Ajith Kodagoda (left) boozing at Traps nightclub in Suva with his CJ Patel boss Sundip Patel

Sources confirm that Telecom Fiji head office building situated in the heart of capital Suva is now on the market up for sale.

Telecom is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amalgamated Telecom Holdings, chaired by Sri Lankan Ajith Kodagoda who is also Chairman of Fiji National Provident Fund and Fiji Inland Revenue and Customs Authority.

Kodagoda is a key advisor to Frank and Aiyaz and has been on record to have said that Frank’s 2006 coup was a necessary coup to fix up Fiji.

He is a big proponent of Frank’s fictitious clean up coup.

He has been instrumental in breaching the contractual agreement FNPF had with its pensioners, among other criminal activities he’s committed.

Kodagoda is CJ Patel’s Chief Financial Officer but because of his heavy involvement with the junta, sources say he pretty much spends most of his time at FNPF, FIRCA and ATH.

So who has Kodagoda, Aiyaz and Anty Nur lined up to buy the Telecom Building?

Could it be another of Anty Nur’s AliZ client?

Or could it be a conglomerate of Gujeratis organised by one of their coup apologist kind sitting in as Telecom Fiji’s Director, Umarji Musa.

Umarji Musa

It’s a bulls market in Fiji right now with buyers dictating prices on whatever is on sale – perfect timing for the insiders to sell off the building at a much lower price (to themselves and their friends/clients) than what it could actually attract when the market is buoyant.

As experts say, any one selling at depressed times like right now is a desperado with a very weak cashflow.

That sounds like Frank’s junta to us which is why Kodagoda is liquidating assets that don’t belong to him or the illegal administration he’s serving to help prop up Frank & Co.’s diminishing cash reserves.

We say, Kodagoda, you will not be spared from joining Frank and Co. behind the slammer.

In their most recent  ratings released in 12th January, 2012, Standard and Poor rated Australia number 1 while its coup riddled neighbour Fiji was rank 116 out of 128 countries listed.

Fiji was at the bottom with Ghana, Rwanda, Greece and Pakistan.

And Moody’s ratings on latest Country default spreads and risk premiums as at Jan 2012 puts Fiji at 12% ” which explains why the new Fiji Infrastructure bonds are now being issued onshore and not going offshore as was done last March where we got 9% interest.If we go out for international bonds  now we will be looking at 12% to 13% to 14% interest – our situation has detriorated and it shows on these latest risk ratings from Moody’s,” said Realjack.

Let’s hear more from Realjack.

by realjack

this is the second default ( the first loan repayment  default was in 10th December 2011  - the other default was in November 2011 – so its now a series of defaults over the last two months

in 2009 we defaulted on the EXIM bank one – for the FSC restructure. that was also listed, albeit as a Fiji Government guranteed debt

these are the Chinese debts which we are starting to default on – and its already two defaults. One in November and the other one in December

(btw there’s another big one coming up in March – thats $22 million USD coupon for the one Aiyaz got us into last March – the Euro bonds one)

anyway as for the Chinese : the Chinese Govt is now going to learn what the RFMF has excelled at over the last two decades – busting its budget and failing to pay its debts ala the Auxilliary Unit and all that

sa na vakarau tekivu qo na pusi kalavo.

sa rau na qai veikilai qo na pusi mai Jaina vata kei na kalavo mai Delainabua

Koya la na sere ya…..”Sa seavu tiko yani vakamalua na kemu kamica……”

“Think of all the beautiful moments we had together. Think of your international commitments. Don’t do it, Fiji!”

That’s essentially the message from Tbilisi as the tiny South Pacific country of Fiji prepares to welcome Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on February 1 for what Georgia fears could be a lot of sweet talk from Moscow about recognizing the independence of breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

“We really hope that the government of Fiji remains loyal to international principles . . .and good relations and partnership with us…. and resists this temptation,” was how Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Jalaghania put it officially.

