big post-poll inquiry

Fiji tunes in to the big post-poll inquiry

All Fiji has been listening to and reading reports on the Commis sion of Inquiry in Suva into allegations made by all political parties of Russian, Australian and other foreign interference in Fiji’s general elections held last July (PIM, Dec. ’B2 p. 7).

The inquiry, presided over by retired New Zealand High Court Judge Sir John White, began on March 15 and is likely to con tinue for some time yet. At time of writing, only the ruling Al liance Party had been under fire with three of its leading members appearing in the witness box, L.

G. Usher, Alliance publicity sub committee chairman, Mahendra Motibhai Patel, a member of the Alliance management board, and Isimeli Bose, the Alliance gener al election campaign manager.

All have denied allegations by the Opposition National Federa tion Party (NFP) that the Al liance based its campaign on a report made by Australian business consultant Allan Car roll, copies of which were ob tained by the NFP.

Mr Patel said he commis sioned the report as a business report on how his company should develop. The completed report went to him and not to the prime minister. He was so impre ssed by Mr Carroll that he thought the prime minister should have access to him.

Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara suggested that Mr Carroll should prepare a re port on “selective polling’’ of public opinion to help the Al liance Party.

Some “scenarios” in the re port were regarded as repugnant and were not implemented by the party as being against party policies.

Mr Patel denied there was a secret plan produced by Mr Car roll, or that the Alliance tried to divide the NFP by exploiting the

ethnic and religious differences among Indians. Both Mr Usher and Mr Bose have denied the

NFP allegations.

There was a sensation at the opening of the hearing when the Western United Front (WUF) an nounced through its leader Ratu Osea Gavidi that it was with

drawing from the inquiry.

Among the reasons for the with drawal was that there had been a

sustained expression of public

opinion that the commission would affect the country’s economy and, in particular, cause an erosion of confidence in Fiji and overseas.