Commodore Josaia V.Bainimarama Prime Minister for Public Service, People's Charter for Change, Information, Provincial Development, Indegenous and Multi-Ethnic Afairs & Acting Minister of Finance & National Planning

STATEMENT AT THE PEOPLE’S FORUM ON THE DRAFT PEOPLE’S CHARTER

Ni sa bula vinaka! and a very good afternoon to you all.

I thank you all for being here this afternoon for this Peoples Forum on the draft Peoples Charter for Change, Peace and Progress.

The date 5th December, 2006 marks a turning point in our history.  On that day, we started on a special journey, and with a vision for this country to achieve change.  Under my leadership, the interim Government firmly believes that Fiji’s overall political, social and economic situation is such that the case for change is very compelling.  We must achieve change for a more equitable and prosperous future for all of our people.

Since January last year, following its appointment by His Excellency, the President, the interim Government embarked on a comprehensive examination of our political, economic, social, including governance problems and issues.  We felt we needed to do this, to identify the shortcomings that have contributed to the abysmal record of successive governments, particularly since May 1987.  We have not only been identifying the major causes of our problems, but, more importantly, our primary focus has been on finding durable and just solutions.

Within the first few months of its inauguration, my Government took the decision to reach out to you, the people of Fiji, to ensure that you  became better aware of Fiji’s problems; and not only that, but also, that you all become part of the solutions, going forward.  From the outset, we were also mindful of the larger issue of mandate which the events of December 2006 would raise.  For my part, I have been of the firm view that Government must not pretend that it alone has the capacity or the wisdom to solve all of our country’s deep-rooted, entrenched and complex problems entirely on its own.

We, therefore, recommended to His Excellency, The President that a National Council for Building a Better Fiji be set up, so that through the NCBBF, we could reach out to you, and to get you, the people of Fiji, to be actively involved in charting the way forward for Fiji.

The NCBBF was set up as a broad-based, independent consultative body.  It includes men and women who are representatives from national, local, and provincial governments; business organisations; political parties; unions; religious bodies; civil society; and other organizations and representative bodies. 

Some have questioned the representativeness of the NCBBF, and also claim that it is illegal.  In doing so, they seek to create certain doubts.  There also has been much said by way of deliberate misinformation, to portray that there is resistance or a lack of support for the Peoples Charter.  The opponents of the Interim Government are working overtime to undermine and kill this important national initiative.  When you read carefully yourself, the draft Peoples Charter, please ask: What is in there that you find objectionable?  Does it not contain a vision that you share, to take our country forward?  I have faith in you, the people of Fiji: to think and decide for yourself; and also, for you to think about your future, the future of your loved ones, and indeed, the future of our country.
 
I want to personally inform you that His Excellency The President invited the leaders of all the national level organizations to participate in NCBBF.  All the major political parties, including the Qarase-led SDL and even the National Federation Party, which has not won any seats in the last three consecutive Parliaments.  All were invited to participate as members of NCBBF.  However, some political parties including SDL and also the current leaders of the Methodist Church, saw it fit not to accept the invitation of His Excellency, The President.  The NCBBF for its part has left the door open and the invitation to join remain extended.  By deliberately choosing not to participate, these organizations are willfully penalizing not only themselves but also, their loyal followers, most of them the ordinary people of Fiji.

It is important that you, the people of Fiji, recognize that through the NCBBF, a conscious effort has been made to reach out, to get the widest possible participation in the Peoples Charter process.  To prepare the draft Peoples Charter, through outreach teams, over 1,000 villages and settlements and also communities in the urban areas were consulted. This included communities in our smaller islands as well.  The reports received indicated that the ordinary man and woman in our communities are receiving the Peoples Charter initiative as a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in building a better Fiji.

In sharp contrast, on the other hand, there are those who have chosen to be nothing but negative, who continue to make ill-informed and misguided criticisms from the side lines, and who are doing their utmost to undermine the Peoples Charter initiative.  These opponents are building a culture of suspicion, abuse, character assassination, and vilification. We must ask ourselves the question: why are they doing this; and what is it that they fear?

