Page 8 - Islands Business March 2023

Whispers Whispers

FijiFirst resignations continue some criminals, or makes them appear for the 2015 Pacific Games have fallen
The spate of resignations from Fiji’s more powerful than they actually are. into disrepair. “All our stadiums here,
former ruling party, FijiFirst, does have had 7-8 years of total neglect and
not spell the end of the party says its FNU investigates we’re not generating enough revenue
General Secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. Two expatriate staff members at internally to support the repair and
The latest resignation is former Health Fiji National University (FNU) have maintenance of the stadiums,” PNG
Minister, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete. He been suspended, as investigations into Sports Foundation Executive Director,
follows Party leader and former PM complaints against them continue. Albert Veratau said. “To repair and
Voreqe Bainimarama, who resigned Vice-Chancellor Lyn Karstadt and maintain the stadiums, you need
after being suspended from parliament Pro Vice-Chancellor (learning and millions of kinas. Like the (athletics)
for three years, and former ministers teaching) Lisa Harrison have been stood track at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium
Rosy Akbar, and Doctor Mahendra down. It’s believed at least one of them itself needs up to K10 million to fix,” he
Reddy. Sayed-Khaiyum himself had to has left Fiji. FNU Chairperson, Dr Adi added.
depart parliament after he joined the Kesaia Seniloli said the accusations “Our stadiums have gone very bad.
Constitutional Offices Commission. were “serious in nature”. Karstadt and They’ve deteriorated to a point where
One of FijiFirst’s youngest and newest Harrison are on leave with full pay and some of them we can’t use, like the
MPs, Rinesh Sharma, told Islands benefits. Karstadt has only been in the indoor netball courts at the Rita Flynn
Business in response to the departure role since September 2022, and came to Complex.
of his seniors: “Sometimes you have the university with more than 20 years’ “The floors are rotting due to the
family, you have to look at what is good experience in executive and leadership recent flooding and the use of these
for the family and they might have roles in higher education in Australia facilities for other purposes.”
other passions they want, because it and the UK. FNU’s education professor, Several of the venues were hired
is a collective decision as a family, a Unaisi Nabobo-Baba has been appointed out for functions, and were used as
politician is a human being as well. acting Vice-Chancellor. COVID-19 hospitals at the height of the
“If people feel like they have served pandemic.
the country, they want to do something Visa debate heats up Neighbouring Solomon Islands is
else, it is their life, and their decision. Australia’s Minister for the experiencing a building boom in
But for FijiFirst, we remain very Pacific, Pat Conroy had to withdraw the lead-up to the Pacific Games
strong because we have from senior ‘unparliamentary language’ when later this year, much of it funded by
to youngest politician, so it is very things got heated recently over a China, and local stakeholders are
dynamic.” debate on the proposed visa scheme similarly concerned about post-Games
Meanwhile, Bainimarama has to allow 3000 people from the maintenance.
pleaded not guilty to an abuse of office Pacific to work in Australia and apply
charge. Sayed-Khaiyum is also being for permanent residency. “I said Panuelo’s parting shots
investigated by police in relation to a something along the lines of ‘You f***** Federated States of Micronesia
complaint lodged by the Fiji Elections up the Pacific relationship when you President, David Panuelo is not leaving
Office. were in government and now you’re office quietly. He has written to
making it harder for us to fix it’,” he Congress and FSM governors accusing
‘Warlords’ misnomer told Australian media, referring to Beijing officials of bribing elected
What’s in a name? A great deal if the former Coalition government’s representatives in FSM and spying under
you ask Papua New Guinea’s Internal relationship with the region. The the guise of ‘research’. Panuelo writes
Security Minister, Peter Tsiamalili Jr, Pacific Engagement Visa has a two- that China is readying for conflict over
who says there are no “warlords” in the step application process, under which Taiwan, and that “China is seeking to
country, only criminals. He made the applicants must first register in a ballot ensure that, in the event of a war in
statement when questioned about how and pay a fee of A$25. In the second our Blue Pacific continent between
police were responding to the recent stage, applicants selected by the ballot themselves and Taiwan, that the FSM is,
abduction of a young woman, and the will be able to then apply for the visa. at best, aligned with the PRC [China]
murder of a taxi driver. Tsiamalili told The Opposition has opposed the visa, instead of the United States, and, at
parliament that a warlord is generally and it will now go to the Senate for a worst, that the FSM chooses to ‘abstain’
defined “as an aggressive military vote. The government hopes to have it altogether.”
commander with extremely loyal forces. in place by July 1. He has also suggested that FSM switch
They usually control a small territory diplomatic recognition from China
within a country,” and asked fellow MPs Crumbling infrastructure to Taiwan, if the latter could inject
and others to stop using the term. There A cautionary tale from Papua New US$50million into FSM. That would
are concerns that the term glamourises Guinea, where facilities constructed reverse a global trend; just this month,

8 Islands Business, March 2023