Monday, 07 December 2009

• Government of the Republic of the Fiji Islands Freedom Checklist 2009

  POLITICAL RIGHTS

  
  A.   ELECTORAL PROCESS - Abrogated Indefinitely

  
         1. Is the head of government or other chief national authority elected through free

            and fair elections?

  
         2. Are the national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections?

  
         3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair?

  
  B.   POLITICAL PLURALISM AND PARTICIPATION - Abrogated Indefinitely

  
         1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other

            competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system open to the rise

            and fall of these competing parties or groupings?

  
         2. Is there a significant opposition vote and a realistic possibility for the opposition

            to increase its support or gain power through elections?

  
         3. Are the people’s political choices free from domination by the military, foreign

            powers, totalitarian parties, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any

            other powerful group?

  
         4. Do cultural, ethnic, religious, or other minority groups have full political rights

            and electoral opportunities?

  
  C.   FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT - Defunct

  
         1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives

            determine the policies of the government?

  
         2. Is the government free from pervasive corruption?

  
         3. Is the government accountable to the electorate between elections, and does it

            operate with openness and transparency?

  
  ADDITIONAL DISCRETIONARY POLITICAL RIGHTS QUESTIONS

  
         A. For traditional monarchies that have no parties or electoral process, does the

            system provide for genuine, meaningful consultation with the people, encourage

            public discussion of policy choices, and allow the right to petition the ruler?

  
         B. Is the government or occupying power deliberately changing the ethnic

            composition of a country or territory so as to destroy a culture or tip the political

            balance in favor of another group?

  
  CIVIL LIBERTIES

  
  D.   FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND BELIEF - Abrogated Indefinitely

  
         1. Are there free and independent media and other forms of cultural expression?

            (Note: In cases where the media are state-controlled but offer pluralistic points of

            view, the survey gives the system credit.)

  
         2. Are religious institutions and communities free to practice their faith and express

            themselves in public and private?

  
         3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free of extensive

            political indoctrination?

  
         4. Is there open and free private discussion?

  
  E.   ASSOCIATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL RIGHTS - Abrogated Indefinitely

  
         1. Is there freedom of assembly, demonstration, and open public discussion?

  
         2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations? (Note: This includes civic

            organizations, interest groups, foundations, etc.)

  
         3. Are there free trade unions and peasant organizations or equivalents, and is there

            effective collective bargaining? Are there free professional and other private

            organizations?

  
  F.   RULE OF LAW - Abrogated Indefinitely

  
         1. Is there an independent judiciary?

  
         2. Does the rule of law prevail in civil and criminal matters? Are police under direct

            civilian control?

  
         3. Is there protection from political terror, unjustified imprisonment, exile, or torture,

            whether by groups that support or oppose the system? Is there freedom from war

            and insurgencies?

  
         4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of

            the population?

  
  G.   PERSONAL AUTONOMY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS - Abrogated Indefinitely

  
         1. Do citizens enjoy freedom of travel or choice of residence, employment, or

            institution of higher education?

  
         2. Do citizens have the right to own property and establish private businesses? Is

            private business activity unduly influenced by government officials, the security

            forces, political parties/organizations, or organized crime?

  
  

         3. Are there personal social freedoms, including gender equality, choice of marriage

            partners, and size of family?

  
  

         4. Is there equality of opportunity and the absence of economic exploitation?

  
  

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