Page 5 - IB October 2021

View From The West

HOLE IN THE BUCKET

By Dennis Rounds

One thing is certain about living in Fiji’s western and north-
ern farmlands and having to rely on wells and boreholes for
water needs.
When there’s a hole in the bucket, Dear Henry now knows
all too well how to plug the breach and spare himself Dear
Liza’s lecture about using one’s head!!
Drowning in the sweetness of our Sugar City, I sometimes
wonder whether Harry Belafonte’s “Hole in the bucket” song
should be played on auto-repeat in “new Fiji’s” corridors of
power.
There are so many “holes” appearing in Fiji’s “governance
bucket” that the leaks are becoming a torrent.
There’s the instance where an angered Attorney General
and Minister for Economy recently “plugged a hole” in the
Bureau of Statistics.
The country’s chief statistician was given his marching or-
ders because he dared to reveal “flawed” statistics on poverty
which showed affected sectors of the population by ethnicity!
Apparently, while the relevant laws relating to statistics
gathering don’t ban such information, the Fiji First govern-
ment, as Mr Sayed-Khaiyum tried to explain, encourages a
homogenous nation where all citizens are equal. Illustration: Ruben Vulawalu
In our mutli-racial/ethnic west, we’re starting to wonder
whether our “ethnicity” is now a figment of our own imagina-
tion. tance fervor, a gaping hole was discovered in the distribution
A “loophole” was also discovered in the electoral process system.
where people (especially married women) were suddenly A “digital loophole” allowed people in the Northern Division
found to have been voting all these years under names differ- to collect the government assistance when in fact they should
ent to that on their birth certificates. have been assisted through the Fiji National Provident Fund.
At least one Parliamentarian was forced, a few months back Just like the seemingly infinite number of potholes, “gov-
to crawl into a temporary hole of “political obscurity” for ernance holes” are becoming a “new normal” in our Pacific
using his common name to win a seat in the “august” House. paradise.
Until he contested the matter in court and was able to rejoin Where one is plugged, two or three more are created else-
the ranks of Parliament! where.
This “major flaw in the law” is headed for an overhaul in Here in the western division, we’re still wondering about
the not too distant future. that Minister who promised to “plug the million dollar leak”
And, as a first step in “patching” that hole, Fijian voters which sank our municipal swimming pool.
who registered to exercise their democratic rights in Fiji’s She’s apparently moved on to another ministry where she
first “truly democratic elections” in 2014 will now have to now plans to address loopholes in the education system.
re-register. While there are laws preventing someone being The pool, meanwhile, remains incomplete and without
unduly struck off the National Roll of Voters, the Supervisor of water.
Elections has declared that original 2014 Green Voter ID cards “With what shall I mend it, dear Minister, with what?
have “expired”. “With band aid, dear westerner, with band aid – that’s
Whether that “technically” prevents them from voting in what!”
future elections, despite laying claim to a stake in the Voters
Roll, is somewhat of a hole that is becoming so large that editor@islandsbusiness.com
people are wondering whether they should save some grief
and just crawl into it. Dennis Rounds is a former owner of Islands Business and a
Not too long in the COVID-19 $360 unemployment assis- veteran journalist.

Islands Business, October 2021 5