Media Summary - New Fiji Constitution Attached - Aus Jurists Criticise Gerrymander in New Fiji Constitution - 07 October 1990

8/3/2019 Media Summary - New Fiji Constitution Attached - Aus Jurists Criticise Gerrymander in New Fiji Constitution - 07 Oct

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MEDIA RELEASENEW F.IJI CONSTITUTION ATTACKED


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The s ta tement c r i t i c i s e s th e new F i j i Cons t i tu t ion as

coinc ide with th e twen t ie th ann iver sa ry of th e independence

Af te r a

The s ta tement i s sued on beha l f of

The s t a t ement has been i s sued to n igh t to

o l igarchy of Fi j i an Chiefs and t h e i r a s soc i a t e s ."a means by which F i j i may be ru led in pe rpe tu i ty by an

"Sel f perpetuating oligarchy"

cons t i t u t i on of F i j i which f a l l s on Wedne sd ay .

Kenneth Handley.

Australian Jurists Criticise Gerrymander in New FijiConstitution

de ta i l ed examinat ion o f th e p rov is ion s o f th e C o ns t i tu tio n,

Ju r i s t s and a Commissioner o f the ICJ in Geneva) , Gough

A ha rd -h i t t i ng s t a t ement i s sued in Sydney t on igh t

NEW FIJI CONSTITUTION ATTACKED

MEDIA SUMMARY

EMBARGO: SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 1990,10 P.M.

Ju r i s t s (AICJ) i s a l so s igned by judges and a number ofprominent Aus t ra l i ans of d i f f e r en t po l i t i c a l a f f i l i a t i o n s .The s i gna to r i e s inc lude Jus t i c e M ichael K irby (P re s ide nt o f

th e Aus t ra l i an Section of th e In t e rna t iona l Commission of

the Austral ian Sect ion o f the Internat ional Commission o f

Whitlam, John Dowd, Janine Haines, Don Dunstan and Just ice

condemns th e new Cons t i tu t ion o f th e Republ ic o f F i j ipromulgated in Ju ly 1990.

SYDNEY. SUNDAY

EMBARGO: SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 1990,10 P.M.

MEDIA SUMMARY

NEW FIJI CONSTITUTION ATTACKEDAustralian Jurists Criticise Gerrymander in New FijiConstitution

SYDNEY. SUNDAYA ha rd -h i t t i ng s t a t ement i s sued in Sydney t o n i g h t

condemns th e new Cons t i tu t ion o f th e Republ ic o f F i j ipromulgated in Ju ly 1990. The s ta tement i s sued on beha l f ofth e Aus t ra l i an Sect ion of th e In t e rna t iona l Commission o fJ u r i s t s (AICJ) i s also signed by judges and a number ofprominent Aus t ra l i ans o f d i f f e r e n t p o l i t i c a l a f f i l i a t i o n s .The s i g n a t o r i e s inc lude J us t i c e Michael Kirby ( P r e s id en t o fthe Austral ian Sect ion o f the Internat ional Commission o fJu r i s t s and a Commissioner of the ICJ in Geneva) , GoughWhitlam, John Dowd, Janine Haines, Don Dunstan and Just iceKenneth Handley. The s t a t ement has been i s sued t o n i g h t tocoinc ide with th e twen t ie th ann iver sa ry of th e independencec ons t i t u t i on of F i j i which f a l l s on Wednesday.

"Self-perpetuating oligarchy"The s ta tement c r i t i c i s e s th e new F i j i C o n s t i t u t i o n as

"a means by which F i j i may be ru led in pe rpe tu i ty by ano l igarchy of Fi j i a n Chiefs and t h e i r a s s oc i a t e s . A f te r ade ta i l ed examinat ion o f th e prov is ions o f t he Cons t i tu t ion ,

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Quite apa r t from th e disadvantages suffered by Fi j i ansIndian or ig in , the AICJ s ta tement draws a t t en t ion to th e

s ta tement claims t ha t , al though the cons t i tu t ion has t he 'the

Many

Fi j ian

l acks

th e

it

ofparts

government

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aga ins tIt poin ts ou t t ha t :

of, r epresen ta t iveIt denies:

discrimination

H. a . large ma.fori ty o f the peop.le,particu.lar.ly a .large proport.ion o f ind.igenousFi.fians and the overwhe.lming ma.fori ty ofIndo -F i.f ians [are denied] an e f f ec t i ve and equa.lvo.ice in the choice o f those who shou.ld governthem and the .laws b y which they shou.ld bebound .. "

"Of the 37 Fi.fian sea ts , 5 are a.l.located to thetowns and 32 to the provinces. A t t:he 1906census 33g. o f Fi.f ians . l ived in the t:owns. Sotwo-tlJ.irds o f F.i.f.ians get 32 seat:s; one- thirdon.ly 5 . In 1907 .it: was urban Fi.f ians who votedin s . ignif icant numbers fo r Dr Bavadra. Inaddit.ion the provincia. l seat:s are uneven1ydist:r.ibuted, heav.i.ly favour.ing the supporters ofthe reg.ime . . . . H

