How convenient.

What is most appalling about the state of Fiji One, is that despite the fact it is owned by the indigenous Fijians, the amount of programs from Fiji is negligible. When it comes to protecting the exclusivity of TV licenses in Fiji to Fiji TV, the owners of Fiji TV are quick to influence the government, but when it comes to the quality of service, it remains hushed.

Fijian Court System
The GCC has endorsed the introduction of the Fijian Court System. I don’t see too much wrong with that. After all, it is perfectly clear that the Indig-Fijians are somehow special. They are the only ones with a culture in this country. The Indo-Fijians have no culture.

Democracy also no good for Indig-Fijian culture it seems. It’s not me saying it, it’s Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo the chairman of Kadavu Provincial Council. According to him, “…the solutions presented by democracy do not solve the problem in the Fijian way.”

For crying out loud Ratu Jo! When the criminals such as Ratu Naiqama, Ratu Josefa, George Speight amongst others took part in the coup of May 2000, they committed a crime against the whole nation, against all citizens of this country and against the democratically elected leaders of the country! So where do the citizens of this country go to seek justice? Wake up Ratu Jo, it is a democracy we live in and no matter how flawed it may be, at least it provides us with some chance of redress against the wrong doers.

I hope though that this Fijian Court System is not funded by the general tax payer dollars. It is a court system for the Indig-Fijians and it should solely be funded by them.