The purpose of this paper is to:

Background

Fiji’s economic performance over the past two decades has been erratic with massive declines experienced during political upheavals between 1987 and 2001. In the wake of the coups of 1987 and 2000, efforts to restore stability and re-establish economic growth have been futile and any success short lived.

Failures of governance have been attributed for ongoing political instability, an impasse on the constitutionally entrenched provisions regarding the leasing of native agricultural land, and the erosion of trust between ethnic communities, leading to, among other things, rising crime and the mass emigration of a large proportion of the country’s skilled labour force. The effectiveness and efficiency of the public sector, as well as its size, has been the subject of much criticism and the role of the army, following four coups in twenty years, is now shrouded in ambiguity. The mechanisms of governance require a fundamental overhaul.

In January 2007, His Excellency the President of the Republic of the Fiji Islands gave the Interim Administration the mandate to move the country forward. In this context, the Cabinet at its meeting on the 25th of September 2007, fully endorsed the proposal to launch a national initiative to Build a Better Fiji for All, through a People’s Charter for Change and Progress (PCCP).  The PCCP initiative was officially launched by His Excellency, The President, on the 10th of October 2007, and invitations to join the NCBBF were sent out from 12th of November 2007.

The NCBBF has been formed to conduct a nation-wide, informed consultation process to diagnose the problems which Fiji faces, and to seek solutions to these problems. The consultation process is to be “informed”, in the sense that facts on the current state of the nation and economy, and preliminary and tentative analyses of the causes of the problems confronting Fiji are made available to Fiji’s people across the nation.  Also, on the basis of such information and discussions, Fiji’s people are to be fully involved, in mapping the way forward for Fiji to address these problems.

The State of the Nation and the Economy (SNE) report  that is to be prepared as a first step in NCBBF’s work, therefore, will form the basis for the formulation of the draft  PCCP. The more detailed organizational arrangements for these tasks will be discussed in Session 2 of this first National Council meeting.

Proposed People’s Charter for Change and Progress:

Objective

To rebuild Fiji into a non-racial, culturally vibrant and united, well-governed, truly democratic nation that seeks progress and prosperity, through merit-based equality of opportunity, and peace.

The vision for rebuilding Fiji that underpins this overarching objective is guided by six key principles:

• a just and fair society;
• merit-based equality of opportunity for all Fiji citizens;
• transparent and accountable government;
• uplifting the disadvantaged in all communities;
• mainstreaming indigenous Fijians in a modern, progressive Fiji; and
• growing the economy through sound policies.

Scope

To achieve this, the draft PCCP to be formulated by NCBBF will need to focus on those items of reforms that the NCBBF considers as high priority and of fundamental importance, to lay a solid foundation for sustainable democratic and accountable governance, and also to rebuild a non-racial, united, and more prosperous Fiji.  To achieve this, the scope of NCBBF’s work will need to cover the critical constitutional, political, legal, economic, social, institutional and developmental problems which have riddled Fiji over the past two decades.

To undertake the foregoing, the NCBBF will need to pay particular attention to five (5) key considerations.  These include: 

• the need to strengthen institutions for good governance including transparency and accountability, and an independent and effectively functioning judiciary;
• the need to carry out fundamentally important reforms in the economy, to facilitate sustainable private sector-led growth;
• the need to convene free and fair general elections within a constitutional and governance framework that will ensure that parliamentary democracy is not only restored but can be sustained in Fiji; and
• the need to eradicate divisive, race-based politics and policies, and to promote a shared national identity.

Strategy for Formulating the Draft PCCP

To achieve the foregoing, a two-step approach is proposed to be adopted:  first, to prepare a comprehensive Report on the State of the Nation and the Economy (SNE Report) and second,  on the basis of the SNE Report, to formulate the draft PCCP to address the medium to longer term fundamental reform issues and needs.

The SNE Report is to include a full stock-take or diagnosis of the structural, constitutional, legal, economic, social, policy and institutional problems facing Fiji. This Report must be independent, facts-based, policy and issues-oriented.  Equally importantly, it should be a forward-looking Report. The findings of the SNE Report should be made available to Fiji’s people through full disclosure; with the dissemination of information being in forms that can be readily accessed and understood by the wider community, across the nation.

Second, it is on the basis of the findings and conclusions of the SNE Report, and the extensive consultations undertaken at the local, community, and national levels, that the draft PCCP will be prepared.

NCBBF Role and Responsibility:

The NCBBF will be responsible for:

• undertaking  the preparation of the SNE Report, ensuring that it is independent, facts-based, policy and issues-oriented and forward-looking in its contents;
• ensuring that the findings and conclusions of the SNE Report are made available to Fiji’s people with full disclosure, with the dissemination of information being in forms that can be readily accessed, and also, understood by the wider community across the nation in Fiji;
• formulating, on the basis of the SNE Report and the nation-wide community consultations and feedback on it, a  draft Fiji People’s Charter for Change and Progress;
• ensuring that both the SNE Report preparation related  activities, preparation related and the formulating of the draft PCCP, are undertaken through processes and a manner such that Fiji’s communities at all levels are consulted and able to participate and contribute fully; and
• as necessary and appropriate, facilitating a National Referendum on the People’s Charter for Change and Progress.

The NCBBF will be supported in its work by a Technical and Support Secretariat (TASS).

NCBBF  Schedule:

Please refer to Annex 1 for the proposed PCCP schedule.

It may be noted that the proposed schedule has been prepared working back from March, 2009, which is the timeline that has been officially announced for the convening of the parliamentary elections.  In view of this, the proposed PCCP work needs to be accomplished by October, 2008, to allow sufficient lead time for the convening of the general elections.

Overall, the proposed schedule anticipates that the NCBBF will have 5 meetings between now and end of October, 2008 as follows:Inaugural Meeting, 16th January, 2008;

Second meeting: 
28th May 2008 to discuss the draft SNE Report.  Members of the National Council will be briefed on progress of the draft Report, and advice sought on critical issues for incorporation in the Final Report.

Third Meeting: 
26th June, 2008:  to seek the Council’s guidance  and direction on the formulation of the draft  PCCP based on the final SNE Report.

Fourth meeting: 
25 July 2008:  to discuss the first draft of the PCCP. Council Members will discuss and provide guidance on critical areas of the draft PCCP.

Fifth Meeting: 
27th August, 2008 – Council Members endorsement of the revised final draft PCCP document will be sought, prior to its onward submission to His Excellency, The President.

Key Principles:

In order to achieve the vision which aims to rebuild Fiji into a non-racial, culturally vibrant and united, well governed and truly democratic nation, a number of key guiding principles will need to be adhered to by the NCBBF.  These include:

• effective country-wide  participation in the consultation process;
• developing broad-based ownership in the formulation of the draft People’s Charter;
• respect of the views of each National Council member;
• genuine dialogue and discussion and a process of consensus building; and
• effective dissemination of information to Fiji’s people across the nation.

Conclusion:

Fiji has lost enormously in the wake of the successive coups, and as a result of bad governance, and through divisive race-based politics. The loss development opportunities has been great.  Fiji’s  image and reputation has been greatly tarnished, not only by its own community but in the eyes of the international community as well.

With a deeper understanding and the acceptance of its people of the circumstances and the complex situation Fiji is in, Fiji can be rebuilt as a nation to move forward, and to attain the status of a truly democratic and multiracial society.

The draft People’s Charter that will emerge from the work of the National Council will provide the political and governance framework, with effective supporting and functioning institutions that should make Fiji a truly democratic and progressive nation.

Recommendations: