Two resign

Mahmood Khan, and business executive Nikita Patel.

The resignations come on the back of controversial calls from staff members of the Office of the Prime Minister asking them to resign, an undertaking that Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed. Mr Rabuka had said they had the right to do it in a bid to move with a cooperative civil service.

Nesbitt Hazelman

Speaking from Savusavu, Mr Hazelman believed that asking for their resignations could have been handled in a better way.

He said he was called by a staff from the Office of the Prime Minister calling for his resignation. He said he handed it over “without notice” last Wednesday (December

28, 2022).

“I, for one, speak for myself. I served loyally for the past nine years,” he said.

“I believe this could be handled in a better way, instead of just a phone call to advise us to resign.

“We are appointees. We don’t work on contract; it’s not an employment contract where you have to provide notice. We are appointees from the Constitutional Offices Commission (COC) on the advice of the President.”

The COC, established under section 132 of the 2013 Constitution, is responsible for providing advice to the President for the appointment of the following Constitutional Offices, which includes the appointment of the chairperson and board members of the PSC.

Vishnu Mohan

Mr Mohan, who is currently in Canada, had been serving as the chair for the Public Service Commission offshore for many years,

Mr Turaga said.

He added that Mr Mohan was asked to resign as he could not facilitate meetings when requested by the prime minister because he was away overseas.

“The Constitutional Offices Commission may appoint his replacement as early as next Monday,” Mr Turaga said.

Mahmood Khan

But one of the members, who also confirmed being called to resign, said he refused to do so and would await formal procedures to consider his position.

Mr Khan said he would wait on word from the President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere.

“No, I haven’t,” Mr Khan said of his decision.

“I am waiting for a letter from the President to ask me, to tell me I am no longer a member; I’m just wanting for it. When I was told that I said, ‘I want something in writing’. I was appointed by the President,

so I’d assumed that it would come from him. They’ll come back to me, so I’m still waiting.”

He added that he was “flabbergasted” to receive the call for his resignation.

Shaenaz Voss

When Ms Voss was asked if she had tendered in her resignation, she said to get information from the PSC, preferring not to disclose further information.

Jenny Seeto and Nikita Patel

Ms Seeto was also asked to respond to her status but was yet to do so when this edition went to press. Ms Patel could not be reached for comments.

Functions of PSC

In accordance with Section 126 (1) of the 2013 Constitution, the Public Service Commission has the following functions:

■ To appoint permanent secretaries with the agreement of the

Prime Minister;

■ To remove permanent secretaries with the agreement of the Prime Minister;

■ To institute the disciplinary action against permanent secretaries; and

■ To make such other appointments and perform such other duties, functions and responsibilities as may be prescribed by written law.

It understood that the last duties performed by the PSC board were the appointments of the permanent secretaries in November, a month shy of the 2022 General Election. The board members serve for a period of three years.

Coalition Government position

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications, Manoa Kamikamica, said the public should expect changes in key leadership positions in Government.