The Games We Play

Awww. How cute! And pitiful at the same time.

The juntawood judiciary today releases an unsigned statement slamming the International Bar Associations views on them. Michael Field’s take on the report is superbly witty, straight up and entertaining as usual.

In true juntawood fashion, when they fail to find substantive matters of fact and law to respond to, they remain on the defensive and whimper about continuously being a victim. Bizarre.

Malaysia backs up the IBA report for good measure perhaps also to reduce the juntawood judiciary’s options of lashing out at an ANZAC agenda again which is THE fave pretext that has embedded itself as the mantra to be cut & pasted at any/every opportunity. Juntawood have just raised the ire of PNG AGAIN on a similar diplomatic stuff-up.

If the judiciary had any shred of dignity they should have just let the IBA report slide. Obviously dignity, ethics and legal reasoning evade them completely having already signed their names in blood to support an illegal act of taking over an elected government. What’s most telling is that the juntawood judiciary is now feeling the heat of something bigger than they ever imagined pre-6/12 sign-up. Mmm – keep your eyes peeled on the bench folks and expect to be heartily entertained.

The IBA for their part have been consistently concerned about the rule of law in Fiji. Since 06/12 they have been brick-walled by both the President and Bainimarama. So when juntawood join now in unison to slam the IBA, it is very evidently a concerted effort.

The report in exposing just how under-handed Injustice Shameem has been on all bench puppeteering since 6/12, now raises interesting parallels in our recent telco stuff-ups. Injustice Shameem’s husband Aslam Khan is the head of Vodafone Fiji, the “preferred” telecoms provider of juntawood (nice n cosy in’nt it?)

The now ex-Chairman of the Commerce Commission, followed by the sudden leave taken by the Telecom Head Honcho and his resultant resignation only day’s ago are all part of these cosying up games. It's all now supplemented by the announcement of bossom buddy, Aiyaz Saiyed Khaiyum’s gift of free reign over telco market prices by the industry and has already drawn sharp criticism from the consumer watch-dog as well as the retailers -- the 2 current secondary drivers of our ailing economy right now.

This is all, you know, great -- trade liberalization and all but how is it that our policies continue to be out of synch with global trends of “deglobalisation”?

So letting the market drive the prices is in theory is all good and dandy but for Vodafone they are now putting to the acid-test the loyalty of their already erratic pre-pay market “supposed” stronghold.

In that customer loyalty struggle, the people will finally put their dollars toward’s entities that deserve their business. If an entity is seen to be aligning itself to juntawood, or not growing the country 100% during these austere times, telco's should then be well-prepped for those bottom-line repercussions.

Let the market games begin.