When Fiji was openly a military dictatorship, they banned criticism of the regime through formal censorship. Now they're supposedly a democracy, they're planning to ban criticism of parliament:
Under clause 24 of the [Parliamentary Powers and Privileges] Bill, any person whose words or actions defames, demean or undermine the sanctity of Parliament, the Speaker or a committee commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding $30,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both, and in the case of a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for each director and manager for a term not exceeding five years, or to both.
The purported power to prevent criticism of parliament is inconsistent with democracy. The penalties are simply draconian. The entire bill is an affront to the right of free expression affirmed in Fiji's constitution. But since when has Frank Bainamarama ever cared about that?
