VanInd457-121117

The Vanuatu Issue Nº 457

Independent

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November 17 - 23, 2012

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New PM? It’s up still in the air

MONDAY November 19 looms as a pivotal day, with a parliamentary session of many surprises as the 10th parliament sits to elect a new Prime Minister and a new speaker.

The frantic lobbying and negotiations continue between the two key groups - Sato Kilman of People's Progressive Party (PPP) and Edward Natapei from Vanua'aku Pati VP, and it looks like another former PM, Ham Lini, will be the ‘kingmaker’.

Report - Page 2

Diabetes ravages lives

by Evelyne Toa MORE than 20 per cent of citizens in Vanuatu now suffer from diabetes, with victims as young as 13 years.

And another 19 per cent of people have pre-diabetes, which is a condition that seriously increases the risk of getting diabetes in the near future, said Holly Jones, Public Health Nutritionist with the Vanuatu Ministry of Health.

Vanuatu’s health authorities revealed this week that the number of diabetes type two cases is continuing to rise alarmingly in Vanuatu, mainly due to the current unhealthy lifestyle Vanuatu people are living – eating too much imported food instead of local, fresh food plus a lack of physical activities.

INSIDE

The National Coordinator of the Non Communicable Disease (NCD) Unit under the Ministry of Health, Dr Graham Tabi, has appealed to Vanuatu citizens to make efforts to change their lifestyle.

He said that the diabetes type 2 in Vanuatu can be prevented if people take initiatives and make efforts to change their unhealthy lifestyle to healthy food.

He said health experts expected the disease to affect old or elderly people, but it is now ravaging the lives of people as young as 13 years old.

Some of the cases registered were students from both colleges in the capital, Malapoa and Lycee.

Dr Tabi made the frightening revelations on World Diabetes Day on Wednesday

where a screening was held at the Ministry of Health for interested people for early detection and clinical referral.

The manager of health promotion programs, Jean Jaques Rory, said NCD diseases are highly prevalent in Vanuatu.

Commissioner chaos

Natapei le mieux placé Phocea i pour être PM blong hu?

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He said that the NCD STEPS survey conducted in 2011 showed that among population surveyed, 20 per cent have high blood sugar (diabetes); 25 per cent have high blood pressure (hypertension) and 30 per cent have high total cholesterol.

Mr Rory said that following these results, the main messages was aimed at children and young people as the driving force for the promotion of education and prevention messages that health officials hope will inspire and engage local communitites to recognise the importance of early awareness of the risks of diabetes.

“The aim is to build awareness among children and young people of the warning signs and risk factors for diabetes.

Continued Page 2

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by Telecom Vanuatu Terms & Conditions apply THE PRINCIPAL DISTRIBUTION AGENT OF THE INDEPENDENT ON OUTER ISLANDS IS VANUATU POST. COPIES RECEIVED BY OUTER ISLAND HIGH SCHOOLS ARE COURTESY OF WESTPAC VANUATU.

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News

Contents main news

Natapei or Lini to be next PM...

2-5

bislama news

26

children’s page

35

classifieds

24

comics

32

dining

39

entertainment

34

french news

8 - 11

gardening

19

indyview

13

medical

31

motoring

22

opinion

7

recipes

38

red cross news

30

photo feature

37

promedical news

30

tv movies

28

vinedu

6

weather

25

wilson’s word

7

MONDAY November 19 looms as a pivotal day, with a parliamentary session of many surprises as the 10th parliament sits to elect a new Prime Minister and a new speaker.

The frantic lobbying and negotiations continue between the two key groups Sato Kilman of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Edward Natapei from Vanua’aku Pati VP. Thrown into the mix are claims that black magic is being used in its sinister ways to help decide the next Government (Story page 3).

The Independent was told that the group led by the VP together MPs from the Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Graon and Justice Party (GJP), Vanuatu Liberal and Democratic Party (VLDP), National United Paarty (NUP) and the Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP) have also received a bloc consisting of independent candidates that has just joined the group.

As we went to press Friday, The Independent was told that Natapei’s VP, that has eight elected MPs, was to sign a memorandum later on Friday with its affiliate partners, namely NUP that has in its grouping a total of 15 MPs, that include ‘Rassemblement des mouvements pour le changement’ (RMC); the Vanuatu National Party (VNP) that has four MPs; and Nagriamel; the UMP with five elected MPs; four independent candidates; GJP with four; and Toara Daniel from the Shepherds who has just joined; the Vanuatu Liberal and Democratic Party (VLDP) that has only one elected, and the Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP) that has two MPs.

Mr Natapei has publicly declared during a solidarity agreement signed a week ago, that although his VP has the majority of elected MPs, the position of the Prime Minsiter and the one of the Speaker will be negotiatable among political parties that will join to form the next government.

However, an unconfirmed report said that Mr Natapei would be best VP candidate for the post of PM – that was supported by most of the parties that have joined VP. In Vanuatu’s political history, the party that has more MPs following an election would have the post of the PM, especially the President of the party.

Mr Natapei could be elected Vanuatu’s Prime Minister (the ninth PM for the tenth Parliament after 32 years) on Monday.

Ham Lini, president of NUP would be the next eligible candidate for that top post.

Following the loss of the President of the Vanuatu Democratic Party (VDP) Maxime Carlot, and the national treasurer of VP, Sela Molisa, in this year’s election, that left only two veteran politicians who have been re-elected - Edward Natapei and Serge Vohor of UMP, who have managed to retain their respective seats since elected in 1983 Mr Natapei who is in his 60s, was voted for the first time into power in 2002, after taking over the presidenship of VP in 2000, from Donald Kalpokas who was at the VP helm since September 1991.

He took over from Father Walter Lini through a vote of non confidence, with Mr Lini then leading the party since the Independence.

Since 1991 the VP was divided leaving Walter Lini with the minority group that later formed the National United Party (NUP).

A few months after he took over the power, Natapei was ousted with a non confidence motion and a new general election was held in 2004. Following the general elections on September 30, 2008, Natapei was again elected to lead the then government. On December 2 2010, when Sato Kilman was then the Deputy Prime Minister (under a Natapei-led coalition), he supported a motion of non confidence behind Natapei’s back, while he was in Sydney, on his way for an international conference in Europe.

Mr Natapei had to shorten his route as PPP Kilman has taken over the power.

While VP, UMP, GJP, VLDP and MPP with others, are yet to decide which of these two men be appointed PM, Kilman’s group continues its numbers fighting.

A signing of a Memorandum of Understanding was signed Thursday afternoon between Sato Kilman and his political allies, to form the new government on Monday.

What had happend in 2008, could be repeated on Monday. As negotiations were continued to elect a new Prime Minister, on September 29 in the evening, an agreement was reached between the Vanuatu Republican Party (VRP) of Maxime Carlot and some political parties, to form the new government, by surprise, Edward Natapei, who had the majority of MPs, was elected the next day and became Prime Minister.

Opportunities for Pacific artists in creative arts programs Advertising deadline: 12 noon each Thursday Send advertisements to: advertising@independent.vu Editorial content and letters to the editor: 1pm Thursday Send your letters or news tips to the independent email: editor@independent.vu

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Page 2

continuation of traditional craft techniques as well as providing home-based income.

This is particularly important for increasing women’s participation in trade. For example, in Vanuatu, women make up 88 percent of the handicrafts industry and 96 percent of open-air vendors catering to tourists.”

THE profile and export value of art created in the Pacific Island countries is growing internationally through the support of the Creative Arts program of the Pacific Islands Trade and Invest (PT & I).

PT & I is the international trade and investment promotion agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat which is based in Suva, Fiji.

The 2011 PT & I annual report which was released recently highlighted that the Creative Arts program helped facilitate export sales of AU$112, 344 for local artists from Pacific Island countries.

“By encouraging investment in the creative arts sector, Pacific Islands Trade & Invest is helping to place a commercial value on the Pacific Islands community’s traditional knowledge and cultural expressions. We are working with creators and artists in the region to create new export networks and connect with international buyers,” said Ms

Participants at the launch of the report.

Ruth Choulai, Creative Arts Manager for Pacific Islands Trade & Invest’s Sydney Office.

Established in 2009 as a sub-program of Export Services of the PT & I, the Creative Arts program recognises the economic value of the creative arts sector, particularly to rural communities and women artisan groups in the Pacific.

Ms Choulai said: “Increasing exports in creative and indigenous knowledge based products assists in the preservation and

Diabetes ravaging Vanuatu From Page 1 “We also need to get across that in many cases type two diabetes can be prevented through healthy eating and physical activity,” he said.

Mr Rory said that all their campaigns this year have used three key messages: access to essential education for everyone, the way we live is putting our health at risk, and people with diabetes face stigma and discrimination.

He said that diabetes is a serious health condition affecting kidney function and hormonal insulin that regulated glucose tolerance in humans.

“This condition generates other NCD health diseases,” he said.

Vanuatu health authorities repeated their calls for alarm bells to ring around the nation for all Vanuatu people - and especially parents - to take extra care and not to give their children inapproprate food.

“We do not want to see Vanuatu with increased numbers of amputated legs – we all can fight against this illness if we take it seriously,” said Mr Rory.

“Once a person is diagnosed with the disease he/she will live with it for all of his/ her life. Economically it is a burden to the government’s health budget.”

Through consultation and continuing dialogue with key entities in the Australian market, the Creative Arts program identified a market for traditional knowledge-based art produced by contemporary creators from the Pacific Islands. There is particularly strong interest amongst Australian buyers for home ware or artisan wares including textiles, basketry, string bags and handcarved products.

In 2011, Pacific Islands Trade & Invest expanded the Creative Arts program to engage a wider variety of Pacific Islands artists and creators. The program has created business links between producers and buyers, built greater awareness of target market needs and promoted Pacific Islands products through targeted activities, such as Maketi Ples, an art and artisan exhibition held in Sydney.

Quote for the Weekend

“

Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them.

”

- John Shirley

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

News

Driver in Devil’s Point road crash to appear in court

by Richard Michael

He said police have faced many threats from Iake’s relatives during the week and the police called on the public to stay calm while the case is dealt with in court.

THE driver of the Toyota Hilux involved in a double fatal crash in Devil’s Point road was celebrating his birthday and drinking last weekend, police said.

Sgt Kalura said police will continue their campaign about problems with drinking and driving.

Sergeant Edward Kalura from the traffic section said Benzie Leeshi Wotu was charged with reckless driving causing death contrary to section 12 of the Traffic Control Act CAP 29.

Meanwhile, a driver almost crashed his grey taxi into the Drug Store in central Port Vila early on Wednesday this week.

He said Wotu has also been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol contrary to section 16, failing to stop and to report the accident to police contrary to section 17 and dangerous loading contrary to section 25 of the Road Traffic Act. He said Stephane Stevano, who is believed to be from Hungary, was in the front passenger seat when the vehicle lost control on the gravel road, skidded and overturned.

Sgt Kalura said the Supreme Court ordered Stevano to leave Vanuatu two days after the accident for unrelated issues.

He said said Stevano had bruising and fractures in his right leg when he boarded the plane early this week.

“Benzie knew that he was driving on gravel road and should have reduced his speed,” he said.

He was arrested and bought to the police station for questionning.

Sgt Kalura said the driver felt asleep because he worked throughout Tuesday night until Wednesday morning.

The car crash in front of the Drug Store.

He said the two killed were a Year 13 He said the vehicle flipped in the air and student Eugene Wilbur, 19, who was in turned before rolling to rest in a grassy field the middle of his examinations and was beside the road. pronouced dead at Vila Central Hospital three hours after the crash, and Tannese “Wilbur and Iake could have survived if they Eric Iake, 35, who died two days after the were in the middle cabin but a big speaker accident. that was placed there filled the cabin and the two others climbed in the rear of the He said Wotu will appear in the Magistrates utility,” he said.

Court for a preliminary inquiry hearing on November 26.

He said police have raised concerns over the rise in accidents due to the Sgt Kalura said Wotu was driving a white sound technology that included speakers, dual cabin Hilux which rolled several times woofers, and mobile phones that were after he lost control. used to play music in the vehicles.

He said the driver has no driving licence and he was a nightclub barman who was driving the taxi at night without legal permits.

Mr Kalura said the driver ran off the road in the front of the Westpac Bank and drove up the stairs outside the Drug Store.

He said no one was injured but people could hardly believe the man drove up the stairs and the taxi finished up in front of the store.

He said the matter will be dealt in court after the completion of investigations.

New government - new Compol on process ALLEGATIONS are rife that the caretaker Kilman led-coalition government has made a recommendation to the Head of State to sign a document to appoint the current acting police commissioner Arthur Caulton as Commissioner.

Sources said that the caretaker government intended to terminate the appointment of the current chairman of the Police Service Commission, Herve Hopkins, who was appointed a month ago, to succeed Tony Ata who have resigned last August to be able to contest the October general elections.

The Independent was told that the caretaker government of Sato Kilman has appointed a special panel committee consisting of Director General (DG) of Prime Minister office, Simeon Athy, and the

DG of Internal Affairs George Bogiri who have recommended Mr Caulton to the post of the Commissioner of Police. They have met and made their recommendations to the Head of State for appointment.

However, DG Simeon Athy denied the information and told The Independent.

“We haven’t meet yet,’’ he said.

“I cannot elaborate on the matter, as it is still under process, following the deadline of the submission of interested applicants to the police commissioner’s post that has just expired on November 15.’’

DG Bogiri could not be reached for comments.

Acting deputy police commisioner Malon

Black magic, money and politics

by Hilaire Bule ALLEGATIONS have emerged that black magic and bribery have been used to help form the next government in Vanuatu.

One of the oldest Vanuatu traditions is based on use of the ‘black magic’ and there are black magic solutions for good and bad, said custom experts.

Until yesterday, the name of the political leader to become the country’s new prime minister next Monday has been clouded.

Negotiations were still underway in both camps of the president of Vanuaku’aku, Edward Natapei who managed to secure the highest number of MPs following the election and caretaker Prime Minister Sato Kilman.

Until yesterday both camps were still claiming that they have numbers to form a new government. The two camps should sign a Memorandum of Understanding and Memorandum of Agreement during the weekend and place their MPs in a camp until the parliamentary session on Monday.

Claims of numbers and a tug of war

between leaders has led to allegations of use of black magic and bribery to gain and to maintain their numbers until the election of prime minister.

Last Tuesday Port Vila witnessed heavy rain and winds. Since then Port Vila is still witnessing a few showers. A man from Malekula told the Independent that it is not normal that Port Vila is facing that kind of weather and claims there are signs of political leaders seeking assistance from traditional ‘witch doctors’ in order to have the numbers and form the new government next Monday.

A reliable source told the Independent that one of two camps has put aside an amount of VT 5 million to be used for black magic remedies.

Another source also told the Independent that politicians are not only using black magic but they also used money to bribe MPs to get them into their camps.

On Thursday there was an allegation that an MP was circulating with an amount of VT 30 million to bribe the MPs.

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Taleo told The Independent he doesn’t know anything.

Outgoing police commissioner Joshua Bong said that the appointment of a police commissioner should be carefully handled by the government and relevent authorities.

He said as the outgoing commissioner, he had made several recommendations to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, following allegations over some of the police operations under the command of Mr Caulton.

However he said those recommendations had never been considered seriously and dealt with appropriately.

He said some of the cases involve numerous past police operations under the command of Caulton, like the 2007 March riot that caused three deaths, the operation that led to the dead of John Bule in March 2009 and the operation that led to the death of Moses Kilton this year .

Mr Bong said that early in 2012, Mr Caulton had requested an early retirement, because he has reached 55 years of age. He said he understood his (Deputy Commissioner Caulton) has also some medical issues.

Mr Bong said for his past three years in the office, the Police Service Commission never dealt with some of these critical police issues, although the Internal Investigation Police or IIO, have completed their investigations and reports have been submitted to the Police Commission.

