Participants at the Corruption Prevention Risk Reduction Assessment workshop at the Police Academy in Nasese. Photo FICAC

Source: Fiji
Independent
Commission against Corruption

The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, conducted the first Corruption Prevention Risk Reduction (CP2R) assessment workshop from April 23-25, 2013 at the Police Academy in Nasese.
The workshop addressed crucial anti-corruption elements that will guide the behaviour of the individuals that make up the organisation; ensuring that administrative processes do not create opportunities or incentives for corrupt conduct; and establishing methods of detecting inappropriate conduct when it occurs.
Participants at the workshop included senior officers of the ministry as well as the community relations and corruption prevention teams of FICAC who were present to assist in the workshop.
Participants at the Corruption Prevention and Risk Reduction Assessment workshop at Nasese Pic: FICAC
The Corruption Prevention and Risk Reduction (CP2R) assessment is a tool that can assist in identifying those areas of activity in public sector organisations that were most susceptible to corruption – referred to as the hot spots and weak spots in an organisations system.
The exercise involved assessing policies and procedures guiding the operations in the Ministry.

Work on the Fletcher Road Bailey bridge has started by Fletcher construction. Photo: RONALD KUMAR.

By MAIKELI SERU

Good news for motorists and members of the public who use Fletcher Road in Vatuwaqa, Suva.
The Bailey bridge to replace the closed Vatuwaqa Bridge is almost completed.
The Fiji Roads Authority and contractor Fletcher Construction are working overtime to have the bridge re-opened by end of the month.
Authority chief executive officer Neil Cook  said work on the bridge had been progressing well and commended the support from stakeholders involved.
“I am very pleased with the effort put in by everyone involved to get this bridge re-opened,” Mr Cook said.
“The work behind the scenes and on the ground has been of the highest order to fast track the re-opening of this key link road. I am confident the travelling public will soon be enjoying the reinstated access.”
The single lane Bailey bridge sits on top of the closed bridge.
The authority will soon reveal details of arrangements for the direction of traffic flow.
Workers at the site yesterday said they were targeting completion by May 25.
From today, Fulton Hogan Hiway Stabilizers, the company hired by the authority to conduct road repairs in the Central Division, will start work on access on the bridge.

The Police Jazz band during their outreach programme at Qabi, Hanuabada, Port Moresby. Photo: COURTESY OF THE NEMANI BATAU FAMILY IN PORT MORESBY.

By Maika Bolatiki

The Fiji Police Jazz Band’s community outreach one-week programme at Port Moresby was very successful.
This message was relayed to the Fiji Sun by the Fiji High Commissioner to PNG, Romanu Tikotikoca,who said the one-week community outreach was very successful.
Mr Tikotikoca said the outreach programme was a good promotion for Fiji and likewise the Fiji Police Force.
“The people visited were happy with the excellent music and songs provided by the band,” Mr Tikotioca said.
A release from the Fiji Police Force said the band won the hearts of the people of Papua New Guinea after the two- week performance there.
They were in Port Moresby from April 13 – 28.
The Police Jazz Band was also part of the state visit and trade selegation led by Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.
Mr Tikotikoca said with the approval of the Commissioner of Police, Brigadier-General Ioane Naivalurua, he held the band back for another week to entertain the people of Port Moresby and support the outreach programme.
Crowds of people turned up at their different gigs in Port Moresby.

By MAIKELI SERU

The Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources is considering applying for a review of lease fees, and possibly cost of leases on State land.
This was revealed by the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Tevita Boseiwaqa, during their public consultations in Nausori on Friday.
Mr Boseiwaqa said if the review was approved by Government, it could generate a lot of money.
“We will have to ask our Minister, the Prime Minister for the revision of fees,” Mr Boseiwaqa said.
“This will see the discussion of lease conditions, the revision of all fees, why the increase, and the amount.
“We feel the fees are very low and Government is losing out a lot. If we increase the fees to a fair level in relation to what they can generate from that land, we should be collecting so much.
We are actually looking at about hundreds of millions.”
These are fees for leases, fees for mataqali licences, administration fees and other fees.”w
He said the ministry’s legislation draft launched in Lautoka last week.
This oversees the governance of the ministry’s operation is meant to improve their service.
The ministry is also updating its operations with better management and efficiency.

