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Issue No: 834; 9 June 2001
The Sugar Cane Growers Council has defied the rules governing the conduct in the organization and proceeded to have its first meeting of the season without a quorum. The 46 member council had the presence of only 26 persons at its meeting yesterday. The quorum required is 30 members. 20 Councillors, belonging to the National Farmers Union, boycotted the meeting. Membership of 8 of the 26 who were present is under dispute with a case pending in the High Court. 4 others claim to membership is also under dispute as the Sugar Industry Tribunal is still to rule on this. Despite the quorum requirement councillors from the losing organization, the Fiji Cane Growers Association agreed to set aside the standing orders and proceeded to have the meeting. The meeting elected a chairperson and the board of the Council, and passed the budget for this financial year. The National Farmers Union is taking the Council to task over this. Political observers say that the behaviour of the Council and the advice which its Chief Executive Officer Jaganath Sami gave the council, is like the behaviour of the Qarase regime ministers - they have no respect for law and order and push their personal agenda without shame. The Fiji Cane Growers Association, of which Sami is a past secretary, was founded by the National Federation Party. Numerous supporters of the NFP were actively involved in the attempted deposition of the elected government last year. Sami's conduct is testimony to the claim that elements within the NFP are hell-bent on creating a society which is run without any regard to law, order, and justice. Meanwhile, Sami has defended his award of a lucrative rice contract to a company which he was closely linked with in the past. Some farmers' reps have claimed that a substantial kickback was involved in the award of the tender. |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