Mr Bong called on the caretaker government and all national leaders to assist Vanuatu and the police force to ensure law and order and stability prevail as ‘prevention is better than cure’ and this motto should now be a priority for all of us.

The Independent understands that quite a number of senior high ranking VPF officers and some former VPF members and a lawyer (a former police superintendent)

have lodged their applications through the Police Service Commission, currently led by the recently appointed Chairman Herve Hopkins.

Under the normal process of appointing a police commissioner, there will be interviews to applicants who have applied for the police commissioner’s post, to short list the best candidates, and after they are screened by the Police Service Commission, the commission makes recommendations to the President of Vanuatu for an appointment.

While the VPF is yet to see that happen, the Supreme Court , has deferred the case to Monday, November 19 over a claim lodged by the Police Service Commission’s Vice Chairman Willie Ben Karie, (under Tony Ata’s commission) who have challenged his early termination by the caretaker Minister of Internal Affairs.

Both, Mr Karie and Chief Harry Collins’s contract, have been terminated as soon as the carataker government terminated Mr Bong’s three year’s contract, and appointed Mr Hopkins as the new chairman.

The Independent also understands from its findings, that one of the ‘critical’ police issues Mr Hopkins is currently dealing with, and has made recommendations to the acting police commissioner, is the case of the illegal importation and the selling of a ‘Man Blac’ shot gun involving Senior Inspector Ron Tamtam, the current acting Chief of Staff of the acting Commissioner.

A report that was denied by Senior Inspector Tamtam through The Independent a month ago.

The Independent understands that the Internal Investigation Police or IIO have completed their investigations over the case, and a report has been sent to the Police Service Commission.

The Head of State could not be reached for comments.

Page 3

News

Man found guilty of assault on deputy principal

by Richard Michael A MAN Tanna charged over the bashing of Malapoa college deputy principal Willie Sandy was found guilty in the Supreme Court this week.

convicting him when cross checking the evidence of the trial and prosecution also dropped charges against Mesek.

“The facts showed that Hiwa chased Mr Sandy but he did not hit him,” Mr Lunabeck said.

Brian Michel, 25, will be appear again on November 30 for sentence.

He said the prosecution had not supplied enough evidence against Remo Mesek.

Chief Justice Vincent Lunabeck said Michel who lived in Rentapao was found guilty on one count of intentional assault (c) of the Penal Code Act.

He said Henry Paul was missing during the plea date on September 17 and a warrant for his arrest had been issued by the court and the police have not yet found him.

He said the court did not find any difficulties with Michel’s involvement in the case as the accused himself told the court he kicked and punched Mr Sandy on the right side of his chest and his face on April 12.

“You (all those charged) started calling the girls but Mr Sandy adviced his students not to reply but you didn’t stop calling until you swore at the teacher,” said Mr Lunabeck

He said the facts after two days of trial had showed that Mr Sandy was walking with some of his female students home after school on Malapoa road when they came across some drunk men and youths - Brian Michel, Jude Hiwa, Henry Paul and Remo Mesek all from Tanna.

He said the facts also showed that Mr Sandy looked back at the men when Michel started swearing at him.

Mr Lunabeck said Hiwa said that he saw Brian kicked and punching Mr Sandy.

“This court also found that Mr Sandy lost two teeth during the attack and had fractures and bruisings in his face.

Hiwa acquitted after Mr Lunabeck said the court had doubt

“The injuries are now permanent and he had an additional

“Brian told Mr Sandy that ‘what do you want’ and the group started chassing the deputy principal and the girls,” he said.

operation the night after the incident.”

Mr Lunabeck said the injuries sustained by Mr Sandy have affected his job as a teacher and he found difficulty later pronouncing words without his teeth in his classes.

He said the Deputy Principal had suffered great pain for six months later and during the first four months he only survived with fruit and water because of the permanent injuries.

Mr Lunabeck said Mr Sandy spent four night at Vila Central Hospital.

He said that Michel used force to kick Mr Sandy’s face with his Caterpillar yellow safety boots when Hiwa pushed him down to the ground.

During the trial the duo put all the blame on Henry Paul who was absent, claiming Paul pushed Mr Sandy down to the ground before kicking him in his mouth.

When asked, they said they last seen Paul on April 12.

Mr Lunabeck said he had no trouble extending Michel’s bail conditions as he had honoured his conditions since the beginning of the case.

Shepherds outer islands against corruption

by Evelyne Toa POLITICAL leaders of the Shepherds outer islands who have lost the general elections, have formed a special committee called Shepherds Outer Islands Anti Corruption Committee (SOIACC), to stop corruption in the Shepherds outer islands.

SOIACC chairman Jean Mark, a candidate representing the Vanuatu Liberal and Democratic Party (VLDP).

A SOIACC spokesperson said that the committee is seeking a court intervention following issues of alleged fraud and corruption that occurred during past

recent elections, and to declare null and void the elections of Shepherds outer islands, and to call for a fresh election in that constituency.

The committee agreed to engage a lawyer to handle their case, as they believe that what they have collected are sufficient to enable them to proceed with their case to court.

The SOIACC spokesperson said their aim was to stop corruption in their constituency and at the same time sending a strong message to the government that it is now time for Vanuatu to have in place laws that should punish candidates and or parties

involved in corruption during an election.

They also proposed that the new legislation should impose strict rules to disqualify a candidate and the political party he/she is representing from contesting.

Another proposal of SOIACC was for the Electoral Office to establish what they called an ‘island polling station’ in Vila and in other urban centres so that voters do not have to return to their respective constituency to vote.

The same system that is currently used for Ni Vanuatu residing in Noumea, New Caledonia.

Pacific fishing zones lifeline for overfished tuna

MARINE zoning in the Pacific Ocean, in combination with other measures, could significantly improve dwindling numbers of heavily overfished bigeye tuna and improve local economies, a fish modelling study has found.

Scientists working at the University of Hawaii, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS) have found that a network of marine zones in the Pacific Ocean could be a more effective conservation measure than simply closing relatively small areas to some types of fishing.

These marine zones, where different fishing activities are allowed in different areas, may have significant and widespread benefits for bigeye tuna numbers.

Vanuatu in pictures

Dr John Hampton, of the Oceanic Fisheries Program of the SPC, is one of four scientists leading the study.

After testing the effectiveness of a range of conservation measures with an ecosystem and fish population model, Dr Hampton says the team found that the most efficient measures were to restrict: > longline fishing in tuna-spawning areas > the use of fish-aggregating devices (e.g. moored or drifting buoys which attract fish) in areas where boats use purse-seine nets.

“We found that simply closing areas off to fishing doesn’t work, because the boats just move their operations to neighbouring zones and chase fish even harder. It’s going to need a combination of approaches,” he says.

“The model will help people evaluate different ways of managing tropical tuna fisheries. Our predictions can help countries estimate how effective conservation measures might be, relative to any economic effects, and tailor measures to suit their goals. The advantage of this approach is that effects can be estimated locally, as well as for the stock as a whole.”

TRULY LAID BACK... this picture was taken off Lelepa Island, and shows four Aussie girls on holidays just chilling out in the crystal clear waters. The photo was sent in by Jean Farrell.

The Independent wants to see YOUR photos of life throughout Vanuatu - they can be of any topic you like.

Send pictures (preferably jpg or tiff, 500kb or more) to: editor@independent.vu - we will publish the best of them each week.

Page 4

Half the current bigeye tuna catch is by the longline method, which targets high-value tuna sold as fresh fish. The other half is caught in purse-seine nets as incidental catch when aiming to catch skipjack tuna.

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

News

VANUATU NEWS

in Brief

New parliament to elect PM on Monday

Clinton says Pacific ‘big enough for all of us’ SECRETARY of State Hillary Clinton said the Pacific “is big enough for all of us” as the United States pushes for a more visible military role across the region to counter China.

It follows the deployment of US Marines this year in Australia’s north, a move that has sparked concern in China and other nations, including close Australian neighbour Indonesia.

In a speech at a marine defence hub in the South Australian capital Adelaide, America’s top diplomat on Thursday sought to allay fears about Washington’s pivot into Asia, which has irked Beijing.

Clinton said Australia’s relationship with the United States should be seen as complementary to its ties in Asia, particularly China which is Canberra’s biggest trading partner.

She called Australia an “indispensable” ally and said both Canberra and Washington wanted to strengthen ties with China and other nations in the region, in what she called “the Pacific century”.

“We support Australia having strong, multi-faceted ties with every nation in the Asia-Pacific, indeed in the world, including China, just as we seek the same,” she said.

“And I have said repeatedly, the Pacific is big enough for all of us.”

“These past three days have reinforced for me the indispensability of the US-Australia partnership,” she said, a day after annual security and strategy talks between the two nations in Perth.

“We are cooperating everywhere together -- in business, in shipbuilding, from the mountains of Afghanistan to the atolls of the Pacific, to the thriving cities of Asia.

“But I know there are some that present a false choice -- that Australia needs to choose between its long-standing ties to the US and its emerging links to China,” she added.

“Well, that kind of zero-sum thinking only leads to negative-sum results.”

At the Perth talks, the two governments launched discussions on granting the Americans future access to air bases in northern Australia as well as naval ports, including one in the Indian Ocean south of Perth.

The two sides also announced the United States military would station a powerful radar and a space telescope in Australia to monitor Asian airspace.

Earlier, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr played down scathing comments by former leader Paul Keating that Australia has become too compliant to the United States while neglecting relations with Asia.

Keating, who as Labor prime minister between 1991-1996 championed closer ties with Asia, particularly Indonesia, said the region saw Australia as a client of the United States which tended to fall in with its foreign policy.

But Carr rejected the critique, insisting Australia’s foreign policy objectives had not been surrendered to the United States.

“We are in a treaty relationship with the United States because we’ve got a major task, and that is the security of this continent, a small population, a large continent, an uncertain region, an uncertain world,” he said.

Clinton, who was speaking at Adelaide’s Techport marine defence hub, the site of much of the work on Australia’s new air warfare destroyers and its next fleet of navy submarines, heads to Singapore next.

- AFP

SPC urges Pacific to address malaria THE Secretariat of the Pacific Community says governments in some Pacific countries need to invest more in the prevention and treatment of malaria.

At a conference in Sydney the Australian Government announced it will provide more than 20 million U.S. dollars for malaria programs in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

The Director-General of the Secretariat Dr Jimmie Rodgers says the new funding will help.

But he says local governments also need to step up their efforts because there is going

to be a big drop in overseas funding soon.

Dr Rodgers says the time to act is now because Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have a real chance of eradicating the disease and PNG isn’t far behind.

“It’s a larger country and it might take them a little it longer than the other two Melanesian countries to eradicate malaria. But what I’m saying is the Australian commitment is coming at the right time when the other major funding window at this time remains uncertain of going beyond 2014.”

Dr Rodgers says the gains made in malaria treatment and prevention could be reversed if funding drops.

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

THE National Parliament will meet on Monday, despite no party having secured a clear majority. The country’s general election was held almost two weeks ago. Since then, two groups of MPs claim to have the numbers to form government; one supports the caretaker Prime Minister Sato Kilman and his People’s Progress Party PPP, while the other is behind Edward Natapei and the Vanua’aku Pati. The office of clerk of parliament has confirmed that the new parliament will meet on Monday to elect a new speaker and a prime minister. The 52 elected members of parliament will first elect the speaker who will then conduct the election of the prime minister. After the election, the new prime minister will appoint his 13 ministers. Once elected, the new prime minister will benefit from a oneyear grace period during which no motion of no confidence can be lodged.

Stand on West Papuan issue at crossroads VANUATU’S long-running support for West Papuan independence is at stake as the country’s newly-elected MPs attempt to form a government. Ahead of next week’s first sitting of the new parliament, two groups are claiming majority support - one led by the caretaker Prime Minister Sato Kilman and the other by Edward Natapei of the Vanuaaku Pati. The move by the previous Kilman-led government to strengthen ties with Indonesia, following the Melanesian Spearhead Group’s decision to grant Indonesia observer status, has left the Papua issue at a crossroads in Vanuatu.

MP Bohn vows to repair roads on Epi A NEWLY-elected member of Parliament says his top priorities will be to repair the roads and bring development projects to the island of Epi. Robert Bohn is the first naturalised citizen from Vanuatu to have gained a seat in parliament. The former American citizen says he is proud of his win on Epi, and is looking forward to ‘doing good things’ for the people.

“Certainly the roads are a disgrace. They haven’t been maintained since Independence.

Our airports are not what they could be. Certainly our schools and our medical facilities are not what they should be,” he said. Bohn says he decided to stand in last month’s Vanuatu elections after talking to the people and chiefs of Epi. “Our provincial governments have a lack of money and human resources to bring government services to the island,” he said.

“We’re focused mainly in nutrition and health and education, infrastructure development and appropriate-sized commercial development for the people.” Bohn is currently the chairman of the Vanuatu Finance Centre, a tax haven that has been targeted by the authorities in both Australia and the United States. He was arrested in America 10 years ago and was embroiled in a decade-long court battle with the US Government.

Lib Dem leader takes PM to court over debt THE leader of Vanuatu’s Liberal Democratic Party (VLDP), Willie Jimmy, is taking the caretaker Prime Minister Sato Kilman to the Supreme Court over what he says an outstanding debt of about US$140,000, reports Radio New Zealand International. In October, the debt prompted the Electoral Commission to exclude Kilman from the list of election candidates, along with 70 others with outstanding debts. It was a move that resulted in the suspension of the Principal Electoral Officer shortly before the general election, despite the Commission’s announcement that the debt had been cleared. Jimmy doesn’t believe it has been paid. “Because I have the document from the department of finance and info that says VT13 million is still outstanding. We have given the Electoral Office seven days to respond, he didn’t respond so we will actually be seeking court to make a clarification on that issue,” he said. Jimmy said Sato Kilman has either misled the Electoral Commission or pressured it to reinstate him without making him clear the debt.

SolAir and Air Van form partnership A NEW partnership with Air Vanuatu has opened up the way for Solomon Islands national carrier Solomon Airlinesto fly further into the region. Under the new partnership Solomon Airlines will codeshare with Air Vanuatu on its flights from Honiara to Port Vila and onto Nadi. The airline’s General Manager Operations and Commercial Gus Kraus, says it’s a taste of things to come as the airline looks to expand its services. “We are excited that we will be flying to Vanuatu and onto Fiji and back under this new partnership.” According to Kraus the new code sharing arrangement is an important milestone and one that comes as the airline celebrates its 50th anniversary with the purchase of its own dash 8 aircraft and the opening of its new office complex. Solomon Airlines is partnering with Air Vanuatu on the Fiji route, after Air Pacific recently ended its code share arrangement with Air Vanuatu. Kraus says collaboration between airlines in the region is vital to ensuring that customers get the best service available and at the same time allow airlines to continue to operate.

Islands contribute 0.03% to greenhouse gas emission ALTHOUGH islanders have done little to contribute to the cause – less than 0.03% of current global greenhouse gas emissions – they are among the first to be exposed.

Most islands are experiencing climate change impacts on community livelihoods, infrastructure, water supply, coastal and forest ecosystems, fisheries, agriculture, and human health. The consequences of sea level rise, sea temperature increases, ocean acidification, altered rainfall patterns, and overall temperature rise will be increasingly felt.

Climate change is expected to result in a variety of environmental, social, and economic effects on island states, including threats to natural habitat, loss of habitable and agricultural land, coastal erosion, increased intensity of tropical storms, occurrence of invasive and pest species, decreased food and water security, and adverse impacts on human health with particular acuity in small island economies. Climate change is already disproportionally affecting the islands of the Pacific.

Page Page05 5

News & Views VINEDU has heard that a receptionist from a government ministry is now pregnant.

She can not be another Virgin Mary but it is the result of donation of truck and boat to South Pentecost.

VINEDU has heard that a losing candidate for Torba province is looking to challenge the elections in court. He is more worried about the government debt than his debt to the people in Vanualava.

