Fiji politicians ask for a fair go from media

Transcript

Politicians in Fiji are preparing for what they say is likely to be a bitter and dirty election campaign this year.

The Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama has announced that he will step down from his role as military commander at the end of next month to launch his promised political party in March.

But not before launching an attack on so-called "old and dirty" politicians in a speech to soldiers, which has again stirred complaints of media bias among politicians ousted by his coup.

Jamie Tahana reports.

The President of the National Federation Party, Raman Singh, says he welcomes Frank Bainimarama's announcement that he will step down from the military on the 28th of February to launch his new party on the 1st of March. But he says opposition parties need to be given a fair go by the media, which he says hasn't been happening.

RAMAN SINGH: At the moment we cannot say that there is a level playing field because all the media are all on his side, they get far more coverage than us, especially Fiji Sun, the print media is very much on his side. The Fiji Times is attempting but at a very slow pace, I think they are intimidated. But as we go along towards elections we'd like them to be fairer.

The coordinator for the United Front for a Democratic Fiji, Mick Beddoes, says media bias is clear, such as in this FBC story, which reports on Commodore Bainimarama telling military officers to not be swayed by other politicians.

AUDIO OF FBC NEWS REPORT: A month away from stepping down as the head of the RFMF, the commander has called on his military personnel to remain strong.  

TRANSLATION OF FRANK BAINIMARAMA: The military commander will change, the FSM will change, the camp commandment will change, but the military will remain one.

REPORTER: Bainimarama warned on what is to be expected.

TRANSLATION OF BAINIMARAMA: Many don't know about the underground work that are now carried out by old politicians, just trying to return the country to where the military had moved the country away from. It is our job to stand together and defend our country from being poisoned by dirty politicians.

REPORTER: The military commander has warned the dirty politicians can easily get through to soldiers that are weak in any area of life.

The general secretary of the Sodelpa party, Pio Tabaiwalu, says he was not given a right of reply for the story, which he would have expected.

PIO TABAIWALU: They should come to us and say 'this is what the regime has said, what is your response to it?' They haven't done that, so the debate is very one-sided at the moment. How can someone say those statements like that without a right of reply? We have a right of reply.

Mick Beddoes says such attacks against politicians, on all sides, is likely to mean this year's campaign will be anything but clean.

MICK BEDDOES: The only way they can win is they have to cheat and that's why they haven't been announcing all the things they should have announced. Because they're trying to manipulate the situation. They're holding on to it for as long as they can. Without it they are nothing, and as we go into election fever the truth will start to come out. Because in the political arena the boxing gloves come off. And then we'll see who can take the heat in the kitchen.

Pio Tabaiwalu says it may be a tactic of the regime, which has never before participated in a political election campaign.

PIO TABAIWALU: If they want to make those comment, it's good. I mean, this is politics, whether they go below the belt that's the judgement of the voters. But with a one-sided view like that aired without any response then we can consider it dirty politics. Dirty in the sense that they have been given quite a lot of airtime and we are not getting any.

Pio Tabaiwalu says there are still hurdles clear before the full campaign can get underway, with an election decree still to be passed, which would provide the rules for the elections.