Transcript
BIMAN PRASAD: This meeting was held in the NFP headquarters which is a private place and the meeting was through invitation and it was comprised of working committee members from different branches in the country. We were given a permit to have fifty people and the conditions of the permit are also of concern to us.
SALLY ROUND: And the conditions were?
BP: One of the conditions of the permit was that the event organisers were to confine their activities to the objectives of the event and abstain from remarks that can be defamatory, inciting or provoking. Who defines what is inciteful or provoking? What do you mean by provoking? So these are draconian measures to stifle the opposition from holding meetings and getting their views across to the people. I mean these sort of requirements send a very chilling effect to the members of the public. Many of our members are scared. They are afraid of attending meetings and the first thing they ask now is whether we have a permit.
SR: This was the first time that sort of language appeared on a permit? Those conditions?
BP: Well this is the first time that we have got a permit which has got this provision which talks about abstention from remarks which can be defamatory, inciting and provoking. I mean where in a democracy would you have something like this?
SR: So when you have meetings now in future, within the party, are you having to apply for a permit each time?
BP: Yeah we really have no choice. We have to apply for a permit each time unless otherwise the police will take us and lock us up again. I mean this has not happened before. This is the new definition that the police seem to be applying and requesting political parties to apply for permits for their own party activities. And yet you have the Fiji First government ministers and everyone going around where ever they want to go saying whatever they want to. They are not required to have permits. These draconian decrees are only being applied to the opposition members and in this particular way to stop us from doing our work as elected members of parliament.
SR: You must hold meetings on a daily basis within the party headquarters, you are not applying for permits every time there are you?
BP: Well I mean now it appears that if we are having any formal meeting whether it is a working committee, whether it is our management board, whether it is our strategy committee, whether it is our publicity committee, we would be required to have permits. If we don't then we could be arrested and charged which is what the police have been doing. Basically the political parties have been stopped from engaging in their own legitimate activities which is going around the country meeting people and meeting the members and participants to discuss issues of concern.
SR: And even if this is held in a private environment?
BP: Well again our understanding is that then it should not be required in case of a meeting in a private place. But they also say that if issues of national concern are being discussed, you know even if you have more than three members, you need to have a permit. So unless there is further clarification it appears that this government is hell-bent on stopping any kind of political activity by the opposition.