VINEDU has heard that students from Arep Junior secondary school in Torba are still waiting for their scholarships from ULF, the University of Liars Foundation.

Vinedu has heard that Torba people are

Letters

vinedu also waiting for their refund from the lending scheme of ULF. Mestem already eaten by rats???

VINEDU has heard that a council of ministers meeting has been asked to ask approve VT five million from the Community Development

negotiations on the formation of the new government get closer.

VINEDU has heard that a COMPOL car is still parking at Independence Park. There must be a permanent COMPOL office there???

VINEDU has heard that election disputes will bring judges to the islands. The cases will not all be dealt with in Port Vila or Luganville.

VINEDU has heard that a caretaker minister has offered VT 600,000 to a bus driver, who surprised him after he boarded the Phocea.

VINEDU has heard that a caretaker minister is circulating with VT 30 million while

VINEDU has heard that a Vanuatu Consul to Asia is claiming that all 52 members of parliament are in his pocket.

VINEDU has heard that a civil servant and a pastor are planning a reconciliation between the Union of Moderate Parties and RMC but their plan didn’t work out.

They need more prayers?

Thank you to supporters, despite the outcome

I WOULD like to take this opportunity through your media outlet to thank those supporters who voted for me in the recent general elections.

Whilst considerable and serious concerns have been raised about the conduct of the elections and the conduct of some of our successful candidates, an election has been conducted. It is now up to the Courts to deal with all the Election Petitions and complaints and make judgment as deemed fit.

These include the problem of space which is prevalent in Port Vila and Luganville, and the surrounding areas of dense population concentrations.

We see that the Government through the Ministry of Lands has implemented electricity services to areas such as Kokoreko, Manples, Tebakor, Matantopua, Teouma, Tagabe Bridge and Blacksands amongst others which are progressive developments.

In this, the Court has an enormous and unenviable responsibility to decide in accordance with the law. In such situations the law is sacrosanct and is the one constant that will ensure that justice is carried out.

However, they also contribute significantly towards changing the value of the real estate in which these services are now available which basically means that the customary landowners now have valuable land assets.

The country has already had some past precedent judgments set as to election complaints so there is some basis for making judgments.

Unfortunately, the majority if not all the people living in these areas do not hold any leasehold titles as their occupation of the land on which they live has been as a result of relationships between older generations.

What is most concerning with the recent elections was in some cases, the serious blatantly intentional disregard for the law by certain candidates, their agents and voters in the conduct of their election campaigns and lead up preparations.

Because of all the past publicity and the public awareness conducted by the Electoral Office thru various means, there is no excuse for a candidate, agent or voter to claim ignorance of the law as the reason for breaching the Peoples Representation Act Cap 146 and its amendments.

Just as it is important for the Courts to dispense justice, the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Office must be prepared to take its decisions with a clear view in mind of the Peoples’ Representation Act Cap 146 and its amendments and the spirit in which this law is embodied in accordance with our national Constitution.

The Electoral Commission and the Electoral Office must also be prepared to accept fault for any weaknesses, errors and maladministration by its staff and agents in the conduct of the election and take whatever measures necessary to uphold the integrity of this high office.

There is no doubt that the Vanuatu voting public is easily swayed by short term monetary gains and promises which may or may not be kept as well as issues which do not impact directly on the immediate pressures of the changing environment and the dynamic population growth needs of the nation’s population.

There are more urgent priorities that need to be addressed as soon as possible lest they be allowed to develop to a stage where managing these issues will be beyond our capabilities and resources.

Page 6

Fund to pay ‘kastoman’ whose government stayed in power until last month’s elections while teachers are still struggling and fighting for for their unpaid salaries. The amount may increase after parliament session next week???

It will not be long before landowners from Ifira, Pango, Mele, Erakor and Eratap will want to start capitalizing on the increased value of their customary lands and there is no doubt that when this happens, many people, as has already been experienced recently, will be evicted from their areas of residence of two or three generations with nowhere to go. Many will never be able to return to their home islands.

This is a serious problem that if not dealt with could have far ranging impacts and serious social problems with considerable national implications as was experienced recently in Solomon Islands and faced in the past in Papua New Guinea.

The Prime Minister in his New Year’s eve speech made reference to this issue yet not one media outlet, one NGO or one Ministry or Department felt it important enough to investigate further, present some facts and figures, create and expand public awareness on the issue, and suggest possible solutions.

We can have the best economy and the most stable government in the world or be the happiest place on the planet but if our grassroots people do not have a secure place they can call home to raise their families and live comfortably then it will be only a matter of time before problems arise.

There is also the serious problem affecting our education sector which has resulted in a national adult literacy rate of less than 35%. For SHEFA Province and Efate it is 27%. This situation reflects the need for broader access to free education up to Secondary School level and provision of more education facilities and greater strengthening of our education system especially in the rural areas of Vanuatu.

The same applies for the Health Service.

Many of these issues can be adequately dealt with by expanding and developing real economic initiatives and supporting infrastructure that will generate growth in our rural communities and provide real returns to the population.

Currently there has been little progress in rural productive capacities and the main elements of the accelerating prosperity of the country have been largely concentrated around the two urban centres. For true national economic growth, this trend must change.

Whether our politicians realize this and have thought about possible solutions is a question that will be answered over time and if not, then the country and its people will have to live with the result of their choices on 30th October 2012 for the next four years. We must broaden our foreign relationships and change our attitude of dependence on foreign aid and assistance towards finding appropriate solutions and the resources to implement them within our shores for this is a truly independent attitude and approach. After all, this country of ours has nurtured our forefathers and ancestors adequately for countless generations.

Whilst we have a robust foreign policy, there are considerable questions as to what should be the priorities - what is happening outside the country or what is directly affecting the nation and its people internally.

There always seem to be a lot said about the problem of Indonesia and the West Papua situation yet it is difficult to understand how people cannot realize that for a long lasting solution to the crises, in the end it will be the West Papuan people and the Indonesian people who will decide their future. Vanuatu can play an important role in facilitating the dialogue and this can only be achieved by taking a pragmatic approach.

I am reminded of the words of a book about writing found scratched and etched in blood on the walls of a prison cell used by the

German Gestapo for torturing resistance fighters in Poland after World War 2: “It is easy to talk of Poland, Hard to fight for Poland, Harder still to die for Poland, But the hardest of all is to suffer for her.”

I truly wonder how many of us are prepared to suffer the humanitarian indignities, danger, threats and difficulties, faced by those of West Papuan Freedom Movement in their jungle homes seeking a better future for their generations.

Again, my thanks to my campaign teams, my supporters and especially those who thought the message which I tried to impart as the basis of what I intended to do had I been elected into Parliament was worth your vote and support.

I have already taken steps to implement some of these initiatives as I see an urgent need for solutions to many issues which I drew attention to during the 2012 General Election campaign and can facilitate implementation of some of these solutions in a private capacity.

If I have offended any political party, any candidate or any individual, please accept my sincere apologies.

Thank you for your consideration and understanding.

Richard Naikasei Kaltongga Candidate, Efate Rural Constituency, 2012 General Elections THE Independent welcomes letters to the editor and encourages readers to express their views in writing. However, it should be understood that not every letter submitted will be published and the decision whether or not to do so remains at the discretion of the editor. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

The views expressed by letter writers are not necessarily those of the management and staff of The Independent.

News PNG drug seizure protected region: police METAPHETAMINE worth $AUD9.79 million which was seized on its way to Papua New Guinea could have been destined for other countries in the region, including New Zealand.

Three men appeared in court in Port Moresby this week charged with conspiracy to import 50 kilograms of methamphetamine. British police intercepted the shipment, which was concealed inside two welding machines, on its way from the Netherlands to PNG and replaced it with soap powder. Police spokesperson Inspector David Terry said PNG officers worked with police in Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

“Literally, we provided a shield for the Pacific by intercepting this huge consignment of illicit drugs. We suspected that they were trying to use PNG as a distributing point to supply countries in the region, so at the moment investigations are continuing to establish how and where these drugs were going to be distributed.”

The Independent/L’Indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Opinion

The kind of government people want

by Evelyne Toa THOSE elected are still trying to form the government and amidst all of this there has been a lot of talk as to what kind of government the people want. A lot of ideas have been expressed in the nakamals as usual but also on the talk back radio programs.

The first group to sign a memorandum of understanding was led by the caretaker prime minister and the other bloc formed was led by Vanuaku Party, Union of Moderate Parties and Graon mo Justice Party. What has been clearly expressed is that not only the people but the donor countries or development partners also want a government that first and foremost stands against corruption. The people are fed up with seeing some ministers and civil servants indulging in corrupt practices and getting away with it. The people generally now understand that the government is not moving the country forward because of these corrupt practices. The people understand that service delivery to rural areas has been poor at best, while the ministers drive around in flash cars and the Directors General and Directors drive around in four-wheel drive vehicles on roads not requiring 4WDs, with benefits that add injury to the hearts of the grass roots people.

The frustration of the people who are definitely not happy about this double standard life practiced by the government at the expense of the people is understandable. In the last two years especially, the government had been operating at half its yearly budget because of problems with cash flow and this country has been depending on the financial support of aid donors for its major development. It is sad indeed to see the ministers jetting around the country and the world in luxury, while people are finding it difficult to pay for THERE are reports reaching WW of fun and games with transport at the international airport after a long period of order and calm.

Seems the resort buses are being forced to park in the domestic terminal car park. Now having seen the horde of public vehicles that gather outside the international terminal, WW understands there are simply too many for the available parking at international and moving the buses was a decision of the AVL board, but now some other plan must be implemented. But if reports reaching WW are true and it is not an overcrowding issue but Customs and Immigration officers angry at having to park so far from the international terminal that they are demanding they park in front of the building, then that is outrageous and needs to be sorted out immediately.

Regardless, what is really concerning WW is two reports of tourists arriving from Australia and being told to wait while the bus is driven over from the domestic car park.

While they waited, unaccompanied by Ni Van staff, opportunistic taxi drivers claiming to be with the same transport company as the tourists’ bus company have snaffled the tourists up, in smelly and cramped vehicles.

They added thousands of illegal vatu on to the fare which the tourists were forced to pay. WW doesn’t need to remind anyone that for those tourists this is their first and strongest impression of Vanuatu and it was a terrible one.

WW has already heard from one tourist caught in this new scam and her group shelled out more than double the going rate to get to their very upmarket resort in a state of total disarray. The quartet have already stated they will not come back and they will paint a less than rosy picture of life here to

Behind the news their children’s school fees, schools without adequate facilities and resources, clinics and health centres without medicine and qualified personnel, islands that are not serviced by ships for many months and so on.

There was case after case of corruption, and malpractices involving some of our top leaders, that were not investigated, were investigated with no outcome or the outcome was simply ignored or pushed under the carpet. This has pushed the people to demand a different government from what they are used to, with many expressing strongly that they do not want the old one to be repeated. Oh yes, the previous government has done some good work, but when put on balance, it is not sufficient to put this country in a better position to support its citizens.

The people want their land secured from hungry, selfish investors who only have in their hearts filling their pockets at the expense of the custom owners and the people. They want land secured for schools, clinics and other activities that are benefiting the country and national interest rather than just for individual investors.

The people are voicing their concerns over individual interest taking precedence over national interest.

One of the major issues that the people are truly fed up with is the selfish attitudes of the leaders doing all they can to occupy ministerial positions or positions where they will get more benefit. This type of selfish attitude has cost the country untold amounts of money, resources and time wasting, all at the expense of the people, whose money has been wasted unfortunately by the very people they voted into power in order, ironically, to fight for their interests.

WORD

ilson’s

anyone they come cross back in Australia.

So WW feels some changes are necessary to the transport arrangements at the airport once again, and obviously vehicle overcrowding is the first order of the day. WW wonders if maybe the enormous and greatly under-utilised domestic car park could be used creatively, with perhaps a small shuttle service created to run passengers across and keep them away from the clutches of cowboy taxi drivers.

STILL on the subject of the airport, the following is part of an AVL report by General Manager Operations, Kevin Abel on the incident involving an artillery shell being taken on an Air Vanuatu flight from Port Vila to New Zealand last month - “... the item concern from my knowledge of WW2 munitions in Vanuatu is the bottom part of a bullet used in machine guns and obviously empty of fire powder and corroded by salt water beyond recognition. Basically for comparison take a ruler and measure 1cm from the bottom of a white board marker, and that’s it. That is why it was not picked up by the screening machines as it was merely just another artifact. The fact that the carrier declared it and it became a something out of nothing.’’ WW thanks Mr

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Leading up to the election there was a great deal of talk about having a more effective judiciary system. It needs resources, as well as giving power to the ombudsman’s office to prosecute. There have been calls after calls for ineffective heads such as that of the public prosecutor to be sacked for allowing a lot of important cases to slip through her fingers, only to add more injury to the already fragile situation.

There is grave concern about the low quality of education that exists in our schools, with low numeracy and literacy levels even though a huge slice of the government budget is allocated to education. We have heard of students involved in marijuana usage with more and more people walking our streets with mental health issues.

Repletion of students is high with a lot of absenteeism by students and worse still by teachers who are supposed to know better and show responsibility and accountability, causing people to say that some teachers are being paid to ruin the lives of the children and ultimately that of the country.

The Public Service Commission is so ineffective in doing its job that it is now seen as a puppet for politicians and nepotism is rife, punishing some talented but unconnected civil servants while allowing others to continue to occupy high offices. It is clear that the people want a new government to ensure that this political machine that drives the country functions effectively, otherwise this country will continue to travel in circles, with the politicians blaming it for its failures while the civil servants blame the politicians. As the government is still yet to form, there are rumours that the caretaker Kilman led-coalition is trying to appoint a police commissioner before Monday’s sitting and

that is being questioned by most of newly elected MPs as to why the rush.

This childish attitude of blame betweeen politicians and civil servants must stop and necessary steps need to be taken to get this machine to function effectively. If the machine is rusted beyond repair, replace it, otherwise the boat will sink with all on board will be lost. What a strategy that would be.

Vanuaku Party, UMP and Graon mo Justice and other parties, in the coalition, are saying the right things at the moment - that if they get into power they will stand united against corruption. Even if this group does not get into power, those who do will know that the people want a government that has zero tolerance for corruption.

The people want politicians to stop wasting public funds on selfish fighting in courts, to get a better position. We must allow the Public Service Commission to be an engine for change and not unnecessarily politicise it. Remove heads and people in key positions that are hindrances to the progress of their respective areas, and do justice to the country by putting national interest first.

This government must not be afraid to say no to outside influences that are not for the good of this country and get rid of investors and individuals that are parasites on this country, allowing only those with mutual benefits skewed to the national interest and for the good of the people of this beautiful country.

The people have spoken through various means through the radio, papers and in nakamals. This new government will be watched very closely by the people and it will most likely fall at the next election if it fails to listen to the voice of the people who are more knowledgeable than before. God bless Vanuatu and the new Government.

Abel for forward ing his report, but there are some remaining questions. WW wonders if it was just ‘the bottom part of a bullet … empty of fire powder’.’ Then why did authorities at Auckland Airport, one of the biggest and busiest in the Pacific, put an emergency lockdown of a significant section of that airport into operation? Also, Mr Abel told WW when this matter was first discussed last month that it was illegal to remove WW2 artifacts from Vanuatu.

SATURDAY’s launch of the new organisation ‘Friends of People with Special Needs’ was a resounding success, with a large crowd gathering for the awareness event.

It was something that journalist Marg Smith would have been very proud of, to see so many people at the European residence in Tassiriki. Unfortunately Marg was back in NZ in the latest round of her epic battle with cancer. That this remarkable woman has found time to consider the welfare of others while engaged in the battle of her life speaks volumes for her character. And she would have been proud of Saturday’s gathering because it was the perfect launching pad for this new group to achieve what Marg has envisaged for the past few years. Well done to Kathy Mandel and her organisers for their efforts.

It’s yet another area where the government should hang its head in shame as they do not give the disabled association even one vatu.