And, in an apparent attempt to provide some small incentive for the island country to stick to those principles, the Georgian government delivered 200 notebook computers to Fiji this weekend. But will Georgia’s entreaties do the trick? 

Moscow has denied having any plans to bribe Fiji, a developing country, in exchange for recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It says it’s just in the region for  (with apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein) some  “happy talk.”

But the Pacific island country of Nauru is alleged to have fallen prey to $50-million-worth of Russian persuasion. Hefty assistance is believed to have been offered to Tuvalu, as well. Russian pressure and Western counter-pressure on Fiji’s neighbor, Vanuatu, almost left that country with a split personality disorder.

In nearby Australia, Fiji’s largest benefactor, there seems to be little doubt what Lavrov’s neighborhood call is all about. Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Richard Marles described Russia’s international campaign to collect signatures for Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s independence as “checkbook diplomacy.”
One New Zealand foreign policy specialist dismissed that label, but expressed the wish that Moscow will be open about “what the Russians are doing.”

“We’d like to know what the figures of aid are. We’d like to coordinate our aid with their aid, if it’s legitimate, because we’re all working towards the betterment of the Pacific peoples,” University of Auckland Associate Professor Stephen Hoadley told ABC Radio Australia. 
Meanwhile, some Georgians are keeping an eye on the weather.
Heavy rains have been lashing Fiji, but Lavrov has pledged that the downpour will not derail his mission.“We can hold talks in any weather, as long as we don’t get washed away,” the foreign minister said, wryly. 

http://www.eurasianet.org/node/64922

Answers Please Dave

Qorvis Communication is pretty pissed off with Tuilaepa for speaking the minds of the silent majority in Fiji.

Tuilaepa is simply rehearsing what many Fiji Islanders already know and nothing in his statement is new or slanderous for it is a widely believed perception.

It’s clear that Qorvis Communication is shooting in the dark, not knowing what they’re up against.

Their complaint to Radio New Zealand for airing Tuilaepa’s statement doesn’t achieve anything positive to their Fiji junta client except to expose how hopeless and a waste of resources Qorvis Communication really is.

They know their complaint will not be taken seriously by Radio New Zealand and the New Zealand media watchdog as Radio NZ  is simply doing their job as messegengers to the message of a factual statement placed on record by a credible democratically elected Prime Minister of Samoa.

Our advice to Frank – terminate Qorvis Communications contract (Aiyaz’s idea) and tell Aiyaz  Kahiyum to stop throwing away scarce Fiji taxpayers monies with his many fallicious spending.

Here is Radio NZ reporting.

The Prime Minister of Samoa stands by his claim that there is no chance a general election will go ahead in Fiji in 2014.

A public relations firm hired by the regime, Qorvis, has complained to Radio New Zealand International about its reporting of Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s comments, saying the story was false and slanderous.

Fiji’s interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, reneged on a 2007 promise to hold elections in 2009, but has said since that elections will go ahead in 2014.

Tuilaepa says Commodore Bainimarama has taken no credible action to give the international community assurance that an election will take place.

“Instead he has recruited army people to occupy the administration’s ministries, he has again put in orders which restricted further freedom of expression, and he has done nothing to prepare the nation for general elections.”

Prime Minister Tuilaepa says Qorvis’ criticisms of his comments should be put into context.

Meanwhile, the interim Fiji government has selected a Canadian firm to conduct electronic voter registration in the country.

News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=65811

FNPF management and Board were quick to release a press statement from their nicely air-conditioned offices saying that those affected by the recent flood will not be able to have access to any flood assistance funds from their own money parked at FNPF.

But during Frank’s walk- about visiting the flood victims, his heart pacer must have skipped a beat with compassion seeing his potential voters suffering from the attack by unarmed rain terrorists his newly promulgated Public Order Decree could not safeguard them from.

Frank was seeing reality on the ground while those arm-chair executives at FNPF were more worried about trying to keep their ledger book balanced after thieving Frank, Aiyaz and Dave Flieger recently raided their vault with the US$200million loan to Air Pacific and now the $195million government paper bond issue they’re forcing FNPF to take in exchange for FNPF suffering members hard cash.

