A regional meeting in Fiji has been told that political corruption, abuse of office and power, including power struggles, are rife throughout the Pacific.
The Fiji Sun reports that this is one of the issues highlighted in a document distributed at the Pacific Human Rights Consultation which began at the Forum Secretariat yesterday.
The document also highlights discrimination against ethnic communities, in particular against Indo-Fijians in Fiji, gender violence and domestic abuse as well as bride price and polygamy.
Also under scrutiny are women's rights, including representation in decision making, increasing poverty and inequality in wealth and lack of public resources for poverty alleviation.
The document says there is lack of knowledge and information about constitutional rights, and throughout the Pacific the legal capacity to deal with human rights issues is weak.
The Pacific Human Rights Consultation will take place over three days.