H The government wi.l.l no t be answerab.le to thegoverned. Racia.l and geographic div i s ions andd.iscr.iJn.inat.fon aqa.inst: c. i t izens o f a.l l races areenshrined in the cons t i tu t ion which the ma.fori ty. is .PJftler.less to a. l ter .. "

have concluded:

E t h n ~ c Fi j i ans disadvantaged

: ~ i ' t r a p p i n g s "

Fhat they are e l ig ib l e to be enro l led with t h e i r c l an .

s ta tement also points ou t t h a t a f ur th er o b sta cle fac ingc.Jndigenous Fi j i ans i s t h a t they must be enrol led o r e sta bl i s h

_jur i s t s have concluded:

H The government w.i.l.l n o t be answerab.le 1:0 th egoverned. Rac.ia.l and geograph.ic d. iv. is. ions andd1scrim1nat1on ag.a1nst c 1 t i z e ns o f a11 races areenshr.ined . in the const . i tu t . ion wh.ich the ma.ior . i ty.is ,PJft1er.1ess to a. l ter . "

s ta tement claims t h a t , al though th e cons t i tu t ion has the- t : : r " ! , ! , . I . u \ l ~ " of represen ta t iver,ea.l.l.ty" . It denies :

government it lacks the

H a . large ma.ior . i ty of the peop. le,part . icu. lar. ly a . large propor t . ion of . ind. igenousF.i.i.ians and the overwhe.lm.ing ma.i0r . i ty ofIndo-F.i. i . ians [are den. ied j an ef fec t . i ve and equa. lvo.ice . in the cho.ice of those who shou.ld governthem and the . laws b y wh.ich they shou. ld bebound . "

Quite a pa r t from th e disadvantages suf fe red by Fi j i ans:. Indian or ig in , the AICJ s t a t emen t draws a t t e n t i o n to th e

discrimination aga ins t "parts of th eIt poin ts ou t t h a t :

"O f the . l7 F.i.i.ian sea ts , 5 a re a.l . located to thetowns and . l2 to the prov. inces. A t I:he 1906census .l.lH of F.i.i.ians . l . ived . in the I:owns. Sotwo- th i rds of F.i.f.ians g e t 32 seat :s; one-t :h. i rdon. ly 5 . In 1907 . i t : was urban F. i j ians who vot:edin s.ign.if. icant: numbers f o r D r Bavadra. Inadd.it:.ion the prov.inc.ia. l seat:s are uneven1yd.ist:r . ibuted, heav.i . ly favour. ing t:he support :ers ofthe reg.ime . . . H

Fi j ian

The s ta tement a l so po in t s ou t t h a t a fur the r obs tac le fac ing- ' .indigenous Fi j i ans i s t h a t they must be enro l l ed o r es tab l i sh

they are e l i g i b l e to be enro l l ed with t h e i r c l an . Many

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a branch i n A u s t r a l i a of t h e ICJ which i s based i n

a d DOsit ion o f t h e m i l i t a

o f

Gough

J u s t i c eh i e fhenThe A u s t r a l i a n Sect ion was

The j u r i s t s ' s ta tement a c i d l y

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The A u s t r a l i a n Sect ion i s made up

Dixon,wenThe ICJ i s concerned with t h e r u l e o f law, t h eS i r

number o f A u s t r a l i a n judges and lawyers .

o f human r i g h t s and t h e independence o f t h e

was founded i n 1951.

t o escape t h e r e s t r i c t i o n s o f t h e t r a d i t i o n a l

by

a r e not so e n r o l l e d having moved t o towns o r

system. According t o t h e s t a te m en t:

i s a p a s t - p r e s i d e n t o f the A u s t r a l i a n S e c t i o n as i s

"Ph.is . is a rec. ipe f o r cont. inued m.i. l . i tary. intervent. ion Ln the . lL fe of the cOl1llllun.ity."

a l l t imes t h e s e c u r i t y , defence and wel l -be ing o fand i t s peoples" .