I welcome constructive criticism.  It is part and parcel of genuine dialogue.  However, unsubstantiated criticisms on their own are perhaps easy to make, particularly when they play cheap political football by manipulating the minds of our ordinary people through prejudices and racism.  People who are doing this are supposed to be “leaders”.  Are these the kind of leaders that our nation needs; also, do they deserve your support? 

Let me take this opportunity to share with you some of my concerns and thoughts on leaders, and leadership, in our country.  I raise the issue of leadership because of the record of failures on the part of many of our political leaders, particularly in the two decades since May 1987.  Our nation and our communities have been ill-served by the kind of leadership that have only looked after the interest of their narrow base of followers or communities.  They have not seen the common interest and the inter-dependence of our people as being important.

In the name of “democracy”, we have in the past elected leaders who failed to provide good governance, and who did not ensure wise and effective use of our resources.  We have tended to put our trust and faith on selfish, short sighted leaders, those mainly interested in providing for themselves and their followers, and in defending institutions and practices that served their power base.  We have had many short sighted, parochial and outright racist leaders.  Many of our leaders have not set good examples to inspire our young people.

Since Independence in 1970, Fiji has had 10 elected Parliaments.  What is the overall record of these Parliaments? 

I put to you today that our Parliaments have a sad and dismal record on national building.  They have divided us as a people through their rhetoric, both inside the Parliament and outside.  They exploited the race card, including race based electoral systems, for their narrow sectarian interests.  They campaigned for elections on race, focusing on our differences, and magnifying our fears and our prejudices.

Our so called democratic system allowed and encouraged these abhorrent practices.  They exploited differences even when our different ethnic communities have so much more in common.  We have been unable to use our election campaigns to promote and debate policy alternatives based on the need for economic and social development and nation building, including such bread and butter issues as health, education, housing, basic infrastructure, water and employment opportunities.  This is why the case for change is compelling; and this is what the Peoples Charter seeks to do.

In order for us to be able to achieve our Vision of a better Fiji for all, and for us to be able to effectively address all the challenges that our country faces, we need better leaders.  We need forward-looking leaders, not only at the national, political level but also at other levels in our communities: in the private sector, in the religious organisations, in the security forces, in our villages, towns, and cities; and in the wider civil society.

The challenge of moving our country forward, through the Peoples Charter, is to be faced by us all, the people of Fiji.  We cannot rely on leaders who have a self-serving and divisive agenda.  Also, we cannot rely on any one political party, for that matter.
  
You need to ask yourself the question whether the Peoples Charter opponents are leaders who are selfless, broad minded, and whether they care for the interest of all our communities.  Are these so-called leaders demonstrating moral courage, are they modest, truthful and honest.  Leaders who have moral courage are not afraid to make tough decisions when they know it is the right thing to do.  Think about Laisenia Qarase’s record as Prime Minister : did he have the moral courage to unify our people by according all our citizens equal rights ; did he practise good and just governance?  Think about the big mess that he created in regard to government’s finances.  Within a period of six years, they doubled government debt from $1.3 billion in 2001 to $2.5 billion in 2006.

By now you know who are the opponents of the Peoples Charter.  They include some chiefs, some church leaders, some political parties, some disaffected intellectuals and elites, and of course the ethno-nationalists.  Some of these opponents are more vocal, and they are regularly paraded before you by the mainstream media.  Next time you see and hear them on TV or read what they say in the “Fiji Sun” or “Fiji Times”, think carefully about what is in their agenda, and also ask what is it that they are afraid of.  There are some who have rejected the draft Peoples Charter without even reading it?

Through the Peoples Charter, I have demonstrated strong commitment and willingness to have dialogue and debate, and to persuade you, the people of Fiji, to support decisions that are in the national interest.  In the end, the hard decisions must be made.  Decisions that might be unpopular or even arouse fear, but are in the long term, common interest for us all.  Where there exists conflict, leaders must be willing to pursue justice, reconciliation and healing, and be able to do this in a selfless manner.

