www.fijitimescanada.com Phone: 604.909.4088 RANJAN SHARMA Owner/Broker AMEX FRASERIDGE REALTY Requests that for unsurpassed service and proven results phone my realtors. You will be glad you did! Ph: 604-322-3272 7505 Victoria Drive Vancouver, BC V5P 3Z6 www.amexrealty.ca YOUR COMPLIMENTARY WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 2006 January 11, 2013 Military Rewrites New Fiji Charter THE Fijian government is rewriting the draft constitution drawn up by an internationally renowned expert, military ruler Frank Bainimarama said in a televised address. The government's legal team will was partly funded by AusAID. finalize a new constitution within The military government has had three weeks - and may be expected to feedback from many Fijians, he said, reflect substantially the army's own that they "are happy with how things submission to the commission that are, and feel that there is no need for wrote the draft. an election". The commission, chaired by Colonel Tikoitoga told the FijiLive web constitutional expert Yash Ghai, site: "We can assume now in hindsight worked through 7000 submissions that the commission was influenced by and meetings throughout Fiji last year, another country." but last month police burned proofs Because AusAID helped fund the and seized 599 copies of the draft, as work, he said, the commission would Professor Ghai watched. have felt that it was not answerable to Commodore Bainimarama will the Fiji government and people. announce the membership of a "But let it be known that the people are constituent assembly that will discuss happy with the government," he said. the draft, and present it to President He criticized the commission for Epeli Nailatikau for promulgation in taking advice from "unionists, political March, to enable elections to be held parties, NGOs". by September next year. However, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, The Prime Minister said: "The the Prime Minister of neighbouring government's legal team will amend Samoa, said the burning of proofs the Ghai draft to ensure that the draft and confiscation of copies of the draft constitution presented to the constituent constitution was "a despicable act of assembly is one that is positive, addresses Frank Bainimarama intimidation". fundamental issues of good governance, divisions", and for being too costly and constitution now discarded, but only He said the six members of the Pacific and will result in an enduring constitution too bureaucratic. if they took an oath that "I renounce Islands Forum's ministerial contact and guarantees true democracy." He rejected the draft's proposal to any actions in my past. I solemnly and group on Fiji - including Foreign Commodore Bainimarama, who establish a transitional government sincerely submit myself to democracy Minister Bob Carr - might need to seized power in December 2006, said to guide the country through the last and the rule of law". follow up on the situation. that despite the drafting of a new six months towards an election. He The draft would have restricted the role A spokeswoman for the Department constitution, he would issue a decree said such a government might include of the military to being "responsible of Foreign Affairs and Trade said this next week to govern the registration of corrupt former public servants. for the defence and protection of the week: "The draft constitution is a political parties. The establishment of a transitional country from external threats at the substantial document and another step Ratu Nailatikau - a former army government would have required request of the government". along the path towards Fiji's return to commander who was appointed by Commodore Bainimarama to step The army's Land Force Commander, democracy." the commodore - also spoke in the aside within about 15 months. Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga, earlier Mr Tuilaepa said: "Most democratic broadcast Thursday night, condemning Commodore Bainimarama and the attacked the draft constitution for countries know a lot more about the draft constitution for "succumbing other coup leaders would have been being influenced by Australia because constitutional processes than the to the interests of those causing provided immunity under the draft the constitutional commission's work inexperienced military gang in Suva." M. Khan & Company Immigration Counsellors Ltd. 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CALGARY (403) 250 6851 (Ami) EDMONTON (780) 292 0701 (Prakash) VANCOUVER (778) 995 7418 (Kanta) Office: 15695 80A Ave., Surrey Bc PHONE: (604) 724 5941 Kamlesh Ram www.fijifreight.ca [email protected] www.fijitimescanada.com Fiji News Friday January 11, 2013 3 Fiji In Hawaiian’s New Airbus Possibilities Hawaiian has ordered a long range for which the -800 may itself have single aisle airliner that could change proven too large. the airline map of the Pacific by High-achiever reviving high frequency links with Whatever course Hawaiian follows, smaller Pacific states. it has been the quiet achiever on Hawaiian is keeping quiet about Australia-Hawaii routes. specific routes for its surprise order for It has built up strong market support 16 Airbus A321 NEOs from 2017. on services between Honolulu and But the single aisle jets will have more Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in than enough range to serve Fiji, Tonga, a commercial alliance in this market Samoa, and New Caledonia from with Virgin Australia. Honolulu, as well as fit into Port Vila’s It’s Honolulu services offer connections Bauerfield runway in Vanuatu, maybe. of variable usefulness to the mainland If it uses the jets this way, it will be US states. taking its fast growing and successful The airline has previously said it is strategy of developing Hawaii’s working on ensuring better connections airports as offshore hubs for mainland to more American cities via Hawaii in USA to a new level. both directions. The order announced includes further Anything that avoids LAX has to be options for six of the A321 NEOs ‘better’. which if exercised in addition to the 16 Hawaiian has also been reported in firm jets would have a list price value US finance media stories in recent of US$2.8 billion (FJ$5 billion). starting later this decade. the Hawaiian archipelago. months as being a possible acquisition Hawaiian is already an Airbus customer, This is about the same time as the A321s The order will no doubt encourage for Delta, which happens to be Virgin growing its fleet of A330-200s to replace with 190 seats in a two class configuration speculation that Hawaiian may also Australia’s major trans-Pacific and the last of the older Boeing 767-300ERs would start coming on line. replace its original preference for the continental US commercial partner. in its fleet, with orders to augment It also operates a fleet of Boeing 717s A350-800 model with the larger -900, So far, nothing has come of those stories, and replace those jets with A350-800s in its very short inter-island services in or use the A321s to cover some routes but they haven’t gone away either. Samoa PM Speaks Out Against Assailant Stabs Mum, Dumps Fiji Dictator Body In Creek part in a coup. "MY mum will come back next week." and was a woman with a big heart. All four of Fiji’s coups have been These were the words echoed by a "Her eldest child was 14-year old staged by the military. five-year-old girl to her family whose and the youngest five-years old. They Samoa’s prime minister said the mother was brutally slain during a are safe and are staying with us," Ms burning of Ghai’s constitution by family dispute at Naisaumua Village in Qionimacawa said. the police was a “despicable act of Tailevu yesterday morning. "We will miss her a lot. She was one of intimidation". The incident happened at 6am when the best in our family," she said. He said the military had bought in the 33-year old wife Kasaya Veisei was The incident has left the whole village internationally recognised law export, stabbed with a kitchen knife several in a state of shock and people are living and New Zealand and Australia paid times on a bridge in the village and her in fear. for it, and then they destroyed it. body thrown into the creek below. "My cousin (Kasaya) knew that “The military is not fooling anybody,” In an interview yesterday, Veisei's something would happen so she asked he told the Samoan Government cousin Lusiana Qionimacawa said me and another cousin to accompany website Savali.