Fiji People reject sham charter

No explanations needed about this great letter from Mere Samisoni today. It mirrors what everyone in Fiji (except for the brown nosed brigade) is thinking.

FIJI TIMES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR : 30 Dec 2008

IN contrast to the warped views, twisted priorities and forced, non-sequiteur reasoning of the interim regime and its dwindling cadre of support, Professor Wadan Narsey's article 'Charter sham' (FT 23/12) was clear, straight forward, logical and, most of all, true.

However, there is one point where I take issue with the good doctor -- his contention that the charter has no evil in it.

The claim is true as far as it goes but the charter nevertheless bodes evil because of its real raison d'etre.

The evil is that the charter is not, as has been claimed, Bainimarama's exit strategy to allow Fiji to return to democracy, normality and common sense.

It is far from it.

The charter is actually Bainimarama's carte blanche re-entry strategy to serve as some kind of legal basis to allow him and the military to do at any time in future, what the Constitution point-blank did not allow him to do in December 2006.

It means that all the post-2006 stupidity, denial, illogic, lack of understanding and wrong-headedness that we are suffering under, will not be rolled back by the coming election because it will only be a Damocles sword away from being re-visited on the poor, suffering people of Fiji again at any time in future and at the whim of the charter's so-called guardians.

These are the people who, we have already seen, refuse to submit to any ministerial directive, parliamentary vote, court ruling or constitutional clause that it does not like.

It means that any post-regime government must either submit itself to the guardian's views, as opposed to the people's views or expect another 2006-style takeover.

So post-election Fiji will only be in one of two states:

* Within yet another interim regime nightmare or

* Under threat of being returned to one.

MERE SAMISONI
Lami