Contract, aid and commission Forgiveness Looking history in the eye
IT’S very good for all. LAVENIA TOGA Lautoka
AS an iTaukei I applaud the move by this Government.
MARAMA TEKUKU Naitasiri
GREAT move, it’s the way forward for Fiji. PENA TABUATINI
Suva
FIJI the land and its people, great move by the Government.
JOSEVA RAVIA Naitasiri
IN response to Professor Sudesh Mishra’s comments on ‘moral compass’ (FT 10/01), Tessa Mackenzie wrote an excellent letter published in The Fiji Times (11/01).
Thank you Tessa for your kind thoughts and advice which should benefit many including me. You have also compared the two popular ‘coup makers’ of our beautiful country. The current Prime Minister honourable Sitiveni Rabuka happens to be the pioneer of this coup culture. He did the first coup in 1987 which Professor Mishra may have referred to. Time and again he realised his mistake, regretted and apologised. As far as I know nearly all religions teach about the value of forgiveness. Many accepted his apology and elected him to be the Prime Minister in 1992. He was at the helm until 1999.
Then the second major coup was in 2006 by Voreqe Bainimarama. He also ousted a democratically elected government of Laisenia Qarase. Ms Mackenzie very ably described the different qualities of these two coup makers.
While Mr Rabuka regretted and apologised, I believe Mr Bainimarama remained arrogant and a dictator for the past 16 years.
Interestingly in 2022 one coup maker did another coup on the other coup maker but this time in a democratic way. Almost 58 per cent of our voters supported him, therefore, Mr Rabuka is our new Prime Minister. We can already see changes coming and at this rate I predict, this Coalition Government will be quite popular in future.
Thank you Ms Mackenzie for your beautiful letter that also encouraged me to put a few words here. Your name sounds very familiar, may have some connection with the Fiji flag if my memory is correct. Sorry if I am wrong.
VIJAY MAHARAJ,
Sydney, Australia
(Yes, Tessa Mackenzie designed the Fiji flag, and has made Fiji her home since 1961 - Editor)
PROFESSOR Suresh Mishra is absolutely right.
Our history is an essential guide to our way forward and we must never forget the past. Of course history is never fully known or understood, but that does not prevent us from using what we do know to assist us in building our present and our future without repeating the mistakes.
I have great respect for historians and I appreciate The Fiji Times daily reminding us of past events. Perhaps the daily history page writer could be a little braver in reminding us of the less good times instead of carefully avoiding them.
Like Professor Mishra, I will never forget Dr Bavadra. However, there is evidently some misunderstanding. I personally do not believe that to forgive is to forget. I forgive, but I still clearly recall the many terrible events of 1987, and, as my memory deteriorates with age, I still try to keep hold in my mind all that Fiji has been through.
I am very thankful that there are already moves to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Revealing the truth and facing up to our past will not be easy, but it is an undertaking that will lift us all to a better future.
TESSA MACKENZIE
Suva of people in certain positions in organisations or companies to ensure that an incumbent served continuously in a position considered critical to the particular employer. The contracts therefore protect the interest of the entity whilst also offering attractive remuneration packages to address the relatively short period of the employment contract.
This is in my humble opinion the basis upon which employment contracts are entered into, which may normally be set at three to five years, and which are applicable to the top positions in an organisation. I do not see any need or relevance to apply contract employment to the lower levels of employment mainly because these workers are assumed to maintain their jobs until retirement or if ambition takes over for advancement outside their current employment.
Outside of the contracted employees, employment agreements under the labour laws determine the rights of employees who may be represented by unions. I believe that binding all workers under employment contracts and enacting regressive labour laws to weaken industrial relations and union representation do not bring any other benefits other than curtailing the rights of employees and holding them “at ransom” when contracts come to an end. To add to their woes, responsible financial institutions are usually guided by the nature of employment of a person when considering loans to purchase assets. Just saying. EMOSI BALEI
Suva approving the Back-to-School assistance, which comes at the right time when my parents are struggling to send me back to my school in early February, 2023.
I’m a Year 13 student this year and I remembered there was a promise made by the previous government to allocate $20 worth of internet data per month to Year 13 students for educational purposes in the 2020– 2021 Budget. While the idea is noble, unfortunately it never eventuated because government found it a challenge to distribute the $20 data allocation to Year 13 students. I pledge to your high office honourable PM, if this data can be made available during our school holidays terms to assist us in our school projects as I’m anticipating an amount of $60 per student (three school terms x $20 = $60 instead of $240).
Best wishes to all my peers returning to school soon!
JADON E MASIVESI Tadra-Votualevu, Nadi