By MAIKELI SERU

A lot of lessees on State lands have been breaching the conditions of their leases.
This was revealed by the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Tevita Boseiwaqa, on Friday during their public consultations in Nausori.
He said more people had been found, some have been investigated, and one could be prosecuted soon.
“A lot of people have been caught and we have a big case in Lautoka where this lessee sub-divided his lease land into 52 lots, sold them and is also collecting a total of $6000 for monthly rentals from those lots. It is with Police and we want this to be a precedent case for action on other breaches,” Mr Boseiwaqa said.
He said the ministry, after conducting national consultations, had found breaches ranging from illegal sub-divisions, under-utilisation of lease lands, transferring of leases to trustees like children of late lessees. The children then illegally sub-dividing the leases and failing to follow the lease contracts.
Most breaches had been found in Navua and parts of Sigatoka after visitation by teams from the ministry.
More are expected to be found when they continue their visitations throughout the country.
“Most of the lands are under-cultivated. Some had not been cultivated, most have been used for residential like in Kulukulu, Sigatoka, where we regularise agricultural leases to residential lots because houses had been built on the land.
“There are some absentee lessees- people who lease and stay somewhere else or overseas. Some lessees are working and the leases are not utilised.
During our visitation we will discuss the breach and look for solutions because we need lessees who are bonafide to farming, irrespective if they live on the land, work or are fulltime farmers.

By MAIKELI SERU

A number of Fijian Chinese organisations and leaders met yesterday in Suva and discussed the article on the front page of the Fiji Times headlined; “Crime: Task force onto Chinese immigrants.”
A statement issued by Jenny Seeto, president of the Chinese Association of Fiji, on behalf of the various Chinese organisations after the meeting said:
“We commend and support the establishment of the Transnational Crime Unit to investigate illegal activities in the country.
“However we are concerned that, based on the report, the unit appears to be focusing unfairly on one ethnic group.  The unit should focus on all those carrying out illegal activities irrespective of their ethnicity.
“The report unfairly broad-brushes ‘Chinese immigrants’ as the perpetrators of illegal activities such as prostitution, money laundering and  smuggling of people which can involve anyone in Fiji.
“We would like to emphasise that the history of the Chinese community in Fiji goes back almost 160 years.
“Most members of the Fiji Chinese community are born or have grown up in Fiji and have integrated well into Fiji’s multi-cultural society. Virtually all are law-abiding citizens who are not involved in any illegal activities and contribute positively in many ways to Fiji.
“We also point out that the report may serve to discourage Chinese investors who genuinely wish to invest in Fiji.  The publication of the Transnational Crime Unit report as reported also undermines Government’s efforts to increase foreign investment especially from China and also to strengthen relations with China.
“As with other sections of Fiji’s society, a small minority of the community may be involved in undesirable activities. However to sensationalise and generalise is disappointing and unfair.
“If the need arises, we will assist the unit to ensure that law and order prevails in Fiji.“

A Police officer mans the Nawai checkpoint yesterday prior to the G77 meeting this week. Photo: WAISEA NASOKIA

By LITIA MATHEWSELL

With a large contingent of high-level delegates arriving for this week’s G77 meet at Natadola, efforts are continuing to maintain excellent road safety standards in the Western Division.
Yesterday checkpoints had been set up along the Nadi to Natadola route alongside operations by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to oversee the road speed of vehicles.
Divisional Police commander West Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jope Ralulu said they were undertaking comprehensive security measures along the Nadi to Sigatoka corridor for the safety of both visitors and members of the community, particularly those travelling from the West.
‘’So far this year we really thank members of the community for taking the awareness we have been spreading on road safety.
For this year alone we have not recorded any fatalities on our roads in the Western Division, which we hope continues,’’ he said.
SSP Ralulu attributed the clean slate to the extensive road safety awareness undertaken by stakeholders, including Police and the LTA.
He said constant reminders through the media and other public platforms had helped to educate members of the public on maintaining safety on Fiji’s roads.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo (left), is greeted by Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, at Nadi International Airport yesterday. Mr Lilo joins other members of the G77-plus China, at Natadola tomorrow for their meeting. Report on page 3. Photo: ministry of information

