Tarte Resigns from NCBBF

Chairman of the Fiji Media Council, Daryl Tarte has resigned from the National Council for Building a Better Fiji.

In a statement, Tarte said following a lengthy discussion in a meeting of the media council yesterday, council members expressed their views on the People's Charter. He said the process is clearly driven by the Interim Government and it is not autonomous and is compromised.

Tarte said the council cannot question the sincerity of those who firmly believe that the Charter concept is the right way ahead. But what the council and many people throughout Fiji do fear, is that the process is seriously flawed and will not achieve the desired outcomes.

Tarte said and I quote" I have now been involved for nearly two months in working on the structure and process. No work has yet been done on the content of the proposed charter."

He said John Sami has tried to make the process autonomous and independant of the interim government however the reality is that the Interim Prime Minister is the Co-Chair of the Council, Interim Ministers are Co-chairs of the task teams, the ministry of Multi Ethnic Affairs is the Communicating Agency for spreading information about the Charter, the military were responsible for holding 1,700 village meetings in 2007, to promote the charter and are still very much involved.

Tarte said this has placed the Fiji Media Council in a difficult position and it is essential that the council as a body is perceived to be independent from the political process. He adds that when the council initially agreed to participate, they said there was a possibility that this could be achieved and that council's participation was critical to ensure that fundamental principles of the media freedom and freedom of speech were preserved.

Tarte said the battle will continue but not as part of NCBBF.

He said another factor in the Media Council's reluctance to support the charter process is the interim government's attitude to freedom of speech and the media. Tarte said that the Commissioner of police has issued a warning to everyone that the police will "deal" with any inciteful criticism about the interim government. He questions that does this mean that there can be no criticism, whether is this not a breach to people's constitutional right and where does this leave the media in reporting public opinion.

He said freedom of the media has also been brought into question by the way why Fiji Sun's publisher Russell Hunter was treated.

The Council condemns the treatment and deportation of Hunter in the strongest possible terms. Council questions whether other foreign media persons will be treated this way and what happens

when a local journalist does whatever Hunter is supposed to have done, and will he or she be incarcerated?

Tarte further said the recent FHRC report by Dr. James Anthony which the council understands will be considered by the NCBBF working group. This report lacks any credibility and is not worthy of consideration by any reputable body. He believes all this concerns of the Media Council cannot be dealt with in the NCBBF.

He said they have much wider implications and the council is available to discuss these and any other related matters with government at any time.

Tarte said he joined the NCBBF at the invitation of the President and the behest of the Media Council and because he felt that he would play a small part in shaping a better Fiji.

Tarte said regrettably he considers that the process has been so compromised and that he no longer believes that the charter concept is viable nor in the interest of Fiji and he must accordingly tender his resignation.

Meanwhile, two other members of the council Suliana Siwatibau and ousted opposition Leader Mick Beddoes resigned in the last two weeks from the council.