Labour had advised against coup
[posted 23Sept 2008,1615]
FLP had advised dialogue and mediation to resolve the
army/government stand off in 2006 rather than taking unconstitutional means
of resolving the crisis.
Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry said there was no truth to
allegations that FLP had complicity in the 2006 army takeover of power. In
the days before the takeover the Party had issued at least two statements
calling on the army and the government to talk over their differences.
After the takeover, FLP issued a statement calling for a
quick return to constitutional governance.
The three FLP statement's are reproduced here for the sake
of public information:
Government/Army Stand-off
The Fiji Labour Party has called on the
Prime Minister and the Army Commander to settle their differences through
dialogue.
The FLP caucus which met today in Suva,
discussed the current stand-off between the government and the military and
decided that the Party not get involved in the dispute but urge that both
the PM and the Commander should seriously consider resolving their
differences through dialogue and mediation, if necessary.
The Fiji Labour Party, which has itself
been a victim of two coups, advises against any extra-constitutional means
to remove an elected government.
The Party appreciates that the issues
involved here are not as straight forward and easy as some would like to
make it. It concerns upholding democracy on the one hand while ensuring that
the principles of good governance which are fundamental to the success of a
democratic state are fully observed by all concerned.
The Constitution of Fiji is the supreme
law of the land and it must be observed, respected and honoured by all
citizens including the State. The Party notes that a number of significant
constitutional obligations remain unfulfilled to this day, principal among
them being the enactment of a code of conduct legislation for holders of
high public office.
The Fiji Labour Party stands ready to
assist in resolving the current impasse if called upon to do so.
Government/Military impasse
The Fiji Labour Party believes the
escalating political impasse between the government, the army and the
Police can be resolved through dialogue and mediation, and a national crisis
averted.
The FLP's stand on the worsening political
crisis is categorically clear. Itself a victim of two coups in the recent
past, the Labour Party advises against any extra constitutional means of
taking over the government.
"Violence and a coup d'etat should not be
the answer to problems surmounting the nation," said Labour Leader Mahendra
Chaudhry.
The FLP is mindful of, and has drawn
attention to, the steadily worsening plight of the nation. The government's
current policies are creating deep divisions within society and its misrule
and lack of good governance over the past six years has brought the national
economy and State finances to a highly critical state.
"The unilateral imposition of an
intolerable 15% VAT and substantial hikes in Customs and Excise Duty on a
variety of consumer items in Budget 2007, will further aggravate the
situation by inflicting greater hardship on our poor who now constitute well
over 40% of our people," Mr Chaudhry said.
"Fiji can no longer continue to tread this
path of self destruction. We have to change direction and ensure a clean,
competent and caring government, sensitive to the needs and aspirations of
all our citizens," he said.
The Labour Party has repeatedly called on
the government not to go ahead with contentious and unconstitutional
legislation without referring them for inter-party talks.
Our law and order situation has
deteriorated so markedly in recent months that ordinary citizens no longer
feel safe in their homes. Almost every day we hear of families, innocent
women and children, being terrorised in their homes at nights.
People have lost confidence in the ability
of the State to provide protection and contain crime. The safety and
security of the ordinary citizen should be the first priority of the Police.
"The government must take heed of the
deepening social unrest in the country and take steps now to arrest the
situation.
"We have a multi-party Cabinet arrangement
in place but so far the Labour Party has not been invited to help in
formulating policy or resolving major national issues.
"We stand
ready to serve in every way possible to avoid a national crisis," said Mr
Chaudhry.
-
6 December 2006
FLP Calls for quick return to constitutional
rule
The Fiji Labour Party (FLP) has called
for the restoration of democratic rule as soon as possible.
FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry said the
party’s Management Board met this morning and discussed the current
constitutional crisis and its effect on the nation. The Board called on
the Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) to hand
over executive authority to H.E. the President, as soon as possible, in
order to facilitate a prompt return to democratic rule.
The FLP noted that the root cause of
the standoff between the military and the government related to issues
of goods governance.
The endemic corruption and scams in
government, fuelled by a powerful alliance between corrupt politicians,
civil servants and unscrupulous businesspersons, further aggravated the
already strained relations between the military and the government.
The government’s incompetent
management of the economy and its recklessness with public finances had
also become issues of serious concern as it saw poverty levels
escalating and public services deteriorating beyond limits of tolerance.
‘The current crisis has its roots in
the aftermath of the May 2000 coup and the appointment of the Qarase
interim administration which had terrorist elements of the pro George
Speight group – persons who actively supported Speight and who
subsequently became members of the Qarase Government after the 2001
general elections.
Some of these terrorists elements were
charged, convicted and jailed, but were allowed to retain their
parliamentary seats in clear defiance of the most rudimentary tenets of
good governance.
‘Another bone of contention relates to
the controversial Bills on traditional fishing grounds, land claims and
the grant of am0nesty to terrorists implicated in the events of May 2000
and the mutiny at the Army Barracks in November 2000.
‘Again, these Bills were objected to
by the FLP as well as numerous other organizations, including the Police
Force, but were not heeded by Mr Qarase in time.
Notwithstanding all these, the FLP
leader urged Commodore Bainimarama to expedite efforts to restore
democratic and constitutional rule.
‘Quite simply, we cannot condone coups
as each coup sets the country back at least 20 years. We still haven’t
recovered from the events of May 2000. The economy is at a standstill,
employment is declining, poverty is on the rise, with hardly any
prospect for the 17,000 school leavers each year. Serious crime is on
the rise and our dollar is under pressure as a result of our poor
performing export sector.
The suspension of foreign aid will
also heavily impact on the less privileged and the needy and we should
be mindful of the threats of donor countries to suspend aid to Fiji,’
said Mr. Chaudhry.
The FLP leader said there was still
time to salvage the situation but this would require commitment,
concessions and a genuine desire by those concerned to act in the best
interest of the nation and her people.
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