Attorney-General Backs 'Blue Day' Warning

USP Pacific Journalism Online: http://www.usp.ac.fj/journ/
USP Pasifik Nius: http://www.usp.ac.fj/journ/nius/index.html
USP Pasifik Nius stories on Scoop (NZ):
http://www.scoop.co.nz/international.htm
Have your say: http://www.TheGuestBook.com/vgbook/109497.gbook

By Mithleshni Gurdayal

SUVA: Civil servants who wear blue to participate in the "Fiji's Blue" campaign today are actually protesting against the military-installed interim administration, Attorney-General Alipate Qetaki said yesterday, the Daily Post reports.

These civil servants would be breaching the Public Service Code of Conduct by doing so, he said.

The Public Service Commission had earlier warned civil servants not to take part.

The Blue Day campaign has been organised by non-government organisations, trade unions and other interested corporate groups to allow people to silently express their stand on the return of peace and democracy in the country.

"The 'Fiji's Blue' campaign is against the [Prime Minister Laisenia] Qarase administration and those taking part in this campaign are going against the government of the day," Qetaki said.

"This group is calling for the return of the 1997 constitution and the restoration of the Mahendra Chaudhry administration and I reiterate that all those who are a party to this group are going against us - the interim administration."

Qetaki said that civil servants worked for the government of the day had a set of guidelines to follow.

"If any civil servant really wants to wear blue tomorrow then he or she can wear blue underwear, which will not be noticeable," Qetaki said.

"But please no blue to support this anti-interim administration move."

Meanwhile, the two teachers unions asked their members to wear any colour they wanted to.

Fijian Teachers Association general secretary Maika Namudu said his members could wear blue, red or any colour they wanted to.

"There is no law in the country that stops people from wearing any colour on a particular day," Namudu said.

"Fiji Teachers Union general secretary Agni Deo Singh said that no government could stop its people from wearing a particular colour.

"I am asking my members to wear blue tomorrow if they want to. They have a right to wear any colour they want to."

+++niuswire

© Scoop Media