So far, no further announcement has been forthcoming from that FNPF pro-regime mouth-piece Wainikiti Bogidrau to retract their initial statement over-riding it with Frank’s wish.

Meanwhile, FNPF pensioners are still reeling from the devastating effect of their own deluge after Frank and Aiyaz forcefully stripped them off their contractual pension funds they’ve been surviving on for the past years.

Frank and Aiyaz have taken away their right to seek redress in court forcing the grey power movement to revert to blogging as their only other avenue to share their misery.

And we say – hang on in there pensioners, justice will prevail!

This report from Radio New Zealand.

Fiji’s interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, says the Fiji National Provident Fund will assist some flood affected families.

According to FBC News, Commodore Bainimarama has told people in Semo village that assistance will be available from the fund but only for those who were in the worst affected areas.

The FNPF had earlier in the week stated it would not provide flood assistance like it did in 2009.

Commodore Bainimarama has been visiting the west of the country which has suffered serious flood damage.

News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=65805

Ousted Vice President, Joni Madraiwiwi was the chief guest.

Deposed Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase was also present and so was a Fiji Labour Party stalwart, Khrishna Dutt.

Fiji Labour Party leader, Mahen Chaudhry was missing as he is understood to be under some kind of medical trip outside of Fiji.

Certain members of the Diplomatic Corp were also present and so was Aiyaz Khaiyum.

Tyrant Frank Bainimarama was absent and sources say he was in Namosi meeting the disgruntled landowners there who are demanding that Newcrest Mining company leave their land alone.

They say Frank was also distracted by the negative publicity he was getting from his regime’s slow response to the flood that completely destroyed Western towns and farms.

Was Frank’s absence a set-up?

We think so.

We think Frank did not really want to be in the same room as Qarase and Madraiwiwi and he also wanted to gauge from a distance where the key politicians stood in their deceptive initiative to change Fiji’s Constitution using his unaccepatable coup platform to drive it.

After all, it was these same politiking men who slept on their jobs back in 2006 and allowed Frank to have free reign over his coup idea.

Frank gave them more than enough warning but neither Qarase nor Madraiwiwi was a true leader material to make that tough call and to use their powers to immediately arrest and isolate Frank to avoid him from committing treason.

Madraiwiwi is known to have averted Qarase’s request to arrest Frank saying something along the line that he believed Frank is not the kind of person courageous enough to do such a thing.

And how wrong Madraiwiwi was in his pathetic assessment by giving Frank the benefit of the doubt after soo many threats of a coup from Frank himself.

Qarase on the other hand did not take the risk of arresting Frank anyway to ward off the impending coup d’etat.

 Qarase, Madraiwiwi and past President Iloilo, who depended on the advise given to him by Qarase and Madraiwiwi, all failed the people of Fiji and we think they don’t deserve the peoples trust to depend on them ever again as possible national leaders.

We think they’re better off in retirement or carry on with their advisory role in the public/private sector  and not to return as key leaders of Fiji as they will be spectacularly out-voted by the majority of Fiji Islanders who are dying for a true leader who can make tough decisions.

They were given a chance to lead the Fiji peoples but they stuffed them up real good and Fiji Islanders are still stuffed right now because of the lack of good leadership qualities in them.

Anyway, Frank’s absence at Holiday Inn was a trap for Qarase, Madraiwiwi and others present.

Their sheer presence (whether they know it or not) meant they were in agreement with Frank and Aiyaz’s trickery to change Fiji’s 1997 Constitution in a dishonorable manner outside of parliament lending credence to Frank’s coup d’etat of 2006 and the illegalities that followed.

Their presence also sent a message that they no longer have faith or honoured the Appeals Court decision that ruled Frank’s coup as illegal.

It also means that they’ve somehow accepted the purported promulgation of the 1997 Constitution during Easter weekend of 2008.