AS this picture shows another piece of concrete work bites the dust. WW wonders if it is a case of art lovers’ revenge... or is it the good ole ‘I’m surprised they lasted this long’.

WW has had the misfortunate to have two good watches die in quick succession – one terminal (having been diagnosed in Oz) and the other of unknown condition. It makes WW wonder if there is not an opportunity for Prouds or similar to have a staff member trained in watch and jewellery repairs or bring in someone a few times a year to carry out these repairs. WW feels there must be a market for this – and throw in knife sharpening and shoe repairs as well.

Speaking of Prouds, their reno is looking great and WW understands they are racing the clock to be re-opened for next week when we have four cruise ships in town.

AND that’s Wilson’s Word.

Page 7

Nouvelles régionales

RADIO COCOTIER

Brèves du Pacifique Des récolteuses de canne à sucre mécaniques pour les planteurs fidjiens

Un perdant réclame l’argent qu’il a donné à son électorat À Ambrym, le candidat républicain pensait que le deuxième siège de cette circonscription lui appartenait étermellement. Il avait oublié qu’un jour, ses électeurs lui tourneraient le dos s’il ne faisait pas attention. Il passait tout son temps en ville et pensait que son fief était bien protégé en sa faveur et une fois le 30 octobre arrivé, son électorat lui a carrément dit : “Retourne à Port-Vila”. Malheureusement, au lendemain des élections, il n’avait pas d’argent pour payer son voyage pour revenir à Port-Vila. Il est devenu furieux parce qu’il avait perdu son siège. Il a commencé à réclamer l’argent qu’il avait remis à son électorat sous forme d’assistance venue de ses attributions parlementaires destinées aux projets communautaires. Il a fait pression sur ceux qui avaient bénéficié de ces attributions parlementaires et une association de femmes a fini par lui rendre les 50 000 vt qu’il lui avait remis il y a quelques mois, dans l’espoir d’être réélu pour un troisième mandat. Mais ses autres électeurs lui ont carrément dit : “Inaf”.

Aux îles Fidji, la coupe est toujours manuelle.

Mais un groupe de directeurs du Conseil d’administration de l’industrie sucrière fidjienne (Fiji Sugar Corporation) est passé par l’Australie, par le Queensland, à la recherche de récolteuses qui pourraient révolutionner une industrie à bout de souffle.

Pour l’instant, c’est à la main qu’il faut couper et charger sur les camions et wagons les 2 millions de tonnes de canne à sucre que Fidji produit tous les ans.

C’est dans le centre du Queensland que nous avons rencontré John May, le président de la société South Pacific Fertilizers. Nous lui avons demandé de nous décrire la journée type d’un cultivateur fidjien de canne à sucre.

Il se fait agresser par un mauvais mari Il est venu des îles et habitait avec la famille à Kawénou. Quand il n’avait rien à faire à la maison, il allait au bord de mer pour contempler le paysage, la ville et la mer ellemême. Cet après-midi-là, le destin voulait qu’une personne soit de sa compagnie. Il était assis et regardait la mer quand une voix féminine a surgi derrière lui. Ils se sont mis à discuter cependant que la femme ne cessait pas de consulter son téléphone portable et appuyait sur le bouton comme si elle envoyait des messages. La personne qui avait reçu ces messages est apparue en surprenant le jeune homme avec cette femme qui était sa maîtresse car cet homme était de surcroît marié et sa femme était à la maison.

Il s’agissait d’une aventure secrète et le mauvais mari s’est dirigé vers le jeune homme et lui a porté des coups de poing. Il a attrapé la main de sa maîtresse et les deux ont disparu dans les fourrés. Le jeune homme a reconnu un vieux de chez lui qui passait sur la route. Il pensait que celui-ci allait l’aider mais ce nouveau venu avait aussi des problèmes : il était coursé par un autre individu qu’il venait de voir dans un autre coin caché de Kawénou avec une autre femme, tous deux dans une mauvaise posture. Ce coin est promis à toutes sortes d’exhibitions !

Des irrégularités signalées à Pentecôte On s’attendait à voir entamer une procédure pénale contre les personnes accusées d’avoir fait des actes bizarres durant la campagne électorale à Pentecôte. Il y aurait des preuves et des personnes seraient prêtes à témoigner devant la justice. Il a été en effet signalé que des militants d’un candidat très réputé dans cette circonscription avaient déchiré des affiches des autres candidats, menacé et insulté leurs sympathisants. Ils seraient devenus des terroristes pendant la campagne électorale et auraient tout fait pour que leur candidat soit reconduit à son siège. On se souviendra de ce dimanche 31 août 2008 vers 2 h du matin quand les militants de ce candidat faisaient encore le tour des villages en criant “Outé Outé Oh !” alors que la campagne électorale était déjà finie deux heures plus tôt. Après les élections de 2008, des candidats n’avaient pas de moyens financiers pour entamer une procédure pénale à l’encontre de ce candidat.

Cette fois, ses adversaires se sont dit “Assez et assez !” et l’un d’entre eux a déjà payé un avocat en appelant les autres à se joindre à lui avec les mêmes arguments et preuves. Bien fait pour lui !

Des produits tongéens à la Wik Blong Vanuatu La dernière édition de la Wik Blong Vanuatu (Semaine du Vanuatu) en NouvelleCalédonie ne semble pas être strictement consacrée aux produits “Made in Vanuatu” mais aussi à ceux des autres pays du Pacifique et même d’Asie. Des exposantes ont réussi à avoir dans leurs bagages des produits fabriqués à partir de l’étranger. Elles ont aussi réussi à bien les vendre puisqu’une d’entre elles, d’origine tongéenne et mariée à un Vanuatais, était rentrée dans le pays avec son porte-monnaie bien plein. On parlait de plus d’un million cfp, soit le prix de cette réussite dont le matériel devra être négligé par les organisateurs de la Wik Blong Vanuatu dans l’avenir. Cette semaine se veut être traditionnellement et exclusivement pour le Vanuatu pour avoir plus de relief sur le commerce et l’industrie locaux.

Pas de réduction des dépenses publiques avec Sato Kilman Une note de service qui aurait fait le tour de tous les ministères exigeait qu’une fois la dissolution du Parlement arrivé, tous les conseillers politiques se maintiendraient à leur poste à l’exception des jardiniers, des chauffeurs des ministres et des coursiers. Cela peut laisser à penser que ce sont des dépenses inutiles dans la période où les ministres intérimaires n’ont plus le pouvoir d’agir comme des hommes d’État. Il a été signalé qu’un conseiller politique a préféré se présenter sur son île natale et après avoir essuyé un échec, continuerait à percevoir son salaire mensuel jusqu’à l’entrée de la nouvelle coalition ou jusqu’à ce que son ministre soit écarté par la force du pouvoir politique. Ce n’est que lorsque Sato Kilman est Premier ministre par intérim qu’il n’y a pas d’initiatives liées à la réduction des dépenses publiques. Espérons qu’il ne sera pas désigné à nouveau pour diriger la nouvelle coalition.

Page 8

Acheminement de la canne aux îles Fidji. [babasiga.blogspot.com]

May : « Un cultivateur de canne se lève tôt pendant la saison de la coupe, vers 5 heures, et il va aux champs pour commencer à couper la canne à la main. Beaucoup de ces champs sont infestés de plantes adventices [mauvaises herbes] pour cause de négligence. Et récolter la canne devient un travail ardu et pénible. Ensuite vers 11 heures, midi, quand ça devient trop chaud, il arrête de couper. Il faut alors ramasser les cannes qui sont à terre pour les mettre dans des plateformes de chargement et bien ranger les cannes. Il faut 8 hommes et 2 heures pour charger un camion de 10 tonnes».

Fidji : un dirigeant religieux écope de 2 ans de prison pour agression sexuelle Epeli Ratabacaca, dirigeant de la All Nations Christian Fellowship (Fraternité chrétienne de toutes les nations), restera en prison pour une durée minimale de 15 mois avant de prétendre à la liberté conditionnelle. Epeli Ratabacaca, 54 ans, avait tout d’abord été condamné à 4 ans de prison pour agression sexuelle et abus de confiance d’une femme souffrant d’anxiété et de dépression. Cette peine a ensuite été ramenée à 2 ans étant donné le casier judiciaire vierge du condamné.

Les chauffeurs de bus en surpoids payés pour aller à la gym Nous sommes en Tasmanie et à partir de la semaine prochaine, tous les chauffeurs d’autobus qui dépassent les 130 kilos seront suspendus partiellement de leurs fonctions et payés pour aller dans une salle de sports. Les chauffeurs auront alors 6 mois pour maigrir et seront assignés à d’autres tâches pendant ce semestre au régime. Pour la direction de la société de transports, c’est une question de santé et de sécurité. Les chauffeurs obèses pourraient casser leur siège alors qu’ils sont au volant et mettre en danger leur propre sécurité et celle des passagers.

PNG : 29 partis politiques, 74 députés et 142 000 dollars La loi organique sur l’intégrité des partis politiques est très claire sur la question de l’obligation de dévoiler les dépenses de campagne électorale.Ainsi, 29 partis politiques et 74 députés devront payer plus de 142 000 dollars australiens d’amende pour n’avoir pas déclaré leurs dépenses de campagne en temps voulu, c’est-à-dire dans les trois mois qui suivent les élections. Sur les 111 députés, 37 ont respecté la loi.

- P.R

L’Indépendant - Samedi le 17 Novembre, 2012

Has Gone Wild for Christmas!

…15% Sale on selected items & a

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PO Box 1424 Tel: +678 24661, Fax: +678 23552 Champagne Estate, Port Vila autodis@autodis.com.vu www.facebook.com/FordVanuatu The Independent/L’indépendant - Samedi le 17 Novembre, 2012

Go further / Allons plus loin Page 9

Nouvelles en français

Natapei et Lini les mieux placés pour tenir les rênes du pouvoir

Lundi 19 novembre, ce sera une session de toutes les surprises alors que le Parlement devrait siéger pour l’élection de son président et du nouveau Premier ministre du Vanuatu.

Cette session devra se conformer aux normes de la majorité alors que les négociations pour la formation d’une nouvelle coalition gouvernementale se poursuivent encore cette fin de semaine.

Il y a quelques jours, alors que les deux camps des candidats élus aux dernières élections législatives tentaient de regrouper autour d’eux une majorité d’élus, on a appris que la solidarité imposée entre le VAP, l’UPM, le GJP, le PLDV, le PNU et le PPM était la plus attractive où on y compterait, alors que nous mettons sous presse, un nombre d’élus ayant atteint la trentaine. L’entrée d’un bloc d’élus indépendants aurait renforcé la situation et ce serait le camp dirigé par Edward Natapei qui compterait cette majorité d’élus.

Alors que nous mettions sous presse vendredi matin, nous apprenons du camp de Natapei qu’un mémorandum d’entente allait être signé vendredi après-midi entre le VAP, regroupant tous ses huit élus et deux élus affiliés, le PNU auquel sont alliés le RMC, le PNV et le Nagriamel entre autres, ayant un total de quinze élus, l’UPM avec cinq élus, les quatre indépendants, le GJP avec quatre élus et un affilié, Daniel Toara des îles Sheperd, le PLDV avec un élu et le PPM avec deux élus.

président du PNU a également le nombre pour briguer le plus haut poste de l’exécutif national.

Edward Natapei, éventuel candidat au haut poste du gouvernement

Alors que le président du VAP laissait entendre lors de la signature de leur solidarité qu’il préférait que le poste de président du Parlement et celui du Premier ministre passe par une négociation entre tous les partenaires regroupés dans son camp, il a été confirmé dans les coulisses du VAP qu’Edward Natapei était bien placé pour être conduit aux rênes du pouvoir.

Il aurait reçu la bénédiction de presque tous ses partenaires pour diriger pour un nouveau mandat le gouvernement du Vanuatu. Selon la tradition politique au Vanuatu, le parti ayant remporté plus de voix aux élections législatives est qualifié pour le poste de Premier ministre. De même, c’est le président du parti le plus qualifié qui est le mieux placé pour le poste.

Dans la situation où le camp de Natapei est majoritaire, il est plus probable que le président du VAP devienne lundi le chef du dixième gouvernement que compte la République du Vanuatu en trente-deux ans, soit la dixième législature. Ham Lini,

Après que le président du PDV, Maxime Carlot, et le trésorier du VAP, Séla Molisa, n’ont pas été à nouveau réélus aux dernières élections, Edward Natapei et Serge Vohor, sont de ce fait les doyens de la nouvelle législature. Ils avaient été élus en 1983 et ont conservé leur siège jusqu’à présent.

Edward Natapei, âgé de 60 ans, avait été conduit au gouvernement pour la première fois en 2002 après avoir accédé à la présidence du VAP deux ans plus tôt, succédant à Donald Kalpokas qui régnait dans le parti depuis septembre 1991.

Venait d’être écarté du pouvoir par une motion de défiance, Walter Lini, qui avait régné depuis la date de la proclamation de l’indépendance. Le VAP avait été alors divisé en deux; la faction minoritaire ayant été du côté du Premier ministre déchu.

C’est ainsi que le congrès du parti avait conduit le député de Vaté à sa présidence et Walter Lini avait décidé de fonder un nouveau parti en le baptisant Parti National Unifié.

Quelques mois seulement après son entrée au pouvoir, Edward Natapei a été chassé par une motion de défiance ayant imposé de nouvelles élections législatives

en 2004. Le 30 septembre 2008, à l’issue des nouvelles élections législatives, il a été reconduit aux rênes du pouvoir. Le 2 décembre 2009, Sato Kilman, alors vicePremier ministre, a apporté son soutien à la motion de défiance de l’opposition ayant été soumise au Parlement alors que le Premier ministre se trouvait à Sydney en transit pour un voyage au Mexique. Il avait dû rebrousser chemin alors que le président du PPP avait déjà pris sa place.

Bien que le VAP, l’UPM, le GJP, le PLDV et le PPM entre autres seraient prêts à soutenir la candidature d’Edward Natapei ou Ham Lini, le camp de Sato Kilman s’efforce depuis quelques jours à réunir les élus qui auraient manifesté leur soutien au camp adverse.

Selon un conseiller politique du gouvernement intérimaire, affecté dans un ministère, toutes les formalités pour rester au pouvoir devraient être signées vendredi alors que nous mettons sous presse.

On se souvient de 2008 à la fin des négociations ayant conduit à l’élection du nouveau Premier ministre. Le 29 septembre au soir, l’accord conclu entre les candidats élus et des partis politiques avec le PRV était en faveur de Maxime Carlot. Alors que le lendemain le Parlement procédait à l’élection du nouveau Premier ministre, Edward Natapei remportait la majorité !

- GM

Les conseillers du commerce extérieur français pour le Pacifique se réunissent à Nouméa

Voyage oriental…

Dans le cadre des manifestations organisées pour marquer son vingtième anniversaire, l'Alliance française de PortVila a proposé un concert unique et exceptionnel d'Abaji le mardi 13 novembre 2012 à 20h.

Multi-instrumentiste et chanteur, Abaji a su enchanter une centaine de personnes venues voyager dans des contrées musicales orientales. Abaji a en effet chanté dans les cinq langues de sa famille : en arabe, en grec, en turc, en arménien mais aussi en français.

Abaji a une fois de plus démontré qu’il avait le don de synthétiser ses passions musicales : la musique indienne, orientale et le Blues. Il a également montré l’étendue de ses talents mais aussi sa maîtrise d’une demi-douzaine d’instruments les uns plus insolites que les autres.

Abaji s’est dit charmé par le Vanuatu qu’il n’a connu que quelques jours dans le cadre d’une tournée internationale qui le voit se produire en Australie, en Nouvelle-Zélande puis au Bangladesh. Il espère avec la complicité de l’Alliance française pouvoir revenir et cette fois échanger, jouer avec des musiciens d’ici.

