CoveragePost
June 10, 2024
RNZ Pacific The founding members of the FijiFirst party, including former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and ex-attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, have resigned. Sayed-Khaiyum confimed that party president Ratu Joji Satalaka, vice-president Selai Adimaitoga, acting general-secretary Faiyaz Koya and treasurer Hem Chand have also resigned from the party, according to local media reports. Sayed-Khaiyum said the other ... <a title="FijiFirst party founders Voreqe Bainimarama, Sayed-Khaiyum and others resign in shock move" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/06/10/fijifirst-party-founders-voreqe-bainimarama-sayed-khaiyum-and-others-resign-in-shock-move/" aria-label="Read more about FijiFirst party founders Voreqe Bainimarama, Sayed-Khaiyum and others resign in shock move">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 1, 2023
By Rachael Nath, RNZ Pacific journalist The Fiji government has announced its “rebuilding our future together” Budget with a spend of FJ$4.3 billion (NZ$3.2 billion) to address the high cost of living and pay for the hefty bill racked up by the former FijiFirst administration and the global pandemic, coupled with multiple tropical cyclones and ... <a title="Fiji’s 2023 Budget: Major spending and projects but high debt ‘on watch’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/07/01/fijis-2023-budget-major-spending-and-projects-but-high-debt-on-watch/" aria-label="Read more about Fiji’s 2023 Budget: Major spending and projects but high debt ‘on watch’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 17, 2023
ANALYSIS: By Richard Naidu in Suva It has been six months now, but I have to make a strange admission. I miss the laughs I used to get over the pseudo-authoritative pronouncements of Fiji’s former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (pictured). I recall that he got a bit over-excited in January this year. That was when he ... <a title="Richard Naidu: Money, politics and fear – yet FFP’s millions still weren’t enough" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/06/17/richard-naidu-money-politics-and-fear-yet-ffps-millions-still-werent-enough/" aria-label="Read more about Richard Naidu: Money, politics and fear – yet FFP’s millions still weren’t enough">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 15, 2023
By Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific lead digital and social media journalist Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has played down criticism he is leading an administration that practices nepotism and favouritism. The Rabuka-led three-party coalition government has been accused of rewarding loyalists with top positions in state-backed institutions and organisations. There are some Fijians who claim ... <a title="Fiji PM Rabuka downplays ‘loyalist’ nepotism allegations" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/06/15/fiji-pm-rabuka-downplays-loyalist-nepotism-allegations/" aria-label="Read more about Fiji PM Rabuka downplays ‘loyalist’ nepotism allegations">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 12, 2023
By Timoci Vula in Suva Fiji’s Department of Information spent $889,234.84 in taxpayer funds to the Fiji-owned company Vatis Communications until its contract was terminated earlier this year. Prime Minister and Minister for Information and Public Enterprises Sitiveni Rabuka revealed this in Parliament last week in response to questions raised surrounding the engagement of Vatis ... <a title="$889k-plus in Fiji taxpayer funds paid out to Vatis Communications" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/04/12/889k-plus-in-fiji-taxpayer-funds-paid-out-to-vatis-communications/" aria-label="Read more about $889k-plus in Fiji taxpayer funds paid out to Vatis Communications">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 28, 2023
By Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific lead digital and social media journalist The Fiji government is signalling that it will not completely tear down the country’s controversial media law which, according to local newsrooms and journalism commentators, has stunted press freedom and development for more than a decade. Ahead of the 2022 general elections last December, ... <a title="Repeal ‘draconian’ MIDA Act, urge Fiji media and journalism stakeholders" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/28/repeal-draconian-mida-act-urge-fiji-media-and-journalism-stakeholders/" aria-label="Read more about Repeal ‘draconian’ MIDA Act, urge Fiji media and journalism stakeholders">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 21, 2023
ANALYSIS: By Shailendra Bahadur Singh in Suva The long-running row between the former Fiji government and the Suva-based regional University of the South Pacific (USP) has come back to haunt former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who spent a night in a police cell on March 9 before appearing in court, charged with abuse of ... <a title="How the USP political saga may end the era of Bainimarama and FijiFirst" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/21/how-the-usp-political-saga-may-end-the-era-of-bainimarama-and-fijifirst/" aria-label="Read more about How the USP political saga may end the era of Bainimarama and FijiFirst">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 8, 2023
RNZ Pacific Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has resigned from Parliament just two weeks after copping a three-year suspension for making seditious comments. Bainimarama, who was the opposition leader, made the announcement via a five-minute video on Facebook today. He said his suspension on February 17 was “unwarranted and most certainly unjustified”. “I did ... <a title="Former Fiji PM Voreqe Bainimarama resigns from Parliament, vows to fight on" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/08/former-fiji-pm-voreqe-bainimarama-resigns-from-parliament-vows-to-fight-on/" aria-label="Read more about Former Fiji PM Voreqe Bainimarama resigns from Parliament, vows to fight on">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 6, 2023
COMMENTARY: By Richard Naidu in Suva Five weeks on from Christmas Eve, I think most of us are still a bit stunned at what has happened in Fiji. A new government came to power in dramatic circumstances. It took not one but two Sodelpa management board meetings to change it, with razor-thin margins. The same ... <a title="Richard Naidu: It’s your freedom – so speak up and step up" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/06/richard-naidu-its-your-freedom-so-speak-up-and-step-up/" aria-label="Read more about Richard Naidu: It’s your freedom – so speak up and step up">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 24, 2023
By Rakesh Kumar in Suva Politicians can respond to the political rhetoric but claims that the new Fiji government has broken the law are a more serious matter, says prominent Suva lawyer Richard Naidu. Reacting to FijiFirst general secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s claims that there have been a number of incursions into the separation of powers ... <a title="Who broke the law in Fiji? – Naidu responds to Sayed-Khaiyum" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/01/24/who-broke-the-law-in-fiji-naidu-responds-to-sayed-khaiyum/" aria-label="Read more about Who broke the law in Fiji? – Naidu responds to Sayed-Khaiyum">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 23, 2023
ANALYSIS: By Richard Naidu Who’s broken the law? “Separation of powers” and all that stuff. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s hour-long news conference on Saturday, January 21, seems mostly to have followed the usual FijiFirst party format. He pontificated at length while his party’s MPs stood silently behind him. From what I could tell, Sayed-Khaiyum’s speech was a ... <a title="‘Claims a serious matter’ – lawyer Richard Naidu responds to Sayed-Khaiyum’s attack" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/01/23/claims-a-serious-matter-lawyer-richard-naidu-responds-to-sayed-khaiyums-attack/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Claims a serious matter’ – lawyer Richard Naidu responds to Sayed-Khaiyum’s attack">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 6, 2023
By Felix Chaudhary in Suva The opposition FijiFirst party still “seems to be confused” about the role of its general secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, says prominent Suva lawyer Richard Naidu. “Mr Sayed-Khaiyum appears to have triggered his exit from Parliament by accepting a position on the Constitutional Offices Commission,” he said. “That means he is a ... <a title="FijiFirst seems to be ‘confused’ over role of Aiyaz, says Naidu" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/01/06/fijifirst-seems-to-be-confused-over-role-of-aiyaz-says-naidu/" aria-label="Read more about FijiFirst seems to be ‘confused’ over role of Aiyaz, says Naidu">Read more</a>