Simply put, they have all agreed to come under Frank and Aiyaz’s new illegal order by compromising their moral high ground and stooping very low with the likes of Akuila Yabaki to knowingly or unknowingly legitimise Frank’s coup.

And we say, shame on you all!

It’s no secret that Akuila Yabaki’s Citizens’ Constitutional Forum is a professional lobby group sponsored by  the European Union, UK Department for International Development (DFID), Misereor, EED, the Finish Embassy in Canberra, and AusAid.

It is also a money earning initiative (a real job) for a rejected Methodist Church priest in Akuila Yabaki.

One simple question everyone should be asking is – if Akuila Yabaki and his CCF team (and other NGOs for that matter) are soo passionate about implementing an ideal Fiji Constitution, why haven’t they bothered to form a political party and contest a general election where they can advocate their fanciful Constitutional  ideas as their party manifesto at their own cost and not from overseas donors?

We say, put your own money where your big mouth is Akuila Yabaki and CCF and stop fooling the people with your blurbs to justify getting funds from overseas donors to finance you and your brainwashing methodologies.

Stand for election backed by your savings or else, shut up!

We say, resurrect the sleeping 1997 Constitution and make changes to it in the most civilized and legal manner already allowed for within the Constitution i.e by 2/3 votes in parliament.

No one is above the law including Frank, Yabaki, Qarase, Madraiwiwi, Dutt and whoever else was present in Holiday Inn that evening.

It is the role of true leaders to show the people how the law of the land must be respected and upheld at all times, even during conflicts when everything else seem to make it redundant.

The challenge now for true Fiji leaders is to resurrect the 1997 Constitution in a peaceful manner, no matter how long it’ll take, for not Frank nor Aiyaz and their supporters have the power to defend themselves from the peaceful resistance of patience, long-suffering and non-violence.

They are getting caught in their own lies, and they will eventually lead Fiji to bankruptcy.

And so be it, for every Fiji man, woman, youth, child and their dog need to learn that usurping authority illegally through a coup have far-reaching destructive consequences that no one will ever wish for again.

Every Fiji Islander must feel the coup bite in their daily lives to appreciate how wrong and immoral a coup is.

It’s not until everyone suffers during coup famine times for people to learn from the mistakes of a coup,and  only then can a true Constitutional Revival ever take place in Fiji.

We say, let Frank and Co. do their thing because we know and believe what the law says about this things, “everything have a season,” “what goes up must come down.”

Neither Frank nor Aiyaz can guarantee that their tormented worried hearts will continue pumping this time tomorrow.

They don’t have the powers to control life, and not even their own, therefore, they don’t have powers to control your life.

So live freely, live righteously and live truthfully and stay away from wayward law-breaking ambitions of man.

Jale Baba was SDL party’s controversial General Secretary whom sources say embezzeled large sums of money while he was in office.

Sources say he was also well known for his womanising and ended up impregnating a young lady who worked for him as a volunteer in the SDL office.

Information sent to RFN say Jale Baba was also involved with Peter Foster, a well-known con-man who was initially used by Frank & Co. to infiltrate the SDL party.

Peter Foster later released video recordings from a hidden camera he set up while having private discussions with Jale Baba and another SDL advisor, Navi Naisoro, at a hotel room in Suva.

Sources say Jale Baba received money and other perks from Peter Foster for passing on SDL information.

Team Frank used that video recording to nail Jale Baba, Navitalai Naisoro and the SDL party accusing them of rigging the 2006 election.

Sources say that Frank & Co. returned Peter Foster’s favor by “accidently” releasing him from his house-arrest in Denarau.

Foster reappeared in Vanuatu after he was ferried there by a yachty only to be recaptured by the Australian Police, wanted in Australia for some other sophiticated con jobs he did which has resulted in his jailing.

As for Jale Baba, these sources say he seem to be following Peter’s footsteps and is now a declared bankrupt for his corrupt practices and conning.

It is understood that Jale Baba is now lending his support to team Frank by propagating alongside Sharon Smith Jones in his spare time.

Jale Baba remains unemployed and is believed to be squatting in a settlement.

