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Issue No: 981; 28 July 2001
The Constitution Review Commission, declared illegal by the High Court of Fiji, not only spent all the funds which it was allocated, but used over $167,000 more than the allocation. Today's Fiji Times reports that the budget for the CRC was $600,000. But the CRC spent $767,000 in 6 months of its existence. The CRC is chaired by USP's Asesela Ravuvu. The CRC was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the High Court in January this year (http://www.pcgov.org.fj/archive/2000-01/no387.htm ). The CRC was disbanded following the Fiji Court of Appeal March decision on the validity of the 1997 Constitution. The regime again reappointed the same commission. The High Court again declared the Commission illegal and unconstitutional and barred it from sitting using public funds (see: http://www.pcgov.org.fj/hot_press/no858.htm ). The regime then appointed a 4-member team from the CRC to write a report on the submissions received by the CRC. The 4-member team, comprising Asesela Ravuvu, Litia Cakobau and two staff, was required to present the report to the President by 15 August, a week before the national elections. It is widely known that the regime's PM Laisenia Qarase wants the report to be released to the public before the elections so that it can boost his chance of winning the ethnic Fijian seats. Qarase has promised that if he won power, he would review the constitution to ensure ethnic Fijian paramountcy. The over expenditure by the CRC team, therefore, has been endorsed by Qarase because the report is expected to benefit Qarase's electoral chances. Qarase has continued to use public funds for his political
campaign. Most ethnic Fijians opposing Qarase have been angered by the blatant
abuse of taxpayers money by Qarase. The Labour Party has condemned Qarase for
his disregard of principles of good governance. |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
