Cautious welcome to lifting of PER

[posted 2 Jan 2012, 1300}

The Fiji Labour Party cautiously welcomes the decision to lift the PER later this week to allow for political consultations on the new constitution.

As an obnoxious and repressive set of measures, the Public Emergency Regulations should never have happened.

However, the Party believes that simply lifting the PER is not enough. To be fully effective, it should be accompanied by the following:

• the restoration of full media freedom

• restoration of the Judiciary’s independence and
the restrictions on its jurisprudence lifted

• Government accounts together with Auditor General’s
reports must be published

• There must be absolute accountability and transparency
in the affairs of the nation

• Ministerial salaries must be made public

• All abuses under the PER must be investigated and
those found guilty, punished