By TALEBULA KATE

Eminent personalities of the Group of 77 (G77) started arriving into the country for the G77 High-level Panel Meeting at the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa in Natadola, which will start tomorrow.
This was confirmed by Esala Nayasi, the director of the political and treaties division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last night.
“Fiji will be the first country in the Pacific to host the high level meet which will be opened and chaired by Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Baninimarama,” Mr Nayasi said.
“Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia will be chief guest during the meet,” he said.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Kalosil arrived yesterday morning at Nausori International Airport followed by the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Gordon Lilo who arrived last night.
The permanent representative to the United Nations of Antigua, John Ashe and former President of the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernadez are expected to arrive this morning while Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is expected to arrive in a private jet at Nadi after midday.
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific executive secretary Dr Noeleen Heyzer and United Nations Population Fund executive director Babatunde Osotimehin will also be part of the meet.
The panel is expected to discuss creative ways to engage and co-operate amongst the 132 developing countries that are members of the G77, otherwise known as South-South Co-operation.
They will engage in interactive sessions at the conclusion of which they will come up with recommendations which will be presented to the G77 Foreign Ministers Meeting in September in New York.
G77 members have increasingly recognised that solutions to many of their development challenges are similar in nature and would be effectively addressed through partnerships between and amongst themselves.
Not only is the G77 the main voice of the developing countries on economic and social issues in the UN system, but it has also boosted the bargaining strength of the South, in championing the primary interests of the entire developing world.
Meanwhile Mr Nayasi said security protocols are all in place and are closely monitored by relevant agencies, the Police and the military, and everything else was in place as far as the logistics and protocols are concerned.
Those expected at the meet include the Indonesian Foreign Affairs vice-minister, Yohpy Ichsan Wardana, Kiribati President Anote Tong, Fiji’s permanent representative to the United Nations Peter Thomson and special envoy of the People’s Republic of China, Li Qiangmin.

Unions accused of trying again to hurt tourism, jobs, economy

By MAIKELI SERU

The Attorney-General last night accused trade unionists here of being behind a new international campaign to hurt the country’s important tourism industry and those depending on it for a living.
The just-launched campaign driven by Australia and New Zealand union groups seeks to persuade visitors not to come to Fiji.
Mr Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, speaking also as Tourism Minister, said: “We are confident that our visitors will see this propaganda for what it is – a crude attempt to punish Fiji for its reforms, which are designed, amongst other things, to erode the ability of a handful of elites to use their power to damage the Fijian economy and work against the Fijian people.
“This same hegemony of four or five unionists time and time again continues to demonstrate a disdain for ordinary Fijians by wilfully misrepresenting the situation in Fiji.
“Overall, we believe the impact of this petition will be minimal. Our visitors – like the Fijian employees – are smart enough to see through it.”
The new campaign has been launched by the Australian Council of Trade Unions, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and the International Trade Union Confederation. The international group’s general secretary is former Australian Council of Trade Unions president Sharan Burrow, who campaigned against Fiji.
The unionists are orchestrating their campaign through a just-launched website http://www.destinationfiji.org. By last night it had already been highlighted in some New Zealand news media.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said this is another attempt, with the help of some Fijians, to discredit Government, and hurt the livelihoods of people of this country.
Whilst local trade union comment could not immediately be obtained,  Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said:
“For trade union leaders to encourage a tourism boycott – an industry that supports the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Fijian families – is the height of selfishness and irresponsibility.
“A boycott would not only threaten the livelihoods of those directly employed by the tourism industry and their families, but also the livelihoods of all those who play a supporting role in the industry: the taxi drivers, the airline and airport employees, women and men who produce handicrafts and the list goes on.
The three union groups have joined forces with a pro-union website Equal Times in the campaign to discourage visitors from coming here.
In supporting the campaign, Peter Conway, Secretary of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, said: “The South Pacific nation might have beautiful clear water, sandy beaches and smiling faces, but behind that lies an uglier side to the country.
“Sixty per cent of people earning a wage are living below the poverty line and workers have been stripped of their human rights.”
Mr Conway said the aim of the campaign is to inform tourists so that when they decide on a holiday destination they take into account what he called unfair processes underway in advance of the election next year.
Mr Conway said that the campaign also calls on Foreign Affairs Ministers in Australia and New Zealand to demand that Fiji “brings its practices into line with international human rights standards.”
In response Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said: “Anyone who examines the situation in Fiji closely and honestly will find that the ground realities are different to what is being portrayed.
“The Bainimarama Government has also provided an unprecedented level of assistance to the tourism industry, which has attracted investment, created jobs and established many opportunities for training and up-skilling at such places as the Fiji National University.
“The Bainimarama Government led reforms at Air Pacific has created a remarkable turn-around from a more than $90 million annual loss, to a $16 million profit last year.
All of these reforms including employer/employee reforms have been achieved without a single job loss. And now, all employees are included in the airline’s first ever profit-sharing scheme.
“The draft Fijian constitution further strengthens the rights of ordinary Fijians by including in its bill of rights the right to a just minimum wage, the right to economic participation, as well as a wide range of socio-economic rights.
Fiji’s previous constitutions never included such rights, nor for that does matter do Australia’s.
“Lastly but perhaps most importantly all Fijians need to consider, that given these are the same trade unionists who have said that they will form a political party to participate in the 2014 parliamentary elections.
Is this really the sort of leaders Fiji wants?,” he said.

