New Year's Wish

Whichever way you look at it, 2011 has been either the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end.

Now, five years on with a mix of much needed and long overdue decrees and some of questionable value and doubtful popularity; with much done to develop physical and institutional infrastructure; with its sterling efforts to develop the rural economy and new tourist initiatives; with a host of new diplomatic relations (but, unfortunately,  with no improvement to the old ones), and with much of what it hoped and promised still undone, Fiji now stands poised to proceed with what its friends hope will be accelerated steps towards a more inclusive democracy.

Step one must be the lifting of the Public Emergency Regulations and step two increased dialogue with 'middle Fiji'.   Only then can we expect to move on to meaningful Constitutional and Electoral reforms.

The new Fiji will probably not be the one Government's more liberal supporters had hoped to see (I expect ongoing military influence, hopefully limited, at the request of the President,  to protecting the new constitution) but we expect it to be better than the Fiji that was.

It will still be a capitalist society with sharp inequalities, big business will still exert considerable influence, the propensity to corruption and abuse of office will remain, but there should be greater racial and social equality, more concern about ordinary people,  and a firmer resolve to  abide by codes of ethics,

For this to happen Government needs to follow its own advice: to be more open and transparent — and listen to those whose support it needs if its reforms are to be woven into the fabric of the new Fiji.

In the expectation that Government will proceed along these lines, I wish the Prime Minister, Cabinet and the Military Council a Happy New Year.

And whether my expectations prove right or wrong,  I wish all in Fiji and Fiji's friends overseas, a Very Happy and Much Better New Year.


WEEKEND READING

• Allen Lockington column
• Fiji's Human Rights Record in 2010
• Fiji has moved and Australia must play by the new rules
• Serulagilagi pleased with 2011
• Why No Fijian "Spring"?  (Monday)

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