Will team Frank give this SDL con-man a full-time job?

He might – to reveal all the SDL crap he was party to!

And he did a good job of it by entering the danger zone at the height of the flooding and even assisted in the evacuation process.

His good samaritan pictures were plastered on his propaganda Fiji Sun newspaper and Fiji government website.

He even used the flooding as an excuse not to attend the Pacific Forum Leaders meeting at PNG but instead, he sent his side-kick Aiyaz Khaiyum who was later dressed down and put in his right place by those democratically elected Pacific leaders.

Frank’s attitude towards the recent Fiji flooding have somewhat changed.

He was not seen wading through the flooded towns in the Western side of Fiji, nor was his Qorvis Communications spin doctors or his other mouth-piece Sharon Smith-Jones tweeting or churning out pictures of a hands-on dictator reaching out to the flood-stricken locals.

That Qorvis woman, Tina Jeon ditched her luxurious tweeting boat ride with the dictator.

Accompanying the dictator through muddy waters is not her thing, she only wants the touristy type of boat ride and getting her hands and feet dirty with flood debris is not part of their US$40,000 per month PR terms of engagement.

They all remained silent during the deluge.

What happpened cranky Frankie?

Well, it’s not too hard to speculate on the main reason behind his slow reaction.

For starters, he as Fiji’s Minister for money is now scratching his head on how and where he will find the extra money required to rehabilitate affected people and areas in a flood that took everyone by surprise causing damages that is more severe than recent ones.

His free for all spending habits have emptied the public kitty long time ago and he has been borrowing heavily to fund his regime’s activities.

He borrowed FJ$500 million in bonds alone last year and is again borrowing $195million local bonds as we blog.

Actual total borrowings todate remain hazzy due to his refusal to publicise the Auditor General’s report and other unreported loans he’s been getting from China.

His 2012 budget is an unsustainable one with major revenue centers like direct taxes and indirect taxes on VAT and Customs expected to take a nose dive this year with dimishing activities in the private sector due to his incoherent policies and corrupt, non-transparent processes, punctuated by a compromised judiciary heavily influenced by the whims of Frank, Aiyaz (and Nazhat).

Business people feel they’ve been ostracised by his overly socialistic budget aimed at killing the hen that lays the golden eggs, and they are getting tired of working the engine room for the unappreciative megalomaniac dictator and his deceitful right hand man, Aiyaz Khaiyum.

Most of them have either packed up and left to invest elsewhere or have simply down-sized their unprofitable Fiji operations.

Yesterday, Frank launched his unappealing flood appeal, well after his “unco-operative enemies” (as he like to call them) Australia and NZ gave their pledge to donate $1million on Australia Day.

Are we to expect another tea party fund-raising appeal at his office soon like in 2009? Or are we to expect a blue-label whisky party?

tsk..tsk…tsk…

http://rawfijinews.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/cartoon-for-aid-seeking-frank/

in places around Tavua, Ba and Rakiraki there are settlements which have been without water and electricity since Sunday – they have also been cut off because of the flooding.

most of those families are rural farming families – and they rely on firewood and kerosense and gas to do their cooking

but with the houses underwater and with no ability to go out and fetch food and clean water, starvation is now starting to set in

they are completely cut off – even mobile phones are unreachable because the batteries have died for not being recharged

in the urban areas they have had no electricity since Sunday also – which means that all the food in the refrigirators are now probably bad. they also have no water.

rain is forecast to carry on into the weekend.

it appears that there is no coordination – i thought that the RFMF would have been out there from Sunday when this thing started – they should have been deployed to start work immediately when this thing started on Sunday/ Monday and it was clear where it was heading – they should have been using fibreglass to move around and go to houses in every single settlement and village under water and either take them out to evacuation centres or provide them with tinned food and bread

the weather office also did not give any warning over the radio – those people out West were not prepared for the flooding which has now happened. it looks like the weather office hid this information from the general public – the day before the bad weather hit the North there was very inadequate warning on the radio – they said there would be rain and that was it – but within 24 hours after that, when that system hit, they were talking about a “cava” (i.e hurricane) on radio fiji’s itaukei station.