MH Supermarket at main street Nadi was destroyed in the fire yesterday morning. Photo: WAISEA NASOKIA

By ARISHMA DEVI

A road block has been placed at Main Street in Nadi following an early morning fire at MH Supermarket.

Fire teams from the Nadi Fire Station are now at the incident, taking control of the situation. The nearby buildings have also been damaged by fire.

Shops next to the Supermarket building remains closed as people have been restricted to the building.

Fire officers managed to stop fire from spreading to the adjacent RB Patel Supermarket.

However fire fighters remain at the incident as the situation has not calmed yet.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

By FONUA TALEI

Four witnesses, who were part of the Suva to Nadi funeral delegation on the night of August 28, 2008 that ended in a horrific bus fire, claiming the lives of 12 people gave evidence in court yesterday.
The bus driver, former Raiwaqa Bus Company driver, Kaminieli Tuimavana, is on trial in the High Court in Suva in relation to the incident. He has pleaded not guilty.
The first witness, a woman from Natokalau Village, Ovalau said the bus was arranged to pick them up from the Korovou Corrections Compound at 2pm on that Thursday, August 28. However the bus did not arrive until about 8pm.
She said as soon as the bus arrived every one of them eagerly got into the bus and they were on their way to Nadi in no time.
They only stopped once, in Lami Town, where some of the women got off the bus because the bus was full.
On their journey, the witness told Justice Paul Madigan that the bus was running smoothly without any problem until they came to Nadroga. She said she felt heat coming from underneath the seat inside the bus.
The witness, who was sitting on the first seat behind the driver, said despite the heat the bus did not stop at Sigatoka Town. When passengers asked the driver why they were told they had to be in Nadi before midnight.
She said at that point the bus was travelling really fast.
A second witness told the court that she was the first passenger to get off the bus after flames started coming from the engine box.
The Ovalau woman said before she saw flames coming from the bus, she could make out that the bus engine was giving off a different sound.
She said they could feel the heat coming into the bus once they passed Malaqereqere in Sigatoka. She added that once she saw the flames she stood up and went to stand near the door and before the bus stopped she jumped out of the moving bus.
The third witness to take the stand was a primary school teacher who was sitting on the stairway at the entrance of the bus.
He said during their journey he noticed the driver had problems changing gears and flames burst out from the engine box.
He said the driver told him and the other men to try and put out the flames while he steered the bus and they tried to hold the flames down using some bags.
A fourth witness testified that the driver was the first person out of the bus while the passengers were still inside the bus.
He said out of the 63 people travelling that night, 12 people perished in the fire.
The trial continues in the High Court today.