"It Ls c.1ear the re fo re t ha t sLgnLfLcant numbersof FLjLans wL.l.l be unab.le to vo te , despLte thec.la.im of the arm y a nd t he mL .lL ta ry backed req.ime:t ha t the over throw of the . leqa.l. ly e. lectedgoverJ1lllent and subsequent ru. le b y mL. lL tarybacked decree have been u ndertaken Ln order toand advance the LndLgenous FLjLans. "

A u s t r a li a n S ec t i o n o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Commission o f

The s ta tement a l s o p o i n t s o u t t h a t t h e new F i j i' n s t i t u t i o n ent renches t h e p r i v i l e g e d p o s i t i o n o f t h e F i j i

Forces which engineered t h e 1987 coups. Under94(3) it i s d e c l a r e d t o be th e "Overal l

~ s p o n s i b i l i t y o f t h e Republic o f F i j i m i l i t a r y forces t o

. ) u c i i c i a r y and o f lawyers.

are not so enrol led having moved to towns orto escape the r es t r i c t ions of the t r ad i t iona l

system. According to the s tatement:" I t Ls c.1ear therefore tha t sLgnLfLcant numberso f FLjLans wL.l.l be unab.le to vote , despLte thec.la.im o f the army and the mL.lLtary backed req.ime:that the overthrow o f the .leqa.l.ly e.lectedgovermnent and subsequent ru.le b y mL.lLtarybacked decree have been undertaken Ln order toprotec t and advance the LndLgenous FLjLans."

The statement also points out t ha t the new Fi j ientrenches the privi leged posi t ion of the F i j i

Forces which engineered the 1987 coups. Under94(3) it i s declared to be the "Overall

responsibi l i ty of the Republic of Fi j i mili tary forces toa t a l l t imes the secur i ty , defence and well-being of

and i t s peoples" . The j u r i s t s ' statement acidly

"Ph.is . is a rec.ipe for cont.inued m.i.l. itary. intervent.lon .In the . l . l fe o f the cOl1llllun.ity."Austral ian Section of the In ternat ional Commission of

i s a branch in Austra l ia of the ICJ which is based inand was founded in 1951. The Austra l ian Section was

by S ir Owen Dixon, then chief Just ice of' ~ u s ~ I a i i a . The ICJ i s concerned with the rule of law, the

of human r igh ts and the independence of theand of lawyers. The Australian Section is made up

large number of Austra l ian judges and lawyers. Gougha past-pres ident of the Australian Section as i s

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o f th e ICJ in Geneva on 19-20 October 1990. He

consti tutional ism"

The ICJ i s

Kirby sa id t h a t there was a meet ing of the

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" I expect the s.ituat.ion .in F.ij.i to be d.iscussedb y the Internat. iona. l Execut .i ve o f the ICJ. !/'henew Const.itut.ion .is qu.ite as bad as theaperthe.id .laws .in South Afr.ica. Phose who . l1 f tthe. ir vo.ice aga.inst tha t fOI1l1 o f entrenched.lega.l d.iscr.im.inat.ion must do so aga.inst th.is newand comp.lete.ly unacceptab.le Const. itut .ion. !/'heveneer o f const:.it:ut:1ona.l.ism w.i.ll dece.iveno-one. Wednesday 10 October 1990 .is thetwent.ieth ann.iversary o f the .independenceconst.itut.ion proc.la.iJlled w.ith so much hope andfa.ith. Phe new con st .i tu t. ion .i s a sad betraya.lo f those . idea.ls."For fol low-up comment on the above s ta tement con tac t

DQwd, th e New South Wales Attorney General .

230 8203; 371 8818.

_ The concern about the s i tua t ion inJdan be gauged from the s tro ng language which th e j u r i s t s~ ~ ~ ~ p t e d in th e F i j i s ta tement .

Dunstan, t e lephone (08) 362 9812 o r Jus t i ce Michael K irb y

th e New South Wales Attorney General . The ICJ i s" n , n - ' o o ~ i t i c a l body. The concern about the s i tua t ion in

be gauged from the s t rong language which th e j u r i s t sin th e F i j i s ta tement .

"Kirby sa id t h a t there was a meet ing o f the

o f th e ICJ in Geneva on 19-20 October 1990. He

"I expect the sLtuatLon Ln FLjL to be dLscussedb y the In ternatLona. l ExecutLve o f the ICJ . !l'heneW' ConstLtutLon Ls quLte as bad as theapertheLd .laW's Ln South AfrLca . Phose W'ho . l L f ttheLr voLce agaLnst t h a t fOI1l1 of entrenched. lega.l dLscrLmLnatLon mus t do so agaLnst thLs neW'and comp.lete.ly unacceptab.le ConstLtutLon. !l'heveneer o f consc1cllc1onaJ1sm w111 deceLveno-one. Wednesday 10 October 1990 . is thetW'entLeth annLversary o f toe Lndependencecons tL tu tLon proc.la.iJl1ed W'Lto so much hope andfaLth . Phe neW' const , i tu tLon Ls a sad betraya. lof those Ldea. ls."

For fol low-up comment on the above s ta tement con tac t: :D uns t a n , te lephone ' (08) 362 9812 o r Jus t i ce Michael Kirby

230 8203; 3 7 ~ 8818.

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Media Summary - New Fiji Constitution Attached - Aus Jurists Criticise Gerrymander in New Fiji Constitution - 07 October 1990