we have never had flooding on this scale – in the past the rain eased off after two days and that sort of thing.

this weather pattern is new for Fiji – the rain is forecast to go into the weekend. thats 7 days and night of heavy rain non stop.

they had 300 mm of rain in Nadi within a 24 hour period – thats a massive deluge. normally Nadi averages 172 mm per month – even  the best flood mitigation measures in Nadi wouldn’t be able to stop a flooding with that kind of deluge.

and its ongoing - it hasn’t stopped.

these are weather pattern variations which we simply have to prepare for – its now coming every year around about this time.

this morning its starting to rain in Suva as i am typing this post – its very overcast with heavy cloud cover overhead. 

Just a few days ago, everybody were going gung-gho over the junta’s extreme fear of being terrorised by some “terrorists”.

Fiji’s dictator and his law maker Aiyaz Khaiyum went all out  trying to protect their turf by calling anyone and anything “suspicious” as potential threat to their rule by bluff.

Unlimited powers were given to any member of the military to arrest and detain by force any person(s) they view as a hazard to the military regime.

Aiyaz and his decree scribers thought they have a water-tight Public Order Act that will keep them safe and sound from these “terrorists”.

Last weekend, there was an uprising in Fiji, but in a popular entertaining manner as exhibited by the many people that flocked to the National Stadium in capital Suva to watch the Uprising rugby tournament.

The unexpected happened when an underdog team won the big price over the newly selected Fiji team.

Nothing more happened from that rugby uprising, neither did it invoke any part of that newly promulgated Public Order Decree that may have been a cause of alarm to cowardly Frank and Aiyaz.

And then another uprising happened, this time from the heavens when it opened up with bucket loads of rain hosed down onto the Fiji dwelllers, more so in the touristy Western division.

This rain uprising have somewhat kept the regime thinking again as to how they should apply their new Public Order Decree.

The rain has created havoc to the masses the duo are pretending to be overly protective of, yet they are not sure whether to make a State of Emergency call or not because the “terrorist” don’t have guns like them but rain and lots of it.

One thing is for sure though – that rain uprising happening in Fiji right now only serves to show team Frank how fragile and insignificant they really are.

Let’s sit back and watch them as they are about to roll up their sleeves to start their real “clean up” campaign with the mess that’s before them now – thanks to the uprising by the rain terrorists.

And watch how their spin doctors will now use the flooding there to try and raise funds from compassionate donors, all in the name of assistance towards the flood stricken Fijians, but with the hidden motive to channel any money received to finance Frank and Co’s military regime.

Beggers can’t be chosey aye Frank and Aiyaz? Bring out your beggers plate!

Fiji’s economic freedom score is 57.3, making its economy the 105th freest in the 2012 Index. Its overall score is 3.1 points lower than last year due to considerable declines in property rights and freedom from corruption. Fiji is ranked 18th out of 41 countries in the Asia–Pacific region, and its overall score is below the world and regional averages. Fiji recorded the fifth largest score decline in the 2012 Index.

Performing notably worse across the 10 economic freedoms, the island economy is no longer one of the “moderately free” economies in the Index. The quality of the judicial framework has deteriorated considerably, severely hampered by the lack of judicial independence or any strong political will to eradicate corruption. With the judiciary becoming more vulnerable to political interference, corruption has become a serious cause for concern and undermines the foundations for long-term economic development.

Regulatory uncertainty and the lack of effective open-market policies continue to cause economic stagnation. Public debt has surpassed 50 percent of GDP, a level higher than that in most regional neighbors. Inefficient government-owned enterprises in sugar, electricity, and transportation significantly impede fiscal stability. Monetary freedom remains constrained by state meddling through price controls.