(Picture 1) Dilhaneil Rupasinghe Nadimale Rupasinghe Arachchige as Resident Magistrate, (Picture 2 ) Lakmini Priyadarshani Kumari Herath Mudiyanse Ralahamillage as Resident Magistrate, (Picture 3) Puimini Weeratunga as Resident Magistrate, (Picture 4) Kamal Kumar as Puisne Judge, (Picture 5) Madduma Patabendige Sanjeeva Sudharshana De Silva as Puisne Judge, (Picture 10 ) R M A Janaka Prasanna Bandara as Puisne Judge .

Source:    MINISTRY OF
INFORMATION

Six new additions to Fiji’s judiciary were sworn in at Government House yesterday.
Madduma Patabendige Sanjeeva Sudharshana De Silva together with Kamal Kumar and Janaka Prasanna Bandara were sworn in as puisne judges.
Mr De Silva holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and won the Laduwahetty gold medal for excellence at the Sri Lanka Law College in 1996.
Mr Kumar holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane and was admitted to the High Court of Fiji as a barrister and solicitor.
Also sworn in as a puisne judge, Mr Bandara holds a Master of Transnational Crime Prevention from the University of Wollongong, Australia and was appointed as a resident magistrate in Fiji in 2011.
Meanwhile, three new resident magistrates were also sworn in including Puimini Weeratunga, Rajakaruna Girihagama, and Nadimale Rupasinghe.
Ms Weeratunga has ten years experience as a legal officer at the Legal Aid Commission in Sri Lanka and has passed the Attorney at Law final examination in 2001 at the Sri Lanka Law College.
Ms Girihagama holds a Masters of Law from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and has experience as a state counsel in the Attorney General’s Department, Sri Lanka.
Mr Rupasinghe holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Open University of Sri Lanka and is also a qualified attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
Present at the swearing -in ceremony was the Chief Justice, Anthony Gates.

By RINU SHYYAM

An investigation into the death of an eight- month old baby of Kalekana, Lami, is going on.
Family members of the baby, who died after receiving severe burns last Thursday, have been questioned and released.
Police spokesperson, Inspector Atunaisa Sokomuri, said the father and grandmother were allegedly inside the house when a kettle of hot water fell on the baby.
The baby was then rushed to the CWM hospital but he, however, died later.

IN RUINS ... The MH Supermarket on main street, Nadi, was destroyed in a fire yesterday morning. Photo: WAISEA NASOKIA

By WAISEA NASOKIA

An early morning fire destroyed the Morris Hedstrom Supermarket in Nadi’s main street.
The building also housed Carpenters Finance, a bakery, a liquor outlet, and a butcher.
The fire is said to have started at around 1am.
MH managers were at the scene yesterday.
When Fiji Sun approached Carpenters director retail and marketing Kuna Sabaratnam, he said they were all in shock but would comment on the matter later.
He also advised us to seek comments from properties director, David Whippy.
Mr Whippy was not available on his mobile and questions emailed to him remained unanswered.

NATIONAL FIRE AUTHORITY
The National Fire Authority chief executive officer, John O’Connor, was also at the site early yesterday morning.
Mr O’Connor said their main focus was to stop the fire from spreading to the RB Patel Supermarket, the Sharma’s Centre, ANZ Bank, Prouds retail store, Jack’s Handicraft and other nearby businesses in the town.
He said Nadi, Lautoka and Nadi Airport Fire and Rescue teams responded to the fire emergency call which was received at 1.20am.
“Due to the magnitude of the fire, the firefighters fought hard to extinguish the fire within the MH Supermarket to prevent the fire from spreading to the RB Patel Supermarket and the nearby businesses in the Main Street of Nadi Town,” Mr O’Connor said.
The building which is adjacent to MH supermarket also sustained some damage.

