Page 43 - IB Dec 2020

View from the West

HELL HATH NO FURY

By Dennis Rounds

One thing for sure about leisure fishing…it gives the human
brain and the “mind’s eye” time to reflect, mentally review,
contemplate, “analyse” and even self-debate a wide spec-
trum of thoughts and issues.
Sitting, both legs dangled over the seawall opposite Lauto-
ka’s Waterfront Road, I couldn’t help but engross my thoughts
in the recent Fiji Times reports of what appeared to me to be
a public-imposed “storm-in-a-teacup” feud between a former
prominent and somewhat controversial Fiji government public
relations officer/speech-writer and a local newspaper senior
writer/political analyst.
The gentlemen involved were none other than former Baini-
marama-government hired publicist, Australian/Fijian Graham
Davis in the “Ethernet/Fifth Estate” corner and the Fiji Sun’s
political analyst, Fijian/New Zealander Nemani Delaibatiki in ers about a whole host of other matters, much of which most
“Fourth Estate” corner. Fiji journalists have known about but have been reluctant to
With fishing line cast to offer a free meal to those inshore publicise.
striped-fish we locals call “qitawa” and intoxicated from the Having not read the Fiji Sun for a number of years now, my
sugar-sweet air puffing from the nearby sugar mill chimneys, summary of Delaibatiki’s response to Graham Davis comes
I found myself debating whether the English Playwright, Wil- from a Grubsheet snapshot of the newspaper article. For the
liam Congreve, had erred and had meant to write “Hell hath sake of transparency, I will admit that I have not bought nor
no fury as cohorts scorned” in his play, The Mourning Bride. read the Fiji Sun going on six years now because of what I
Both, Davis and Delaibatiki have been subjected to accusa- perceive to be unprofessional bias.
tions from various quarters (rightly or wrongly – not for me Apart from suggesting Davis was nothing more than a voice
to judge), as being government propagandists/mouthpieces. trying to re-assert itself from the wilderness, Delaibatiki
What they have in common is their own admissions about sup- defended his newspaper’s independence and its revenue from
port for the political path Bainimarama has embarked on. government advertising. He also itemised and refuted what he
Being the “nosey”, “busy-body” person I’m often accused asserted to be false claims made by Davis.
of being, I had gleaned as much as I could from the Fiji Times Despite Bekana Island being clearly visible across the sea
reports about the war of words between the two gentlemen. from me, my mind’s eye kept visualising Donald Trump,
I even adopted my own computer combat mode and resorted Voreqe Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum thumping the
to my keyboard warrior skills to tap into the Fiji-renowned table in unison and declaring “Fake News, Fake News”.
Coconut Wireless grapevine to better understand what all the In the crossfire between the two journalists, the only
fuss was about. “newsworthy” points that struck me were two significant
Apparently, Graham Davis had just recently re-surfaced, via claims by Graham Davis – that the Fiji Broadcasting Corpora-
his Internet-based Grubsheet newsfeed to “reveal” military tion CEO and Sayed-Khaiyum sibling, Riyaz, is a key member
concerns about, and opposition to, the disproportionate of the Fiji First Party Campaign team and that the American
“power” seemingly wielded by Fiji’s Attorney-General (and Public Relations outfit, QORVIS had convinced AG Sayed-Khai-
Minister for a number of portfolios), Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. yum not to shut down the Fiji Times newspaper.
After years of basking in the Fiji public eye as an ardent As a fellow journalist, admittedly younger than Davis and
Bainimarama government supporter, prolific public rela- Delaibatiki (although all walking in our twilight years), I had
tions advocate and speech-writer, it was evident from Davis’ to question the credit given to Qorvis. Could the argument be
postings that he was trying to provide Prime Minister Voreqe that Sayed-Khaiyum never moved on the Fiji Times because
Bainimarama with compelling reasons why the PM should, for he knew what the consequences would be for foreign invest-
the Fiji First Party’s political survival, cast Sayed-Khaiyum ment in the country?
politically adrift. And, if Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s involvement in the Fiji First
Davis accused the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) and Party’s campaign team is true, why hasn’t this been addressed
the Fiji Sun of being beholden to Sayed-Khaiyum - the Fiji Sun by the Media Industry Development Authority, MIDA?
for the revenue it earns from exclusive Fiji government ad-
vertisements and the FBC for the funding/guarantees, it and Dennis Rounds is a former owner of Islands Business, and a
its Chief Executive Officer and Sayed-Khaiyum’s sibling, Riyaz veteran journalist.
Sayed-Khaiyum, obtains from the Bainimarama government.
The Grubsheet creator also went on to enlighten his follow- editor@islandsbusiness.com

Islands Business, December 2020 43