Georges Cumbo, le délégué général , a souligné que «ce concert était l’expression même de ce qui animait la mission de l’Alliance française à savoir la promotion de la francophonie mais également la volonté de contribuer vivement au dialogue des cultures, qu’elles soient proches ou lointaines».

L’Alliance française remercie Technobois Deco, Vanuatu Infos, Air Calin et Publiconcept qui ont soutenu cette opération.

“ANNONCE” Pour les nouvelles, contacter 22200 ou 77 44456 ou envoyez-les à l’adresse suivante : gratien. tiona@independent.vu L’Indépendant, votre unique journal à trois langues

Page 10

Les conseillers du commerce extérieur français pour le Pacifique ont entamé mercredi leur réunion régionale annuelle à Nouméa (Nouvelle-Calédonie), avec en point d’orgue le partage et le retour d’expériences concernant la promotion des exportations françaises dans la région Pacifique.

Cette réunion regroupe, deux jours durant (14 et 15 novembre 2012), les conseillers du commerce extérieur de la France (dont le Président du Comité National des Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France, Bruno Durieux) et responsables de l’expansion économique française, ainsi que les ambassadeurs de France en poste dans toute la zone Pacifique, y compris l’Australie, la Nouvelle-Zélande, mais aussi des pays insulaires proches jugés à fort potentiel comme Vanuatu, la Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée et Fidji.

Dans la région Pacifique, de nombreuses entreprises françaises ont, ces dernières années, réalisés d’importantes avancées, sous forme d’implantation ou d’investissements de consolidation.

En Australie, c’est notamment le cas dans le secteur minier ou encore des infrastructures.

Mi-septembre 2012, la société Suez-Environnement annonçait l’entrée en production industrielle d’eau potable de l’usine de dessalement d’eau de mer à Melbourne (État du Victoria). Il s’agit de «la plus grande usine de dessalement d’eau de mer d’Australie» avec une montée en puissance prévue pour atteindre les 450.000 mètres cube d’eau par jour fin 2012.

Suez-Environnement se présente comme «l’un des acteurs majeurs dans le secteur de l’eau» en Australie, où il déclare assurer «trente pour cent de l’approvisionnement en eau potable du pays».

Mercredi 14 novembre 2012, coïncidant avec cette réunion à Nouméa, le ministre australien chargé des équipements de la défense, Jason Clare, annonçait pour sa part depuis Canberra l’octroi d’un nouveau marché pour équiper en sonars les sous-marins australiens (Royal Australian Navy) de classe «Collins». Ces sous-marins poursuivent des missions de surveillance, de renseignement et, le cas échéant, de frappe. Ce marché, de 22,2 millions de dollars australiens (18,2 million d’euros) a été décroché par la société française Thales, qui possède des installations dans l’État de la Nouvelle-Galles-duSud. Il s’agit de remplacer un système ancien et jugé obsolète, déjà fourni et installé par la société française. pad The Independent/L’indépendant - Samedi 17 Novembre, 2012

Nouvelles régionales

Ratu Epeli Nailatikau reconduit dans ses fonctions de Président des îles Fidji depuis que le précédent titulaire, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, ait été destitué à la suite du putsch de décembre 2006.

Epeli Nailatikau, Président en titre de la République des îles Fidji depuis novembre 2009, a été officiellement reconduit dans ses fonctions lundi, a annoncé le gouvernement de cet archipel.

Gendre de feu Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara (décédé en avril 2004 après avoir été écarté du pouvoir par un précédent putsch, perpétré le 19 mai 200 par le nationaliste George Speight), considéré comme le père de l’indépendance fidjienne), Ratu Epeli Nailatikau est aussi Grand chef coutumier de la région de Naisogolaca (province de Bau).

Le Chef de l’État, âgé de 71 ans, a officiellement prêté serment lundi devant le Président de la Cour Suprême, Sir Anthony Gates, et en présence du Contre-amiral Premier ministre Franck Bainimarama, de la quasi-totalité de son gouvernement et des représentants du corps diplomatique.

Ratu Epeli Nailatikau a d’abord assumé les fonctions de Président de Fidji par intérim, après le départ à la retraite du vieux chef Ratu Josefa Iloilo, en août 2009. Ce dernier devait décéder en février 2001.

Lors de sa nomination pour son premier mandant, en novembre 2009, le gouvernement de Fidji faisait savoir que le poste de vice-président ne serait pas pourvu et qu’en cas de nécessité, (absence ou empêchement), l’intérim pourra être assuré par le Président de la Cour Suprême, Sir Anthony Gates.

Les précédents Présidents de Fidji, depuis que cet archipel s’est déclaré république (après le premier putsch de 1987, soit 17 ans après son indépendance en octobre 1970), ont été, dans l’ordre chronologique : Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu Ganilau (1987- 1993), Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara (1993-2000) et Ratu Josefa Iloilo (2000-2009).

Ce dernier, le 17 avril 2009, avait d’abord nommé Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, ancien ministre

Il a notamment commandé, en 1979, l’un des premiers bataillons fidjiens participant à la FINUL (Force Intérimaire des Nations-Unies au Liban).

Ratu Epeli Nailatilau lors de sa prestation de serment lundi devant le président de la Cour suprême, Sir Anthony Gates (Source photo : Gouvernement des îles Fidji) des affaires étrangères et ancien chef des forces armées, au poste de Vice-président, poste qui était resté vacant depuis le putsch du 5 décembre 2006 et le départ forcé du précédent titulaire, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi.

Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, ancien commandant en chef des armées fidjiennes, a plus récemment occupé le poste de ministre des affaires étrangères, puis de Président du Parlement local, avant que d’assumer les fonctions de ministre des affaires indigènes au sein du gouvernement provisoire issu du putsch

du Contre-amiral Franck Bainimarama, le 5 décembre 2006.

«Départ à la retraite» du vieux Président

Outre sa parenté avec Ratu Mara, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, de par son père, Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau (fils du roi George Tupou II de Tonga et de la Fidjienne Adi Litia Cakobau), est aussi rattaché à la maison royale de Tonga, a précisé jeudi la Présidence.

Un autre gendre de feu Ratu Mara, Ratu Epeli Ganilau, occupe actuellement les fonctions de ministre de la défense et de la sécurité nationale et de l’immigration.

En août 2009, le Contre-amiral annonçait le « départ à la retraite » du vieux Président, dont l’intérim avait été assuré depuis fin avril par Ratu Epeli Nailatikau. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau a été nommé Vice-président fin avril 2009, quelques jours après l’abrogation de la Constitution.

En temps normal, le Président et le Viceprésident sont nommés par le Grand Conseil des Chefs coutumiers de l’archipel, organisme qui s’est fermement opposé au putsch de décembre 2006 et qui, depuis, n’a pas pu se réunir et est réputé avoir été dissout par le régime actuel, qui le juge trop «politisé».

Le poste de vice-président était de fait vacant

pad

Nomination d’un nouveau chef pour la délégation européenne dans le Pacifique Catherine Ashton, Haute représentante et vice-présidente de la Commission Européenne, a annoncé vendredi 9 novembre 2012 la nomination de plusieurs chefs de délégations au sein du service d’action extérieure, y compris pour la délégation européenne pour le Pacifique, basée à Suva (Fidji).

Dans cette annonce, Mme Ashton a annoncé, pour ce poste régional de Suva, le nom de M. Andrew Jacobs, qui occupe actuellement les fonctions de directeur de la cellule «pays voisins du Sud» au sein de la Commission.

Depuis avril 2012, la délégation régionale de l’Union Européenne pour le Pacifique se cherche un nouveau chef après le départ précipité de son chef de mission, l’Ambassadeur franco-sénégalais Abdoul Aziz M’Baye, qui est désormais Directeur de Cabinet du nouveau Président sénégalais Macky Sall, à l’issue des récentes élections dans ce pays africain.

Ce diplomate de carrière, qui a effectué une grande partie de sa carrière en France, avait déjà multiplié les allers-retours entre le Pacifique et l’Afrique au cours des semaines ayant précédé ces élections sénégalaises.

Juste après l’élection de M. Sall, il avait aussi participé à un voyage à Paris à l’occasion de la première visite officielle du Président. À l’issue de ces rencontres, il a notamment été annoncé mercredi 18 avril 2012 un prêt de la France au Sénégal à hauteur de quelque 130 millions d’euros, mais aussi la signature d’un nouvel accord de défense.

Mi-avril 2012, le gouvernement fidjien, pour sa part, annonçait par voie de communiqué avoir donné une réception officielle en l’honneur du diplomate, auquel le ministre local des affaires étrangères, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola

a notamment rendu hommage et remercié le désormais ex-diplomate européen pour sa «contribution au renforcement des relations entre Fidji et l’Union Européenne».

cette levée de l’état d’urgence d’ «étape importante en vue du rétablissement de la démocratie et de la tenue d’élections crédibles et transparentes».

À la suite du coup d’État du 5 décembre 2006, l’Union Européenne a gelé une partie de ses fonds non humanitaires au bénéfice de Fidji, à hauteur de plus de deux cent millions d’euros, au motif d’une contravention aux principes fondamentaux de l’Accord de Cotonou (article 16) entre Bruxelles et les pays du groupe ACP (Afrique, Caraïbe, Pacifique) dont Fidji fait partie.

«Fidji est un pays clé dans les relations de l’Union Européenne avec le Pacifique et l’UE appelle de ses vœux le rétablissement de la démocratie ainsi que la présentation de détails supplémentaires concernant le processus menant à des élections crédibles et transparentes à Fidji, en vue de pouvoir soutenir ce processus, avec d’autres partenaires régionaux et internationaux», ajoutait alors le texte. Fidji a aussi réaffirmé début 2012 la tenue d’élections pour le dernier trimestre 2014, avant quoi le gouvernement veut au préalable lancer un processus de consultations de vue de rédiger une nouvelle Constitution (la précédente a été abrogée en avril 2009) qui supprimerait notamment la notion de circonscriptions réservées à l’un ou l’autre des deux principales ethnies du pays, les Fidjiens mélanésiens indigènes et ceux d’origine indienne. Ce processus est en cours, ainsi qu’un exercice d’enregistrement des électeurs sur de nouvelles listes.

Ces principes concernent au premier chef les notions de démocratie, de droits humains, de bonne gouvernance et d’état de droit.

En réponse, M. M’Baye a rappelé sa conviction selon laquelle Fidji «n’est pas seulement important en tant que base régionale de la délégation européenne dans le Pacifique, mais aussi du fait que ce pays est mondialement reconnu comme étant le «hub» (carrefour) du Pacifique».

Début 2012, le gouvernement fidjien, dirigé par le Contre-amiral Franck Bainimarama, a annoncé la levée des mesures d’exceptions imposées depuis avril 2009.

En réaction, l’UE avait réagi favorablement à cette levée effective de l’état d’urgence, intervenue samedi 7 janvier 2012 à 0h00 locales (GMT+13). Dans un communiqué, le bureau régional de l’UE «accueille favorablement la levée des règles d’urgence publique, le 7 janvier 2012, comme annoncé par le Premier ministre provisoire, le Contreamiral Franck Bainimarama (…) et attend le début d’un processus de consultations sans exclusive en vue d’une nouvelle Constitution, comme il a été annoncé à la même occasion».

L’UE, dans le même message, qualifiait ainsi

The Independent/L’indépendant - Samedi le 17 November, 2012

«Fidji doit pouvoir élaborer sa feuille de route (de retour à la démocratie) en accord avec son propre processus», a commenté Abdoul Aziz M’Baye. Courant juillet 2012, une mission conjointe des parlementaires de l’UE et des pays ACP s’est rendue à Fidji pour se rendre compte sur place de l’état d’avancement de ces projets et des conditions de respects de libertés fondamentales, piliers de l’article 96 de l’Accord de Cotonou (signé entre les pays ACP et l’UE). rois missions internationales, en guise de préparation à ce retour, sont auparavant venues au cours des semaines précédentes : l’une du Commonwealth, l’autre du Forum des îles du Pacifique et la dernière du siège des Nations-Unies.

Toutes ces missions avaient pour objectif commun de faire un état des lieux de la situation, sur le terrain, mais aussi d’évaluer les éventuels besoins de Fidji afin de négocier dans les meilleures conditions ce retour à un mode de gouvernement démocratique et constitutionnel.

Abdoul Aziz M’Baye, 57 ans, FrancoSénégalais ancien chercheur au CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) en mathématiques et physique, avait pris ses fonctions de chef de la délégation de l’Union Européenne pour le Pacifique fin octobre 2011.

Depuis sa prise de poste à la tête de la délégation européenne en Océanie, il s’était aussi rendu en Nouvelle-Calédonie, minovembre 2011, puis en Polynésie française, où à chaque fois il avait rencontré les représentants de l’État français ainsi que du gouvernement et des institutions locales.

Depuis son siège de Suva (Fidji), la délégation régionale de l’UE couvre les 14 États insulaires membres du Forum des Îles du Pacifique, par ailleurs membres du groupement ACP (Afrique, Caraïbe, Pacifique), mais aussi les quatre PTOM du Pacifique, dont les trois français (NouvelleCalédonie, Polynésie française, Wallis-etFutuna) et la petite dépendance britannique de Pitcairn. Par ailleurs, fin octobre 2011, l’UE et le gouvernement australien annonçaient une initiative innovante en matière de coopération régionale : à l’occasion de la visite en Australie de Mme Catherine Ashton, qui dirige la diplomatie européenne, elle et son homologue australien, à l’époque Kevin Rudd, ont dévoilé un partenariat d’un genre nouveau et qui concerne directement le Pacifique et en particulier les îles Fidji.

- pad Page 11

News

Family planning ‘an economic imperative’ THE United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched the State of World Population report 2012 - ‘By choice, not by chance: family planning, human rights and development.’

The report essentially reminds the global community that family planning is both a neglected human right and an economic imperative and ensuring universal access to voluntary family planning is therefore a matter of protecting human rights.

Once voluntary family planning is fully taken advantage of by individuals when exercising their reproductive rights, studies have showed that this usually paves the way for individuals to realise other rights for example it averts school drop-outs circumstances of which fuel the vicious cycle of poverty and exclusion.

However when women and men together plan their childbearing, children benefit immediately and in their long-term prospects; studies affirm that investing in family planning helps reduce poverty, improve health, promote gender equality, enable adolescents to finish their schooling and increase labour force participation.

In Bangladesh, women who used family planning earned one-third higher in wages than their counterparts who had not used family planning. Another study concludes that spacing pregnancies by three to five years could reduce infant death by 46 per cent in developing countries.

In 1994, 179 countries including Pacific islands nations signed up for a Program of Action (PoA) during the International Conference on Population and Development which among other very

Having children by choice, not by chance

THE United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) flagship report contains some startling figures.

report less applicable to us”, UNFPA Pacific Sub-Regional Office Director and Representative Dirk Jena said.

For instance in 2012, it is projected that 80 million unintended pregnancies will occur. If the reported unmet need among 222 million women (situation of women who do not want to become pregnant but are not currently using contraception) were reversed, this could avert 54 million unintended pregnancies and eliminate the 50 per cent of them who recourse to abortion.

“If anything, estimates by the authors of the report should be red flags on the potential impact of this year’s theme on our tiny population bases.”

“The report is largely global in nature, though the little mention of the Pacific region does not necessary make the

Mr Jena said with young people making up half the region’s population, global trends among adolescents and youth should ring warning bells. The group records high levels of unintended pregnancies, due in part to poor access to contraceptive information and services and such nonuse of voluntary family planning account for some 40 per cent of unsafe abortions.

important development agendas, affirmed family planning as a basic human right.

encouraged about the future of this aspect of health services.

The ICPD PoA states that “the aim of the family planning program must be to enable couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information and means to do so”.

“It’s very simple, understandable and to that level that anybody can read it, even if when you are practically prepared or not, you can just do it and it’s too good, very simple,” Bi said.

In Fiji, the UNFPA recently contributed to a review of the family planning policy and service guideline which included family planning medical staff from around the country, including Qamea Island.