NADI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, Dr Ram Raju said:
“We believe the fire started about 1am in the morning,” said Dr Raju.
“This is another major blow to business in town when we had all recovered from the natural disasters last year. This is really sad and unfortunate and all of sudden the most important popular and oldest supermarket was destroyed.
“MH was renowned for its up market clienteles which offered the widest range of quality products and services and it employed up to 50 people. Their livelihood is at stake. However I believe most will be redeployed to their other stores, one of which is situated in Namaka.
“I hope the cause of the fire is quickly investigated and we realise the massive losses sustained by the company but I hope they were fully insured,” Dr Raju said.
Mr O’Connor is again urging business owners to ensure that they take extra care and they must ensure fire safety procedures are followed at all times in their business properties.
“Business owners must now recognise that fire is a major risk to their business and must ensure that they implement fire mitigation strategies to avoid the risk of fires occurring in their properties,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr O’Connor highlighted that this year more than $11 million were lost as a result of these fourty structural fires in 2013, excluding the MH fire in Nadi.

By FONUA TALEI

The ex-justice William Marshall petition about the Fijian judiciary has been called self serving and only done when he failed in his efforts to get his own contract renewed.
This was stated in a 30-page High Court judgment delivered by Justice William Calanchini on Friday, May 3, when finding the Citizens Constitutional Forum and its chief executive officer, Reverend Akuila Yabaki, guilty of contempt of court.
The petition, dated June 21, 2012, was written by former resident Justice of Appeal, Mr Marshall, to the Prime Minister and the Military Council seeking for the dismissal of the Attorney- General because of allegations of lack of independence of the judiciary.
In his judgment, Justice Calanchini made various remarks on the petition in response to a recusal application submitted by the respondents including grounds that the petition makes reference to Justice Calanchini thereby giving rise to a personal interest in the proceedings.
While responding to the application Justice Calanchini said that it was clear that Mr Marshall wanted to continue in Fiji as a resident justice of appeal.
“In my view these comments suggest that whatever concerns Mr Marshall may have had about judicial independence in Fiji, he was still prepared to serve in the judiciary and was anxious to secure a renewal of his contract to do so,” Justice Calanchini said in the judgement.
He stated that it was more than a coincidence that the respondents claim that it was when Mr Marshall realised his contract would not be renewed that Mr Marshall asserted that his fellow judges were concerned about their tenure.
“Their alleged concern about tenure suddenly emerges at the same time as he (Mr Marshall) becomes aware that his contract was not going to be renewed, but apparently not before this time,” he said.
Justice Calanchini raised two questions when considering the petition.
“The first is -
n Why did Mr Marshall not resign his appointment during the course of his contract if the independence of the judiciary had been so compromised. His portrayal of himself as a man of principle is inconsistent with his admitted efforts to secure a renewal of his contract as late as mid-April 2012.
n “The second question which one is tempted to ask is whether Mr Marshall would have wasted so much of his judicial time putting the document together if his contract had been renewed for a further two years or even if he had been given a six month extension?”
In his judgment Judge Calanchini said the contents of the petition do not enhance the degree to which his interest may be more personal than any other member of the judiciary.

Bolivian President His Excellency Evo Morales arrives at Nadi International Airport for the G77 meeting which starts today.

Source:    MINISTRY OF
INFORMATION

Eminent persons from the Group of 77 have started arriving ahead of the G77 Eminent Persons Group meeting at The Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, Natadola.
The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Gordon Da’rcy Lilo arrived on Sunday night after Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Moana Kalosil.
The President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, arrived yesterday.  President Morales’ attendance is the first for him in Oceania. The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neil, also arrived yesterday.
The two-day meeting will begin today with a guard of honour before the meeting proper begins.
The G-77 is the largest association of Third World countries before the United Nations which not only promotes technical and commercial cooperation, but also forms a political-economic bloc with a better negotiating capacity.
Created in 1964, it groups 130 nations now that seek to articulate the interests of countries of the South and increase their influence in multilateral forums.

His Excellency, President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau with United Nations Population Fund executive director, Dr Babatunde Osotimehin.

