for Fiji now

Ministerial Government for Fiji now

From a Suva correspondent Fiji gets Cabinet Government from September 1, with Ratu K. K. T. Mara shedding his present title of Leader of Govern ment Business to become Chief Minister of the British colony.

WITHIN a day of stepping into his new shoes he planned to take off on an extended world tour to see what was happening constitu tionally elsewhere.

The new changes ( PIM, Aug., p. 22) are another step in the progress towards self-government in Fiji, with its population of half a million, half of these being Indian, Most people in the colony do not want indepen dence from Britain, which keeps the colony going with extensive sub sidies, and there are no moves for independence.

Since the general elections of last October, which were held under a new constitution of communal and cross-voting, Fiji’s new Cabinet members have in fact carried the title of “Members”. They have had no executive authority over the Gov ernment departments, and their duties were limited to assisting with formulation of policy. As from September 1 they do have executive authority.

Right of veto

The Governor, Sir Derek Jakeway, still has the right of veto and retains control of external and internal affairs and defence, and has some financial control.

Ratu Mara, as Chief Minister, will also have the tasks of co-ordinating economic planning and operating Government information services.

His Ministers comprise:

• Ratu Edward Cakobau,

Member for Commerce, Industry and Tourism, will become Minister for Commerce, Industry and Labour.

Because of his added responsibilties for labour, he will relinquish his responsibilities for tourism. • Tourism will be taken over by MR. C. A. STINSON, Member for Communications and Works, who will become Minister for Com munications. Works and Tourism.

• Mr. Vijay R. Singh, Mem

ber for Social Services, will become Minister for Social Services. • MR. D. W. BROWN, Member for Natural Resources, will be Minister for Natural Resources.

• MR. J. N. FALVEY will be Minister without Portfolio.

• Rato Penaia Ganilau

will be the Minister for Fijian Affairs and Local Government. • The Financial Secretary, MR.

H. P. RITCHIE, will become the Minister for Finance.

Exec. Council ceases

The Chief Secretary, Mr. G. P.

Lloyd, and the Attorney-General, Mr.

Justin Lewis QC., will retain their present designations in accordance with the practice which has generally been adopted by other Common wealth countries when they have reached this stage of constitutional development.

From September 1, Executive Council will cease to exist and will be replaced by a Council of Ministers.

The Governor will be in the chair.

All these ministers, with the ex ception of Mr. Ritchie and Ratu Penaia, who were officials, are

members of the Alliance group whi won the majority of seats at the 1 elections.

The Federation group, led by ft A. D. Patel, is in Opposition in t Fiji Legislative Council. The C position would like to see indep< dence.

The Chief Minister was due leave Fiji by air on September 2 a return on October 9. He will be j companied by his wife, Adi La and his secretary, Mr. Rob Sanders.

An official statement says that

Latest aerial picture of Suva, capital of Fiji, showing the quickly extending industri[?] area. The main business area is in the far distance. The Royal Suva Yacht Cl[?] anchorage is in the foreground. There are more pictures on p. 41 Photo: Rob Wrigh

five weeks he will visit the ed States, Guyana, Trinidad, aica, Britain, India, Malaysia and apore, and attend the South fic conference in Noumea in )ber. statement says the chief pur of Ratu Mara’s visit to the ed States is to investigate the ibility of enlarging trade between and the US. Preliminary dis ions on this subject are being in Washington by the Member Natural Resources, Mr. Brown.

Iter a week of negotiation in the ed States, Ratu Mara will fly to West Indies, where he will spend days each in Guyana, Trinidad Jamaica.

In Britain

atu Mara commented; “I want isit these territories in particular, use they have gone through the ;s of constitutional development h we are now entering. I would to see how the ministerial m works in those countries with cular attention to the allocation ortfolios to the various ministers the responsibilities which the f Minister or Prime Minister s in those territories.” om Jamaica, Ratu Mara will to Britain where he hopes to further discussions with sh ministers on matters of im ance to Fiji other than the sugar stry (on which he has already talks in Britain) in the event of

Britain entering the European Corn mon Market.

He will also discuss with British ministers, various questions affecting expatriate civil servants in Fiji.

The next visit will be to New Delhi, where Ratu Mara hopes to call on the Prime Minister, Mrs.

Ghandi, and Mrs. Pandit, who visited Fiji last year. He will have talks there on various subjects, From India, he will fly to Kuala Lumpur, where he will spend three days studying the Malaysia Develop ment Organisation at its head quarters. He will also study Malaysia’s economic planning, H,s next call will be at Singapore where, during a two-day visit, he hopes to have discussions with the Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, especially on aspects of multi-racial integration and co-ordination, From Singapore he will fly by way of Australia to Noumea to attend the South Pacific Conference which begins on October 2.

Ratu Mara made proposals at last year’s session of the South Pacific Commission for modifications of the constitution of the Commission so as to permit more participation by the Pacific territorial delegates. These proposals will be discussed at this year’s conference, Ratu Mara will not be making any calls in Australia, The duties of Chief Minister will be collectively undertaken by Ratu Edward Cakobau, Mr. Singh and Mr.

Falvey, in Ratu Mara’s absence.

is a multi-racial society, and Half the population has an Indian background, [?]e Indian girls, at Labasa, on Vanua Levu, performed an Indian festival dance for Duke and Duchess of Kent during their visit there in July. It was the first royal visit to Labasa. Photo: Rob Wright.