People that you regard as leaders need to demonstrate a genuine willingness to engage in consensus building.  We need this for practical and just solutions to our national problems.  The belief that the common good in Fiji can only be legitimately defined through the prism of a narrow view of indigenous interest and priority has not worked.  It has resulted in alienation and divisiveness including a massive emigration overseas of our skilled and experienced people.

I have dwelt on the issue of leadership, in general, at some length because it is of most critical importance for our nation as a whole.                  

Much has been said by our opponents that I, with the Military Council, will act as dictators and impose the Peoples Charter upon our nation.  I want you to be your own judge from the facts that I have presented to you this afternoon.  Decide for yourself.  Do not let others decide for you.  What evidence have they provided to you that I have imposed and not consulted?  The short and simple answer is: NONE!  All the evidence proves to the contrary.  The NCBBF, as an independent body, has been consulting in the most thorough and efficient manner that our country has ever known or seen.

It is my earnest desire and commitment to work for a broad-based consensus on the way forward for Fiji.  In this respect, I urge you all, including the leaders, in particular the political leaders, to come forward and dialogue in going forward now, for the sake of our nation’s future and to demonstrate the love of our country.  The draft Peoples Charter should be used as a basis for opening dialogue and to develop consensus on moving Fiji forward.

I have said publicly in the past that if there is no Peoples Charter, there would be no elections.  I repeat this to you today.  But there is no Peoples Charter yet; what you have is a draft document.
I will not unilaterally impose this draft Peoples Charter upon the people of Fiji, on a “all or nothing” basis.  The draft Peoples Charter is not my document.  It is a document drafted by a consultative and broadly representative group, through a transparent process of extensive consultations with the people of Fiji right across the country.

I have said this before and will repeat : this draft Peoples Charter document remains such i.e. a draft, until the majority of Fiji’s people embrace it.  Only then it becomes the Peoples Charter, representing the collective will of the people of Fiji.  It will not be, and cannot be, the “Bainimarama Charter” or the “RFMF Charter” or the “Charter of the Interim Government”.   

The Peoples Charter will be adopted by my Government as a vision statement that identifies our core problems and the solutions recommended through the extensive consultation process.  It is incumbent on my Government to ask others to adopt the Peoples Charter as the common principles on which we should rebuild our nation because, once embraced, it will be the peoples’ collective will in regard to the way forward for Fiji.  If the Peoples Charter is not accepted, there is no considered way forward.

We are not obliged to abandon this enormous and important work, achieved through an extensive participatory and consultative process, just because some people have decided not to participate.  This despite they being invited and urged to join this national level dialogue for the way forward.  My Government’s task now is to persuade all to join and contribute.  We hope to achieve consensus.

There are some important legal hurdles to be overcome to change certain rules, processes and institutions, as indicated in the recommendations from the draft Peoples Charter and the SNE Report.  I will pursue these changes through legal and constitutional means, and for this the proposed President’s Political Dialogue Forum is to be convened, by the UN and COMSEC, independent of the NCBBF.

Our Constitution should be a living and breathing document, which could be modified or changed if there is an emerging consensus to do so.  It is not cast in stone.  The drafters of our Constitution alluded to this possibility that, in time, some aspects may need to be re-examined.  It would be fool-hardy not to modify or amend the Constitution if there is an emerging consensus that some aspects of it need to be modified, changed or amended.

For instance, I want an early election, but this must follow the necessary reform of our electoral system.

In conclusion, I seek your help; I seek your prayers; and I seek your patience and indulgence.  I seek all this not for me personally but for our nation, Fiji.  It is extremely important that we all come together, that we join hands to work together, to build a better Fiji.

I urge you all, the people of Fiji: be informed, get involved.

Thank you.

Vinaka vakalevu.   

Churchill Park,Lautoka
                        Tuesday 16th September,  2008