The review process is yet to undergo a technical review before a final report is submitted to the Ministry of Health.

Labasa Hospital Family Planning nurse Ema Bi said just being involved in the review was empowering and she was much

Seserine Qalocabeikadavu from Lagi Health Centre in rural Labasa said the process allowed her to share her ideas and also some of the challenges rural clinics experienced; she added knowing the policy that governed her work was empowering.

Former National Adviser Family Dr Francis Bingwor said UNFPA’s enabled a much-needed review family life national policy and its guidelines.

Health, support of the service

“So we’re really looking forward to a great document that is user-friendly, easy-touse, we are also looking at improvements in procurement of family planning commodities and reproductive health equipment and the support that goes with it,” Dr Bingwor said.

Lautoka Hospital’s Kesaia Nawaqaliva said the review process meant Fiji would now have a family planning document which was culturally-sensitive and home-grown.

“For Fiji the birth trends of the last few years have been of a little concern because there seems to be a greater number of couples admit to having an unplanned pregnancy.

Whilst we recognize not everyone’s going to plan according to the books, we hope to encourage couples, especially young couples, to plan their families because then they know that they are planning their resources accordingly, they know that the home is ready to receive a child or another child and everything else that goes with bringing a new baby into the home.

“One of the guidelines that we changed was male and female consenting so we are trying to advocate for women’s rights and them having the right to make decisions for the choices that they want; we only have to counsel the couple as a whole but the decision has to be with the lady,” Nawaqaliva said.

“There are education costs; there are costs to running a home and also in ensuring that medical coverage or services for the child and the whole family is taken care of. So keeping the size of the family to the size the couples think is what they can work with is also something that adds to the bigger picture of healthy communities and being able to have a future for their children.”

Local Golf

Starfish Christmas Party Guide If you are planning a pre-Christmas get-together with your workmates or just close friends check out the options at Starfish Cove Restaurant and Bar We have great spaces suitable for your gatherings The Pool deck The Tusker Deck - Covered area The Restaurant We are offering for the functions booked 3 different options 1. Christmas Buffet - VT5000 per person food only 2. 3 Course set menu - Vt3500 per person food only 3. Finger food - Vt1500 per head food only Menus for any of the above can be tailored to your individual needs or just ask us if you require something else for your function and we will oblige.

Contact Valerie on 7751979 to discuss the options available and we will send you a quote together with a drinks list to choose from.

IP Connect sponsors weekly competiton SHAUN Gilchrist as not only Club President but also the IP Connect boss, stepped up to sponsor last week’s event.

Shaun has used his new position in the club to make more time to hit the little white ball around the course and you will often see Yael, Shaun and Bubs striding out around the course on a Wednesday afternoon or weekend.

IP Connect can help you stay better connected with the world as their company provides IT services to business and TVL in Vanuatu.

The club also is sad to hear that very popular pediatrician Dr Pete Auso (alias The Crutch) will shortly leave Vanuatu after three years, where he has made many friends and overseen the delivery of over 400 babies per month in the Port Vila Hospital… well done Dr Peter.

We hope to have a formal farewell for The Crutch in early December so watch out for the details in club news and the Indy.

For something different Shaun opted to sponsor a Multiplier Stableford which saw some interesting results posted.

After much debate and recounting of scores

Page 12

the scorers came up with the winners as: 1st Place on 88 points - Janita and Risu 2nd Place on 85 Points - Alex Joli and Stanley 3rd Place on 82 points - Kate Martin and Bryan Death 4th Place on 79 Points Terry & Glenda Pietsch Today Port Vila Hardware will sponsor a single Stableford event so if you are visiting Port Vila and would like a hit go out to the PVGCC and you will be made very welcome. The club can fit you out with clubs, caddies and buggies.

You can chat with the locals and enjoy a ‘coldie’ after your round.

The Club is always looking for new members so have a look at the website www.pvgcc. vu for more information or contact the club manager, Winnie Campbell on 22564 or President Shaun Gilchrist on 7500002.

Upcoming events: Thursday, November 29 - Sponsors Thank You Day, which incorporates a pre hit-off brekkie, 18 holes and a late lunch and a few drinks with an 18 hole three person Ambrose. If you are a club sponsor and need more information Phone Kate Martin at Jills Cafe on 25125

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

The Indyview

Feature

by Tony Wilson

Destined for success

THE dictionary definitions of cascade include the word ‘fall’, and it is through the Cascades at Mele that things most certainly fell into place for Philip Malas.

of buses and minibuses.

Philip explained that once he decided to expand on the success of the Cascades project, his first move was to buy vehicles and today Evergreen is at the forefront of virtually every tourist operation in the country.

For Mele born and bred Philip, the Cascades waterfalls will always loom large in his life, but never more so than in the past 13 years.

“It is not really about me, it’s about the staff – we do a lot of our own training and our staff get to travel a great deal and we have invested a great deal in them as well, and it pays off.”

Philip is the first born of his family and has three brothers and one sister. Today still finds him living in his beloved Mele, even though as the successful managing director of Evergreen Vanuatu he could probably choose anywhere he wished.

Philip said every year he and his directors plan well in advance for the Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange.

As the head of Vanuatu’s leading indigenous inbound tour operation and one of the most successful Ni Vanuatu business stories of the past 15 years, Philip remains a gentle, family-centric father. But underneath his rather jovial exterior is a person with tons of passion, loads of business acumen and the unrelenting drive to keep succeeding.

“It is the hub of the tourism industry in the Pacific and we get a great deal of business out of it every year,” he said.

Philip said Evergreen is still growing and he has divided the business into different sections such as the transfer department and the French section, for example.

His early schooling was at Mele and Kawenu primary schools and his early recollections are classic Mele boy’s memories.

“When I think of that time I think of swimming in the river, soccer on the black sand beach, following my uncles when they went pig hunting and, of course, being around the Cascades,” he said.

“In those days the Cascades were such a natural place and there really weren’t any tourists to be seen. It was just a great place for us boys to be – a real boys’ place.”

After primary school Philip faced the tougher regimen of Onesua Presbyterian College in North Efate.

“It was tough but not unpleasant, and I enjoyed my three years there. But I wasn’t really into school, so I left early and my father, who was a bus driver, had to pay for the high school education of my three brothers and sister, so I decided to get a job and help him pay.”

Success story... Philip Malas and family in a recent portrait. and I was determined to set up the Cascades waterfall attraction and tour as a properly structured company and turn it into a western style business.

“I took advice from a number of people around Port Vila and went to KPMG and, with the help of lots of friends and family, we finally opened the Cascades as a fully fledged tourist business on October 20, 1999.”

Today the Mele Cascades waterfall tour is far and away the biggest single tourist attraction in Vanuatu and is highly rated throughout the Pacific.

Philip said that between 350 and 600 people go through the attraction on cruise ship days and even on its quietest days there are at least 50 tourists really about me, visiting Cascades.

“It’s not Philip said from the beginning tourists just it’s about the staff... we naturally flocked to the “It is very good for Cascades attraction, have invested a great deal the people of Mele which he describes still in them and it pays off ” and Mele Maat, as as a wonderful mixture well as the taxi and of beauty and adventure that is close bus drivers, and it makes me feel good enough to town to make it viable even for that so many people can benefit from this day trippers from the cruise ships. attraction,” he said.

Philip said he got a job with Marke Lowen on the then Trading Post newspaper, working as a trainee printer.

“I suppose you could say the smartest thing I did was to listen to people and make sure that I set this business up properly.

“I had training on the job and I learnt things like letterpress and offset printing, and I ended up being a printer for 15 years.

“And so many people were supportive and went out of their way to help in those early days, particularly people like Tom Bayer and Robert Bohn, and the early advice I

“It was OK. I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy some of it, and I learnt many difficult things and I was able to help my dad financially.

But I knew in my heart that I wouldn’t be doing it forever.”

received from people like these men made a lot of difference.”

From the bedrock solid foundations of Cascades Philip has been able to launch and continually expand Evergreen Vanuatu into its leading position as one of the key tour operators in the country. These days Evergreen has around 100 staff members, headed by 10 directors, and boasts a fleet

“We find the business between New Caledonia and here is growing and we are now looking at putting together whole packages for people out of New Caledonia, but you have to keep your eye on a number of things that are growing as well.

“For example, there is a growing market in the private jet tourism sector and we recently catered for a private jet from Canada with 40 people on board, and we already have bookings for three private jets next year. One of them is the Starbucks coffee chain, which will be bringing a 757 with 120 of their most valued staff members and 25 crew to Vanuatu and we will be looking after a tourism package for them.”

Philip believes that the ‘next big thing’ in tourism for Vanuatu will be an influx of tourists from China, India and Korea, whose economies are healthy.

“If we can establish a new international airport with longer runways, which has to be the future, then we will see direct flights from these countries, which will be fantastic.”

Away from business, Philip is extremely proud of his wife Merilyn and four children, Maureen, 24, Senita, 22, Florina, 19 and Rusiate, 11.

He is also proud of being able to contribute to his community with financial support for a number of schools and sporting ventures, including soccer teams and the upkeep of soccer grounds.

After the Post was sold to Pacific Publishing and Mark Neil-Jones turned it into a biweekly, Philip became chief printer. As a printer Philip spent time reading what he was printing and plans were forming in his fertile mind that involved tourism in Efate and his wish to be a part of it.

Philip Malas is not resting on his laurels and Evergreen is still growing as he strives to meet the ever-demanding challenges of the tourism landscape, but he is a classic bigfala success story with a smallfella ego.

He is simply a genuinely nice bloke as well as being a clever businessman.

“The Cascades area at Mele Maat was owned by the family, despite a series of land disputes, and many of us knew it had enormous potential as a major tourist attraction.

****

“I had done a lot of planning and homework The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

It’s all about the staff... (left) some of the 100 or so staff members of local success story Evergreen Vanuatu, the brainchild of Philip Malas.

Page 13

JOKER DRAW JACKPOT NOW 50,000 VT You could win - Ask how

Page 14

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Adver tisement

EUROPEAN UNION/ UNION EUROPEENNE The Delegation of the European Union to Vanuatu / La Délégation de l’Union européenne au Vanuatu

European Union - Call for Proposals The European Union is pleased to announce the publication of the call for proposals ‘Supporting culture as a vector of democracy and economic growth’ under the thematic programme Investing in People on 31st October. Deadline for submission of concept notes is 18 December 2012.

The call includes two lots with the following specific objectives: Lot 1: Encourage cultural expressions which promote diversity, intercultural dialogue and human and cultural rights, in the context of reconciliation, conflict resolution and democratisation Lot 2: Strengthen capacities of cultural actors for the development of a dynamic cultural sector contributing to economic growth and sustainable development Full documentation is available on EuropeAid website (http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm), ‘Funding’ page,‘Calls for proposals’, call reference ‘133529’ or following the link : https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index. cfm?do=publi.welcome&nbPubliList=15&orderby=upd&orderby ad=Desc&searchtype=RS&aofr=133529

Offre d’Emplois AGENT E – COMMERCE

L’Office du Tourisme du Vanuatu (VTO) recrute une personne NI-VANUATU au poste d’Agent E-Commerce au sein de la Division Commerciale. L’agent travaillera en étroite collaboration afin d’aider l’agent charge du Site Web / E-Commerce sur l’entretien et de la gestion du contenu du WebSite de l’Office du Tourisme du Vanuatu. En tant que tel nous avons besoin d’une personne dévouée qui peut travailler sous pression avec une supervision limitée et peut effectuer des travaux assignés sur un temps opportun. L’agent fera directement sont rapport au Directeur Marketing.

PRINCIPALES RESPONSABILITÉES: •

L’entretien régulier et la gestion de contenu web du site de l Office du Tourisme du Vanuatu, y compris l’ajout et la modification de l’information, et de l’exactitude du site.

•

Mise à jour continue du site et la gestion des nouvelles fonctionnalités (par exemple, téléchargements de vidéos, liens, bibliothèque d’images VTO).

•

S assurer que la liste de nouveaux produits répond aux critères pour être promu sur le site.

•

Le développement et la distribution de l’hebdomadaire île Nius e-newsletter mensuelle et tambour tribal e-newsletter pour VTO base de contacts, d’assurer l’exactitude et leur intérêt d’histoires publiées.

•

Le développement et la distribution de kit de web marketing pour aider l’industrie avec l’image de marque du Vanuatu et l’utilisation du logo sur les sites Web.

•

Enregistrement des statistiques sur les visites en ligne sur le site touristique VTO, site des consommateurs français et VTO site Web d’entreprise.

•

Gestion de la bibliothèque d’images VTO et les demandes d’images.

Les personnes intéressées doivent remplir les conditions suivantes: •

Avoir trois années d’expérience dans au moins l’un des domaines clés du web / médias sociaux et du marketing, et en particulier dans le secteur du tourisme,

•

Maitriser en informatique et maîtrise dans l’utilisation de programmes Microsoft, les programmes de courrier électronique, d’Internet;

•

Posséder de solides compétences en communication orale et écrite;

•

Capacité de faire des présentations publiques et de représenter VTO avec les principaux intervenants.

•

Parler couramment l’anglais, la langue de notre marché touristique majeure.Une connaissance pratique de la langue française est aussi un atout supplémentaire;

•

Posséder une qualification officielle dans le marketing touristique, de recherche ou tout autre domaine connexe.

Les demandes écrites, y compris des copies de Curriculum Vitae et de qualification doivent être envoyés à: The General Manager, Vanuatu Tourism Office, PO Box 209, Port Vila L’offre se termine le 23 Novembre 2012

General Manager Vanuatu Abattoirs Limited (VAL) is the Vila abattoir facility providing a slaughter service for local butcheries and exporter of Vanuatu Beef under the brand VAL Pacific. Applications are invited for the position of General Manager.

The General Manager is responsible for overseeing and developing the entire operation often with the hands on approach. Reporting directly to the Board of Directors on operational and financial matters on a monthly basis.

A thorough knowledge of meat processing systems to international compliance and a relevant tertiary qualification in Meat Industry Operations is required for this position or the relevant hands on experience. Also the applicant must be able to demonstrate their ability to attract new overseas markets and continue servicing the current ones.

Experience in the management of personnel and industrial relations in this developing country would be an advantage and a proven record for developing assets and increasing revenue is necessary along with minimum 20 years managerial experience in the beef industry.

Other essential managerial experience in HACCP, quality assurance, system development and auditing to regulatory standards, general administration including computer literacy as well as conversant with plant maintenance and engineering requirements is pertinent to this position.

Send written applications containing supporting evidence as outlined above by 23rd November 2012 to:

General Managers Position PO Box 47 Port Vila Vanuatu

Vanuatu Credit Services (VCS) Credit and Debt Advisors Can the below listed please contact us by phone, email or PO Box to help us with our enquiries on behalf of our clients.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Jeffrey Tokataake Melanesian Institute of Philosophy Philip Boedoro Silas Taima – Lano Catering Cong Duc Nguyen Ayamiseba Max Junior Nathaniel Bue Duvu Gloria Garage Express Michael Liu Lopez Adams-Sports Power

If anyone can provide us with contact addresses for the above listed people it will be appreciated. Thank you.

If you require debts collected or credit advice please contact Leonie on 5571030 or 5524333, email: vancreditservices@gmail.com or PO Box 3304, Port Vila

Page 15

TENDER NOTICE

« Installing an audio-visual transmission system of the public hearings at the VANUATU Parliament » Within the twinning framework between the NEW CALEDONIA Congress and the VANUATU Parliament, ADECAL is calling for bids regarding an audio-visual system allowing broadcasting of the public hearings at the VANUATU Parliament.

The specifications were set by the VANUATU Parliament.

Tender documents are available at :

ADECAL

1, bis rue Berthelot, Doniambo, 3rd floor, “Centre Sud” building Tél : + 687 24 90 77 Fax : +687 24 90 87 Or can be requested through mail at : adecal@adecal.nc The bids submission deadline has been set on Friday 7th December 2012, at 15:00 pm.