Source: MINISTRY OF INFORMATION

The United Nations Population Fund executive director, Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, paid a courtesy call to His Excellency the President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, yesterday.
Dr Osotimehin is a physician and public health expert. He holds the rank of under-secretary-general of the United Nations.
Before this appointment, Dr Osotimehin was Nigeria’s Minister for Health. Prior to that, he was director-general of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS.
Also presenting her credentials to President Nailatikau yesterday was the non-resident ambassador of Germany, Dr Anne-Marie Schleich.
Dr Schleich holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Mannheim and has held positions with German embassies in Singapore, Bangkok, Islamabad and London.
The non-resident ambassador will be based in Wellington.

President Juan Evo Morales Ayma

President Juan Evo Morales Ayma, popularly known as Evo, is a Bolivian politician and activist, who has served as President of Bolivia since 2006.
Morales has received international acclaim for his support of indigenous rights and anti-imperialism, and has been named “World Hero of Mother Earth” by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Critics have accused him of autocratic tendencies.
Politically a democratic socialist, he leads the Movement for Socialism party (MAS) and the Cocalero trade union. Entering electoral politics in 1995, he became leader of MAS, focusing on issues affecting indigenous and poor communities, advocating land reform and redistribution of gas wealth.
Elected president in 2005, he instituted land redistribution and nationalisation of key industries, scaling back US involvement in Bolivia while building relationships with other nations in the Latin American Pink Tide and joining the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas.
Winning a recall referendum in 2008, he instituted a new constitution before being re-elected with a landslide in 2009, furthering leftist reform and joining the Bank of the South and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama (left), with his Vanuatu counterpart Moana Carcasses Kalosil at the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday. Photo: MINISTRY OF INFORMATION

Source: MINISTRY OF
INFORMATION

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama received his Vanuatu counterpart, Moana Kalosil yesterday.
The newly elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu paid a courtesy call ahead of the G77+China meeting, which starts today in Natadola.
Commodore Bainimarama, while welcoming Mr Kalosil to the country, said he was looking forward to the high level meeting, particularly the representation from countries outside the Pacific region.
The two–day meeting begins today with a guard of honour.

The President of Bolivia Juan Evo Morales Amya (right), greeted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, at Nadi International Airport yesterday. President Morales arrived early yesterday morning to attend the G77+China meeting which starts today at the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, Natadola. Report on Page 3. Photo: MINISTRY OF INFORMATION

By JYOTI PRATIBHA

Fiji’s chairmanship of the G77 would help continue the organisation’s progress, said Fiji’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Peter Thomson.
At a briefing for local and international media, Mr Thomson said the outcome of this week’s Natadola meeting would be taken to the United Nations General Assembly.
It would also be presented to the G77’s 132 foreign affairs ministers who will meet in New York on the margins of the General Assembly in September.
“Fiji not only wants to carry the ball of the chairmanship of Group of 77 safely but wants to progress the ball down the field to show progress,” he said.
The G77 high level meeting starts at the Inter-Continental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, Natadola, today.
“It was decided by the secretariat at the beginning of Fiji’s tenure that it was something the G77 needed to progress,” he said.
“The Fiji chairmanship is one where we want to demonstarate a show of safe hands as chair but also progress the organisation in its one- year tenure.”
He said the Natadola deliberations would be important for the 132 nations on the future of the South-South co-operation.

In attendance
Participants at the G77 high level panel of eminent personalities of the South includes:
Evo Morales – President of Bolivia;
Anote Tong – President of Kiribati since 2003;
Gordon Darcy Lilo – Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands;
Peter O’Neill – Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea;
Moana Carcasses Kalosil – Prime Minister of Vanuatu;
John Ashe – Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations;
Leonel Fernandez – President of the Foundation for Development and Democracy;
Wardanav – Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Indonesia;
Dr Babatunde Osotimehin – the Executive Director – United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA);
Noeleen Heyzer – Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP);
Li Qiangmin – the People’s Republic of China- Special Envoy to the China-Pacific Islands Forum Dialogue;
Mourad Ahmia – Executive Secretary of the Group of 77;
Martin Khor – the Executive Director of the South Centre;
Yiping Zhou – Director of the UN Office for South-South Co-operation;
Francis Lorenzo – President of South-South News, New York; and
Sasha Llorentty – Bolivia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.