(Retired) Lt Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini’s appointment as Fiji’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York is temporary.
Speaking from Panama, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Lt-Colonel Tarakinikini was already ‘on the ground’ to immediately step in.
Following the questions raised by the Fiji Labour Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry on Tarakinikini’s acting appointment, Rabuka says it is an acting and temporary appointment only.
Rabuka says an acting appointment from within was not possible given the seniority of the position and given the fact that the next officer in the establishment is a Second Secretary, following the earlier resignation of the Counsellor.
He says the substantive Permanent Representative’s term was due to end in April and it would have been an unnecessary cost and inconvenience to have someone from Suva fill the post temporarily.
Rabuka says Tarakinikini is based in New York and he is thoroughly familiar with the UN system having worked in the UN headquarters until December last year.
He says the appointment process would be adhered to.
The Prime Minister says this will be done together with the review and recall of other relevant Heads of Missions, and a substantive appointment made through the due process.
Tarakinikini is expected to return to Fiji after the Ocean’s Conference in Panama City, for the Public Service Commission to finalize the process.
Rabuka says if successful, he will be sworn in by the President and then he will return with his credentials to serve in the position.
Meanwhile Chaudhry says the fact remains that the appointment of Tarakinikini is in breach of the rules of establishment in the civil service.
He says the rules do not permit the appointment of a person from outside the service to a position in an acting capacity.
Chaudhry now says as a consequence, the acting appointments of Pita Wise as Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, Parmesh Chand as Permanent Secretary at the PSC and Tarun Patel as Acting CEO of FBC are all also in breach of the rules.
He says he is informed that the contract of Dr Satendra Prasad who remains listed as Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the UN expires in April 2023.
Chaudhry asks why was it then necessary to replace him earlier as he could have continued in office while arrangements were made to advertise and fill the position in the normal manner.
The FLP Leader says Tarakinikini’s reported return to Fiji poses new questions.
Chaudhry says if the job is in New York why is he being brought back to Fiji at a cost to the taxpayer when his appointment is temporary as stated by the Acting Prime Minister, Manoa Kamikamica.
He also says the next question is whether Tarakinikini’s credentials have been presented to and accepted by the UN for him to assume office.
Chaudhry says the senior coalition partners campaigned tall on good governance.
He says those who voted for or supported them expect them to hold true to their promise.
I would like to respectfully note former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry’s concerns about Colonel(retired) Filipo Tarakinikini’s acting appointment as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations but please note his appointment is temporary.
That’s the comment from Acting Prime Minister, Manoa Kamikamica as he says Tarakinikini will return to Suva after the delegation’s visit to Panama for the Oceans Conference.
Kamikamica says he does not want to get into a public debate with Chaudhry but the Prime Minister has stated all along that all posts are advertised, with a review and recall of overseas Heads of Missions, following due process.
He says if Tarakinikini is successful, he will be appointed as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
The Acting Prime Minister says Tarakinikini can also answer the questions being raised by Chaudhry and others, himself when he arrives in the country.
Kamikamica also says many people are returning to Fiji, and it is very positive for Fiji.
We are currently trying to speak to Tarakinikini.
Mahendra Chaudhry is urging Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to reconsider the appointment.
Chaudhry says Tarakinikini escaped being brought to justice when former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase facilitated his appointment as Senior Planning Officer with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York in March 2001.
The FLP Leader says former Army Commander and Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama had made it clear that Tarakinikini would be arrested on his return to Fiji.
In his resignation letter to the RFMF, Tarakinikini had said to Bainimarama that it appears to him that Bainimarama’s agenda against him was a personal one and that the investigation conducted at the time in RFMF by Bainimarama was a discriminatory and selective means to frame and purge those professional officers, including Tarakinikini, who questioned Bainimarama’s command ethics.
He also highlighted that in their telephone conversation a few weeks before the resignation, Bainimarama categorically stated that a full public commission of inquiry into the RFMF and its failures before and during the May 2000 coup is irrelevant.
The Fiji Labour Party has condemned the appointment of former RFMF officer Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini as Fiji’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Labour Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry is urging Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to reconsider the appointment.
Chaudhry says Tarakinikini escaped being brought to justice when former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase facilitated his appointment as Senior Planning Officer with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York in March 2001.
The FLP Leader says former Army Commander and Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama had made it clear that Tarakinikini would be arrested on his return to Fiji.
Chaudhry says the RFMF Board of Inquiry Report set up in August 2000 to investigate the Army’s involvement in the coup questions a number of Tarakinikini’s alleged actions at the time of the crisis, including an alleged call he made to the Army camp at 2.30am on 19th May wanting to speak to a CRW soldier closely linked to the takeover later that morning.
Chaudhry says Tarakinikini’s appointment should be rescinded and he should be brought back to Fiji to answer to the allegations.
The FLP Leader says the appointment is also irregular and in breach of the establishment rules in the civil service in that a person cannot be recruited to an acting position from outside the service.
We have sent questions to the Prime Minister’s Office. He is yet to respond.
Former Republic of Fiji Military Forces spokesperson,(Retired) Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini has been appointed as Fiji’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
Acting Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Pita Wise confirms that Tarakinikini will act in the position until the post is advertised, and a selection is made.
Tarakinikini replaces Doctor Satyendra Prasad.
The former military spokesperson served the United Nations for over 20 years after resigning from the RFMF.
Tarakinikini worked at the UN headquarters as a Senior Planning Officer and was on secondment from the RFMF, approved by the late former Qarase led government, for a period of one year.
However the Army Commander at the time, Voreqe Bainimarama announced that the military will charge Tarakinikini either with desertion or being absent without official leave.
He had said that the senior officer will be arrested once he arrives in the country.
Tarakinikini tried to resign from New York but this was rejected by Bainimarama.
Tarakinikini was earlier selected to be the RFMF candidate to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst in the United Kingdom.
In his resignation letter to the RFMF, Tarakinikini had said to Bainimarama that it appears to him that Bainimarama’s agenda against him was a personal one and that the investigation conducted at the time in RFMF by Bainimarama was a discriminatory and selective means to frame and purge those professional officers, including Tarakinikini, who questioned Bainimarama’s command ethics.
He also highlighted that in their telephone conversation a few weeks before the resignation, Bainimarama categorically stated that a full public commission of inquiry into the RFMF and its failures before and during the May 2000 coup is irrelevant.
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