AVIS DE CONSULTATION D’ENTREPRISES

« Mise en place d’un dispositif permettant la transmission audiovisuelle des séances publiques du Parlement du VANUATU » Dans le cadre du jumelage entre le Parlement du VANUATU et le Congrès de la NOUVELLECALEDONIE, l’ADECAL informe qu’elle organise une consultation d’entreprises pour la mise en place d’un dispositif permettant la transmission audiovisuelle des séances publiques du Parlement du VANUATU. Le cahier des charges a été réalisé par : Le Parlement du VANUATU Le dossier peut être retiré à :

ADECAL

1, bis rue Berthelot, Doniambo, au 3ème étage de l’immeuble « Centre Sud » Tél : 24 90 77 Fax : 24 90 87 ou par courriel : adecal@adecal.nc La remise des offres est fixée au vendredi 7 décembre 2012, à 15 heures dernier délai.

The Independent/L’Indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012 Page 31

Adver tisement

White Bath Towels Galore

J e a n - M a r i e G u s tav e L e C l é z i o Rue Colardeau

Rentrée du 7 février 2013 Dernières places disponibles !

25% off

Vt990 Each VAT Incl.

Pizza Boxes all sizes

25% off Boxes of 100

Notre établissement scolarise les enfants de toutes les nationalités dès la Petite Section de maternelle (3 ans) jusqu’à la Terminale et suit les programmes fixés par le Ministère français de l’Education Nationale. Il fait partie du réseau mondial des écoles françaises, le premier au monde, présent dans 130 pays, et propose un cursus bilingue français/anglais unique au Vanuatu.

L’espagnol et le chinois sont enseignés dès la classe de 4ième.

Les dossiers d’inscription sont à retirer au plus vite au secrétariat du Lycée rue Colardeau (tel : 22 926), à télécharger sur notre site www.lfportvila.edu.vu ou à demander par courriel :

primaire@lfportvila.edu.vu.

Rejoignez-nous!

Registration to the International French

All other product in store 10% till November 30th 2012 Come on down and check out our new store at Numbatre (Opposite AU Bon Marche Container Yard) Call in or phone Diana on 24564 Or email us on salesvanuatu@pacozasia.com PacificOztralasia PO Box 3453 Port Vila Email: salesvanuatu@pacozasia.com Phone: 24564 Mobile: 5577034

School of Port Vila

B a c k t o s c h o o l : 7 th F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 Last available places!

From kindergarten (3y/o) to graduation (year 12), our School offers standards of excellence set by the French National Education system, and belongs to the Network of French Education Abroad, the largest in the world, present in 130 countries. We provide a bilingual curriculum in French and English for all nationalities students. Spanish and Chinese are also taught from year 8.

You can pick up an enrolment form either from our secretariat on Colardeau Street (tel : 22 926),or on our website: www.lfportvila.edu.vu or by e-mail: primaire@lfportvila.edu.vu

Join us!

Commercial & Personal Effects

Fr8 Logistics www.fr8.vu Phone 27744

EUROPEAN UNION/ UNION EUROPEENNE The Delegation of the European Union to Vanuatu / La Délégation de l’Union européenne au Vanuatu The European Union is pleased to announce the publication of the call for proposals ‘Actions for child protection – against violence against children” under the thematic programme Investing in People on 15th October. Deadline for submission of concept notes is 4 December 2012.

The call includes two lots with the following specific objectives: Lot 1: Field level activities, where the objective is to tackle violence against children in the settings which most should protect them (home, school, care institutions, community) Lot 2: Regional issues, to tackle violence against children that affect border-sharing countries Full documentation is available on EuropeAid website, ‘Funding’ page, ‘Calls for proposals’, call reference ‘133527’ or following the link : https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck= 1352812468499&do=publi.detPUB&searchtype=AS&Pgm=7573845&aoet=36538 &ccnt=7573876&debpub=&orderby=upd&orderbyad=Desc&nbPubliList=15&pa ge=1&aoref=133527 ELIGIBILITY LIMIT: we would like to highlight a limit we imposed for Lot 1 (partially valid for Lot 2): while proponents can be nationals of any country (see point 2.1.1 of Guidelines), the action they propose MUST take place in one of the Least Developed or Low income Countries listed by OECD-DAC (see section 2.1.3. of guidelines, where a the list is available via weblink in the footnote).

Page 16

The National Authorising Officer at Vanuatu intends to award a works contract for the demolition of three double classrooms and one dormitory at LAB, the construction of three double classrooms and one dormitory at LAB, Port Vila, Efate Island, Shefa Province, Republic of Vanuatu (in three lots, one lot for demolition, one lot for the construction of the double classrooms and one lot for the construction of the dormitory) with financial assistance from the Financing agreement - VU/FED/2009/021-361 “Rehabilitation of two main secondary schools in Vanuatu affected by earthquakes and cyclones”, EDF X. The tender dossier is available for inspection at the Facility Unit, Ministry of Education, Leopold Sedar Senghor Street, Port Vila, Republic of Vanuatu. The deadline for submission of tenders is 4 February 2013 at 8 am. Possible additional information or clarifications/ questions shall be published on the EuropeAid website: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/ europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome and by email to the candidates who requested and/or consulted the tender.

The

Vanuatu

Independent

Place your advertisements in The Independent, Vanuatu’s quality weekly newspaper.

- Superior print quality - Superior colour reproduction - Superior layout & design

Contact Advertising Manager : Valerie Byrne (7751979)

Email: advertising@independent.vu

Page 39 The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Adver tisement

Newcastle Falcons 24 Tonga 13 BIG-TIME rugby returned to Kingston Park last night, Newcastle Falcons putting the North East game firmly back on the map by blowing away the pace and power of the Tongan national team.

provided another robust angle to an already fascinating contest, one that provided a reminder of how far the Falcons still have to go despite swatting all before them in the Championship.

It was one of those nights to say ‘I was there’, and those who were will not forget it in a hurry.

Nonetheless they went at the breakdown like a dog at broth, Hodgson managed the gainline admirably and some of the handling was a different class to what they have shown in league action.

A season dominated by routine roll-overs against Championship cannon fodder was always going to go up a notch against a Tongan team beaten by just five points against Italy three days earlier, although only one of that starting XV survived as the Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles) rang the changes.

Newcastle, too, opted to freshen up their selection in search of game-time for fringe figures, and there was no hint of a friendly as the Tongans got the crowd going before kickoff with their throat-slitting, head-ripping war dance, the Sipi Tau. Such was the clamour for a glimpse of the South Sea islanders the start was delayed to pack all 3,389 supporters in, and the bigmatch atmosphere was back with a bang in this season of second-tier sporting fayre.

The class of the opposition told as early as five minutes in with Uamano Fono touching down in the right corner – the Tarbes No 8 rampaging over in the right corner after a dominant five-metre scrum.

Tongans live for the collision, and their thirst for contact was all too apparent as a barrage of big hits and carries had Newcastle in retreat.

Both sides entered into the midweek spirit by spurning shots at goal, and a resurgent Falcons were rewarded for their increasing say over proceedings when Scott MacLeod burst around the fringes of a close-range ruck to dot down in the left corner.

Joel Hodgson’s conversion snuck his side in front, and with the home side getting the nudge in the scrum it was shaping up to be an absolute belter.

James

Fitzpatrick’s

route-one

running

Grant Shiells at loose-head prop demonstrated the form which last week earned him a call-up to the Scotland training squad, and a 7-5 half-time lead was due reward for their efforts.

Tonga wiped that away three minutes after the restart through fly-half Eddie Paea’s wellstruck penalty, but the Falcons kept their wings flapping as Chris York and Hodgson both got themselves in behind the defence.

Andy Higgins searched eagerly for work out wide, but it was from the deep dark confines of the front-row that the score finally emerged as referee Sean Davey signalled a penalty try from a mighty five-metre scrum.

With the game now well and truly open, a peach of a third try arrived on the hour, Ryan Shortland’s fleeting counter and Alex Tait’s jinking support line freeing up Mark Wilson for a picture-book run-in at the South Stand end.

Fitzpatrick scurried down the right touchline in search of a fourth to no avail, but prolonged pressure from the Tongans in Newcastle’s 22 finally told in the dying minutes as Bristol’s Will Helu slid in for a try down the right.

Nobody wanted it to end, such was the entertainment, and players’ cramping limbs were testament to a contest in which no energy was left in reserve.

Hodgson’s penalty offered a momentary breather and the chance for five late replacements to join the fray, earning their 30 seconds of action before the final whistle prompted a standing ovation for both sets of players.

Yu Hai of China and Tony Lochhead of New Zealand tussle for the ball during a football friendly in Shanghai. China and New Zealand drew 1-1

Herbert happy with All Whites showing in Shanghai

THERE was some pre-match debate about the worth of this week friendly against China but All Whites coach Ricki Herbert will be satisfied with what transpired at the Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium in Shanghai.

New Zealand fought back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw with the hosts, replicating the result of the previous match between the two teams in March last year.

More than the scoreline, though. Herbert would have been happy with other features of the match, such as the opportunity to test a new formation, the performance of midfielders Dan Keat and Tim Payne, and the number of chances New Zealand created when they eventually settled into the match after the opening 30 minutes.

Despite missing Ryan Nelsen at the back and with regular starters Shane Smeltz and Ivan Vicelich also missing from the starting lineup, Herbert’s 4-1-4-1 formation, with Keat in the holding midfield role and Chris Wood up front, looked pretty good and probably should have won the match.

They started rustily, however, giving possession away too easily and looking vulnerable in the wide areas, and China capitalised with the opening goal in the 32nd minute when defender Peng Zhao’s header from a left-wing corner somehow squeezed between Michael McGlinchey on the near post and goalkeeper Mark Paston.

But from that point on New Zealand were the better team; they controlled possession and created some very good chances. In fact, given the chances they had, Herbert perhaps could have expected a rare win on the road over a team five places higher than the All Whites, at 88, in the world rankings.

The digicel Fiji 7s head coach, Alivereti Dere

Fiji’s captain Cakau play for IRB 7s leg DIGICEL Fiji 7s head coach, Alivereti Dere has named the experienced Setefano Cakau to lead the national side to the second leg of the 2012/2013 HSBC World Sevens series.

Between Cakau and Botia, Dere said the latter boasts a wealth of experience and is more matured.

“For him because of his experience and he is a more matured player. Cakau commands a lot of respect from the team especially the new boys,” Dere said.

Dere will name his traveling 12-member team on Friday. The team flies out next week for Dubai.

Meanwhile, Dere said Alipate Ratini who was injured last weekend has been cleared by the doctor.

“He will however be resting for two days before he resumes full-on training with the rest of the players.”

Fiji currently leads the IRB 7s series with 22 points, New Zealand in second on 19 and South Africa on 17.

Fiji will face Spain in their opening pool game followed by Scotland then Kenya in the final pool match. The Dubai leg will be played on the 30 November to 1 December and will be followed by the Port Elizabeth 7s on 8-9 December.

PageIndependent/L’independent The 32 - Saturday 17 November, 2012

“We had a number of our senior players not here tonight, so it was a huge challenge for the young boys that stepped out,” Herbert said.

“At the end of the day on chances we probably should have won it.”

It was Wood who snared the equaliser in the 44th minute.

The Chinese goalkeeper, Wang, came for but missed a McGlinchey free kick leaving

Wood, who has been in a rich vein of form for Millwall in the English Championship, to nod the ball into an open net and atone for an earlier miss in similar circumstances.

Wood should have had a double in first half stoppage time; all he needed to do was get a touch on a ball across the face of goal but he missed it completely, as right back Ben Sigmund had done earlier when he had an airswing from 3m out.

The second half was simply a continuation of the back end of the first, with a more composed New Zealand looking the most likely to score but unable to find the finish, Payne with perhaps the best chance when he was put through on goal by Marco Rojas but couldn’t lift the ball over Wang.

As is often the case in friendlies there were several substitutions - Herbert made five which affected the flow late in the match. And after creating the best chances throughout the match New Zealand almost lost it in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but Paston made a brilliant save from point-blank range to earn his crust.

Still, China protected their unbeaten record against New Zealand on home soil, which now sits at three wins and three draws, though New Zealand has the better overall record with six wins and four draws from 13 matches.

“I thought they were more of a counterattacking team and we had more of the ball,” said stand-in All Whites captain Tommy Smith.

“We were passing it around well and created a few chances and we feel like we should have won the game.”

New Zealand’s next scheduled international is not until March next year when they face New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands in Oceania World Cup qualifiers.

Victory against New Caledonia will seal a berth in the home-and-away intercontinental playoff against the fourth-ranked team from CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean) next November, with the winner of that tie qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Send your advertisements to The Independent email: advertising@independent.vu Page 17

News

Clean Pacific campaign winds up today with event at Seafront THE final clean up activity and the closing ceremony of the Clean Pacific 2012 campaign will be held this morning at the Seafront Stage in Port Vila.

The campaign aims to enhance the awareness of and support for good waste management and pollution prevention policies and practices.

The first deep clean up activity in all targeted communities was implemented on September 15 to coincide with Clean Up The World Day. As well, since July Port Vila Municipality Council Environment Health Unit and DEPC conducted awareness talks on environmental education and also organized logo and poster competitions in which primary and secondary schools took part.

Today's big clean up begins at 8am, when participants, especially students, are asked to congregate at the Seafront Stage where they will be issued with plastic bags in which to collect rubbish.

Following the clean up, the closing ceremony will begin at 10.15am, and will include the presentation of prizes for the winners of the poster and logo competition, as well as songs, poems and a quiz, with prizes to be won.

Westpac is a partner of the Clean Pacific 2012 campaign.

Clean Up... bags of rubbish collected in the first Clean Pacific activity.

Kilman Govt ‘forges closer links’ with Jakarta ONGOING human rights abuses suffered by the indigenous Melanesians in Indonesia’s Papua region are a very sensitive matter for Ni-Vanuatu.

Edward Natapei says that in particular the agreement signed with Indonesia, precluding Vanuatu from raising the Papua issue, has hindered Vanuatu’s work on the issue.

“That is also another stumbling block so it’s going to be difficult for us to move forward with the West papuan issue, unless we sit down and consider this agreement that was signed recently by the current caretaker government and also re-look at their observer status in the MSG,” said Mr Natapei.

The former Prime Minister, and leader of the Melanesian Progressive Party, Barak Sope, is deeply concerned about the role if Indonesia’s military in ongoing violence in Papua. Heading into Vanuatu’s recent election, he promised he would cut relations with Indonesia if he got into power.

Mr Sope is also concerned that the Melanesian Spearhead Group, under its current chairman, Fiji’s interim leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama, granted observer status to Indonesia.

“Fiji (Fiji’s regime) does not have the mandate from the people of Fiji to take such action," he said.

"It’s a military dictatorship so I’m worried that a dictator comes in and brings Indonesia into this organisation. All of us are democratic countries, we all get ourselves elected, except Bainimarama. So I will not accept that position.”

West Papuans have been lobbying the MSG for observer status over many years, gaining hope from the precedent set for New Caledonia’s indigenous Kanaks.

While such hopes have continually been dashed, a younger generation of Vanuatu leaders like the newly elected Lugainville in-

dependent MP Kalvau Moli say the fight for Papuan self-determination will not end.

will be taken to the International Court of Justice.”

“The Melanesian bloc cannot be independent until west papua is independent. Totally politically independent, we believe in that,” he said.

Under a Natapei-led government in 2010, Vanuatu decided to request UN support for the International Court of Justice to provide an advisory opinion on the process in which the former Netherlands New Guinea was ceded to Indonesia in the 1960s.

Kalvau Moli said the MSG acceptance of Indonesia is a violation of the hopes of Melanesians.