Rule of Law

Protection of property is highly uncertain. The backlog of cases is significant, and there is a shortage of prosecutors. Government actions undermine the judiciary’s independence. Obtaining land titles is difficult, and the enforcement of intellectual property rights is inadequate. Limited accountability for corruption and lack of effective disciplinary processes pose challenges to entrepreneurs.

Read and see more data here http://www.heritage.org/Index/country/Fiji

These are photos sent to NaDraki by Nadi dwellers. Thanks to NaDraki, Viraj Khatri, Krupesh Patel for these photos.

“As the next step on the path to Fiji’s 2014 elections, selection of a highly-respected international partner such as CODE Inc. will ensure all segments of the Fijian population are properly registered to vote,” said Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. “For the first time in Fiji’s history, the 2014 elections will feature true universal suffrage—one person, one vote, one value—and it is critical we get it right.”

The Fijian Government chose CODE from among 11 proposals, consisting of four Fijian firms and seven international firms—from Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Spain, and two from the United States. The decision process took more than three months, with presentations and extensive question and answer sessions.

The Ottawa-based firm further distinguished itself through its cost proposal and by offering local knowledge transfer, through which they will educate Fijians on best practices for voter registration. The EVR process will cost approximately FJ$4 million.

Over the past 20 years, CODE has worked with more than 65 countries worldwide to deliver support of their registration programs. CODE recently completed the registration of more than 800,000 voters in Gambia in preparation for the country’s 2011 Presidential Elections, and the successful registration of 1.5 million Kenyans at 1,600 registration sites in 18 of Kenya’s 210 voting constituencies.

Fiji’s projected voter base is approximately 660,000 voters, aged 18 and up. The Attorney-General says the lowering of the voting age will ensure the young adult population has a say in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.

In choosing to use EVR, Fiji is following recommendations made by the European Union’s report on Fiji’s 2006 elections, which cited irregularities with voter registration and voting practices, such as 101% voter turnout in one constituency, and the disenfranchisement of certain voter groups.

Fiji has sent out invitations to the international community to participate in the EVR process by way of financial assistance; however, so far no countries have opted to participate.

SOURCE Republic of Fiji

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fiji-selects-canadian-firm-to-assist-with-electronic-voter-registration-for-2014-elections-137879768.html

While Aiyaz is spinning his yarn with the help of Qorvis Communication that everything is funky dory in that sinking island state, the truth reveals itself by a consistent negative growth that continue to plague that little island since the December 5th, 2006 coup, which is confirmed all over again by Moody’s, Standard and Poor and other ratings orgs.

Who’se talk will people believe? That insignificant Aiyaz Khaiyum or these expert rating global organizations?

Announcement:

Moody’s Disclosures on Credit Ratings of Fiji, Government of

Flight Centre’s executive general manager, Mike Friend said this increase, imposed by the Fijian Government, is unfair to travellers and predicts it will affect thousands of Kiwi travellers.

“To increase departure tax by this significant amount in itself is unfair, but to give such short notice is unacceptable,” Mr Friend said.

Mr Friend said he is disappointed by the decision and it makes Fiji a less attractive holiday destination.

As a result, all Flight Centre, Student Flights and Cruiseabout stores in New Zealand will give the customers the choice to transfer their deposits to other destinations, such as the Cook Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Hawaii, Niue, Bali or Thailand, to avoid paying this extra tax.

All travellers who have not paid in full as of today, will be affected and need to pay the extra FJ$50 per person, on their booking.

http://www.voxy.co.nz/business/new-fiji-departure-tax-unfair-travellers/5/112852

Flight Centre’s executive general manager, Mike Friend says the increase, is unfair to travellers and predicts it will affect thousands of Kiwi travellers.

He says to increase departure tax by this significant amount in itself is unfair, but to give such short notice is unacceptable.

Mr Friend said he is disappointed by the decision and it makes Fiji a less attractive holiday destination.

As a result, all Flight Centre, Student Flights and Cruiseabout stores in New Zealand will give the customers the choice to transfer their deposits to other destinations, such as the Cook Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Hawaii, Niue, Bali or Thailand, to avoid paying this extra tax.

News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=65652