“That mess will be cleared up but we’re going to be doing that the Melanesian way and we think that a stronger (Vanuatu) government will be in a better position to address the West Papua issue, especially because the MSG (Secretariat) is based in Vanuatu but regrettably, we’ve done very little to cater for their calls.

“The first priority for me would be to put Papua back on the UN Decolonisation Committee, that’s a priority. Have that placed there and, if we face difficulty there, that matter

However Edward Natapei conceded the move hasn’t advanced.

“Vanuatu alone can’t do very much in the United Nations so it’s very important that we get the support of the MSG, get the support of the Pacific Islands Forum countries and then progress that forward; perhaps get the support of other countries in the Carribean and Africa.”

Vanuatu’s bid for UN support on the Papua issue is unlikely to progress if the Kilman group emerges as the government when Vanuatu’s parliament sits on Monday.

Call for new electoral roll by 2016 Head of All Nation church in Fiji jailed for two years for sexual assault

THE chairman of the Electoral Commission says the country must start afresh with a new electoral roll for the next general election in 2016.

do that, so we are negotiating with the donors now. We are looking at around 100 million (vatu) to clean up the electoral roll now because it’s really messy at the moment.”

John Taleo has received a number of complaints about the electoral roll and the electoral card system in the recent poll.

Mr Taleo said Vanuatu needs an ID card system to avoid having people vote more than once.

Thousands of voters were reportedly denied the chance to vote because their electoral cards were not properly registered by officials. And the official number of registered voters - over 192,000 - is believed to be a huge inflation of the real number of eligible voters.

The Independent had run stories (and it had been in the public knowledge) that the government in early 2000 had contracted a private local consultant for a VT 35 million project for the introduction of ID cards following election errors and irregularities during past general elections. Unfortunately the project did not materialise and the case ended up in court. Instead of the then government spending that money for the implimentation of the project, it spent the fund to pay compensation to the consultant company.

The company had to lodge a formal complaint for damages when the then government had to terminate its contract before it even started. It was then reported through local media that the contract awarded to the company was improperly done.

Ratabacaca, 54, will serve a term of imprisonment of two years and will not be eligible for parole until he has served a minimum term of 15 months imprisonment.

Only last year, the government again proposed for transparent ballot boxes to be used in this year's general elections – yet again that did not materialise due to lack of funds.

This was reduced to two years following mitigation and based on his clean record.

Mr Taleo concedes the electoral roll has many errors and that the only solution is to completely overhaul it.

“We need to clean every roll and then start up again to make the registration from the six provinces," he said.

"And the other issue that we raised with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Internal Affairs is that we have to have an ID (electoral) card now to avoid those people who can vote three times during the election.

"But it’s a very, very expensive exercise to

The Independent/L’Indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

ALL Nations Christian Fellowship (ANCF) church general suprintendent Epeli Ratabacaca has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by the Suva High Court for sexual assault.

A request by the Ratabacaca’s counsel, Filimoni Vosarogo, was declined by Justice Paul Madigan because he did not express any remorse 'by way of a guilty plea or some other expression of regret and there is none in this case'.

He was initially sentenced to a four-year term, two for fondling the victim’s naked breasts and another two for breaching the trust of the victim and for the cynical and manipulative pre-planning.

In passing the judgment, Justice Paul Madigan said Ratabacaca, 54, had breached the

trust of the female victim and did not show any sign of remorse during the case.

Ratabacaca also served in Fiji Military Force for 18 years and was deployed for foreign missions in Lebanon, Sinai and East Timor.

Justice Madigan said the victim was emotionally disturbed by the sauna bath incident at a Spa in Sports City, Laucala on June 22, 2011 where Ratabacaca had accompanied her in a towel as well, opened her towel and rubbed her breasts for approximately three minutes.

“In treating the lady in this manner you were in gross breach of trust,” Justice Madigan said.

“She trusted you as a pastor and counselor to help her alleviate her post natal symptoms of anxiety and depression themselves of your reputation for prayer and counseling and you abused their faith in you.”

Members of the ANCF church, family and friends of Ratabacaca packed the High Court in Suva this week to hear the sentence in the case.

Page 18

Gardening

Cheers, elephant ears

by Cornelia Wyllie

COMMERCIAL landscapers from overseas can easily fall into the trap of being too smart for the plant and the local landscapers get hung up on common names or end use.

A classic example of this dilemma is the taro plant. The commercial landscaper will try and use the Alocasia and Colocasia as a giant leaf accent whilst the local gardeners will wonder why someone has put an edible plant in the middle of an ornamental garden.

Elephant ears, as taro is commonly called, is a cousin of the caladium. Taro is much larger and you won’t find many varied colors in the leaves. The edible varieties are divided into two main categories. Alocasia usually have upright leaves and Colocasia have leaves that tend to bend downwards. Within the second group are dark black burgundy leafed varieties that have small tubers of a morish, nutty flavor. Leaves from the giant taro are used as an umbrella, shielding the user from rain or sun.

Caladiums on the other hand are considered inedible except for one group which is used for medicinal purposes. The fancy leafed caladium, called angel wings overseas, is starting to emerge from its dormancy period as the weather starts to warm. New varieties are being bred, not only for their amazing color and pattern, but also as a cut

Here in black and white... Colocasia black magic and Caladium plantation white offer contrast in the garden. foliage plant. To use a caladium leaf in an arrangement cut it two to three hours before use and put it into fresh, clean water up to its neck. It will initially look limp but will recover and provide a stunning accent to the arrangement.

Caladiums are propagated by division of the tubers. The larger the tuber, the larger the number and size of the leaves. To get a good sized tuber one has to keep it fed and watered regularly in the previous season.

These plants are gross feeders and need potash and phosphorus as well as ample moisture as they pack the tuber full for a dry season dormancy period. Apply one tablespoon of crop mix fertilizer per square foot every four to six weeks during the growing season or a good quality compost.

For individual plants grown in containers, use a level teaspoon per pot. Do not allow fertilizer to contact the leaves as this will cause the delicate looking leaves to burn.

Caladiums are not drought tolerant and require water after fertilization and whenever the soil starts to dry out. Fancy leaf caladiums require a loose, slightly acidic soil as the roots will pull the tuber down into the ground to anchor it as well as searching

This week’s challenge is to identify the plant. This photo was sent in by a visitor to Epi Island. The plant is used in treatment of Hepatitis C. The winner who correctly identifies it will receive a 5000vt plant voucher to be redeemed at Rainbow Botanic Gardens. Forward all answers by email to rainbowanswers@gmail.com - don’t forget to include your contact number.

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

for food. If growing in a pot, the secret to getting a fuller plant is to remove the central larger bud with a sharp knife before planting the tuber bumpy side up.

Fancy leaf caladiums are perfect for those heavily shaded areas of your yard and their bright colors and broad leaves offer a perfect complement to ferns. If you must plant them in an area of direct sun, make sure it’s the gentle morning kind.

Apart from bacterial diseases and root rot there are few problems that affect the taro leaf family. Occasionally the burning of leaf margins is the result of foliar applications of fertilizer, excess sun light or lack of water.

Cultivars with thin, transparent leaves are especially prone to scorch under drought stress when phosphorus or potassium are deficient. A natural source of these mineral elements comes from shredded banana leaves and meat meal from the abattoir.

Caladium pink splash makes a pretty feature plant in a shady spot, while the elephantine leaves of Alocasia giant taro make a handy umbrella, whether for rain or shine.

Page 19

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Page 20

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

News

A plan to end the despair for the disabled

by Tony Wilson

Start of a journey... Kathy Mandel speaks to the crowd of more than 150 people who turned out for the launch of Friends of People With Special Needs.

THE plight of the disabled in Vanuatu is both depressing and tragic.

More than 20,000 people suffer from some form of disability in the country and for decades have been cast adrift on a raft of despair with no rescue in sight.

Finally, last Saturday a ‘rescue ship’ sailed into Port Vila in the form of a new organisation called ‘Friends of People with Special Needs’ – and it came with a plan and a vision.

She said unfortunately Marg could not be at the ground breaking function last Saturday as she is in New Zealand continuing treatment in her battle against cancer.

More than 150 people attended a garden party at the European residence in Tassiriki on Saturday afternoon, and this awareness launch with a special ‘silent’ auction, a raffle, finger food and a cash bar raised a very promising and welcome VT620,000.

She said the Rotary Club of Port Vila had also joined the challenge, together with the Rotary Club of New Zealand, which is already assisting in the building project.

Mrs Mandel said ‘Friends of People with Special Needs’ has embarked on a journey to support the VSDP.

Friends organiser Kathy Mandel explained to the crowd that the new NGO was the brainchild of resident and journalist Marg Smith.

“We will bring awareness to the wider community of the special needs of the disabled and to source funding from here and abroad,’’ she said.

“About two years ago, Marg became aware of the appalling state of the building belonging to the Vanuatu Society of Disabled People (VSDP) and their meagre budget to service the thousands of disabled people throughout Vanuatu,’’ she said.

“At that time Marg was instrumental in securing the help of Raymond Thomson, and Australian engineer and volunteer, to prepare a report on the building and he confirmed how bad it was.’’

She said at this time Marg wanted to form an organisation that could fund raise and apply for grants for rebuilding the centre and other needs for the disabled.

“We hope that you can join us in this urgent and worthwhile endeavour and in doing so, lift the VSDP and the people they serve into the 21st century and give those in our community with a disability a chance to live their life with dignity.

“Now Friends has emerged, is registered with the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, and our small, dedicated group is moving forward with a plan and a vision,’’ said Mrs Mandel.

“We are a totally separate organisation from The Vanuatu Centre for Disabled People and our mandate is to raise revenue by applying for grants (here and overseas) and to fundraise for project such as, basic amenities, early intervention programmes and maintenance at the centre. We cannot be involved in raising money for operating costs as that is the domain of Government. Unfortunately that has not been forthcoming from Governments for some time. ‘’

Guests at the launch place their bids for the silent auction and (at right) add their pledges of assistance in cash or in kind to the growing list on the whiteboard.

Supporters of the new organisation mingled in the grounds of the European residence at Tassiriki while (below right) hospitality students from APTC kept the finger food and drinks flowing.

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Page 19 21

Motoring

Mister-cars

ST just the job

By DEREK OGDEN and EWAN KENNEDY

WITH everything that’s going on in the automotive industry it’s hard to focus on the . . . well, Focus. However, the latest in the line of Ford’s small passenger car – the Focus ST – demands attention.

With the suffix ST, for Sports Tuning, the hot hatch, which tops off the latest Focus range, makes use of the company’s EcoBoost engine, in this case a 2.0-litre GTDI turbocharged four-cylinder unit.

This is the first time EcoBoost has been brought to bear in a Ford sports car, and hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission, has the car hitting 100 kilometres an hour from rest in a spritely 6.5 seconds – that’s the ‘Boost’ bit.

The ‘Eco’ part comes with the gasoline Direct Injection GDI engine surprisingly sipping just 7.4 litres of 95 to 98 RON petrol per 100 kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle, while at the same time putting out 172 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre, giving it Euro stage 4 status.

Radiator grille shutters further improve fuel economy by automatically closing to improve Focus aerodynamics.

Nothing fancy next, with power being distributed to the front wheels via a sixspeed manual transmission. Backed up by gear-shift indicator on the dash, the gears slip from cog to cog with the swift and smooth action of the stubby lever on the centre console aided by a no-nonsense clutch.

Increased pedal pressure is rewarded by an increasingly sporty sound from the motor finding its way into the cabin, while torque is automatically varied between the front wheels to maintain tyre grip on fast bends further adding to the enjoyable driving experience.

‘Scream’ machine . . . the Focus ST has just the right amount of attention grabbing looks for a hot hatch.

The steering is sublime. The new system takes power steering to a new level.

Electrically assisted, operation is at maximum power at low speeds, when parking, for example, and gradually reduces on acceleration, keeping the driver in touch with what is happening between tyre and road.

Feedback becomes more direct as the speed increases and steering wheel turn is trimmed for the equivalent direction change.

A sports suspension is uniquely tuned for the ST and together with 18-inch wheels and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 Tyres with deflation detection help to overcome insecurity on corners.

The Focus ST has been designed to

catch the attention of the onlooker. A black trapezoidal grille incorporating red ‘ST’ sets the scene up front, while bi-xenon HID headlamps, daytime running lights plus static cornering lights point to the use of state-of-the-art automotive technology.

Side skirts are the latest in fashion and lead to a bold rear sporting a roof-mounted spoiler and centrally located twin tailpipes.

In the cabin, occupants are met with Recaro leather trimmed sports seats – snug fitting all round for the average-build person – sports alloy pedal covers and leather wrapped multi-function steering wheel, gear and handbrake levers.

Smart key is backed up by a dash-mounted engine start / stop button. Satellite navigation and reversing camera come to the aid of the driver, while occupants

can take advantage of dual zone airconditioning.

Ford, however, is most proud of its SYNC connectivity system, advanced software, developed in conjunction with Microsoft, that enhances Bluetooth and voice control of systems.

Voice commands (fully tuned to the Aussie accent, we are told), more elaborate than previously, can be used to make phone calls or select music from a digital media player. With automatic phonebook downloading hands can stay firmly on the steering wheel; eyes firmly on the road ahead.

A 5-inch full colour screen displays sat nav info and is integrated with the Sony ninespeaker audio system, while a full bag of active and passive safety systems has earned the Focus ST a five-star ANCAP rating Built in Germany, at $38,290 the Ford Focus ST is right in the melting pot of European-style hot hatches and is on sale now. It is covered by a three-year, 100,000 kilometre warranty and Ford’s capped price servicing.

Launched in Australia in the alpine region of Victoria, my co-driver for the day cheekily suggested we take the bright yellow-to-orange car, in which ‘we wouldn’t draw much attention to ourselves.’ Yeah, right, with a name like Tangerine Scream was there ever a more apt colour for a halo car?

And the drive? It was a perfectly pleasant way to spend a birthday – relaxed with just the right amount of added adventure on the tight twisty roads to put the icing on the cake. * Mister Cars is the fastest growing motoring website in the South Pacific.

Visit: mister-cars.com. Road tests are conducted in Australia and although many of these vehicles are not available in Vanuatu, this column is designed to be enjoyed by motoring enthusiasts.

Page 22

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday, 17 November, 2012

News

Syria crisis: Gulf states recognise Syria opposition SIX Gulf states have recognised a new Syrian opposition coalition as the country’s “legitimate representative”.

The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces was unveiled in Doha on Sunday, aimed at uniting the various factions seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

Western nations and Turkey welcomed the coalition’s creation.

The 22-member Arab League later recognised the group as the “legitimate representative” of Syria’s opposition.

Meeting in Cairo late this week, Arab League foreign ministers released a statement calling on other anti-Assad groups to join the opposition coalition.

However the group stopped short of giving it full recognition as the representative of the Syrian people.

In encouraging the opposition to unify, Western diplomats say, their intent is not to railroad the rebels into negotiating with Bashar al-Assad and his regime, as some oppositionists feared.

What they have in mind is to force Mr Assad and his top 10 or so associates to leave - a process they describe as “decapitation”.

The opposition would then be expected to negotiate a peaceful transition with what was

left of the regime, whether or not they were deemed to have “blood on their hands”.

The most obvious flaw in that argument is of course that Mr Assad is, at least at this stage, not minded to co-operate and flit the coop.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military said its tanks had scored “direct hits” on Syrian artillery units after Syrian mortar shells fell near an Israeli army post on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights for the second consecutive day.

A complaint had been filed with UN forces operating in the area, it added, after what correspondents described as the most serious episode between the two countries since the Arab-Israeli war of 1973.

Elsewhere, Syrian government aircraft bombed the rebel-held town of Ras al-Ain, near the border with Turkey.

Both jets and helicopters targeted the town, sending civilians fleeing into the Turkish settlement of Ceylanpinar. Casualties were reported.

Nato has said it will do what it takes to protect and defend Turkey - one of the alliance’s member states.

Over the last week, there has been some suggestion it might supply Turkey with Patriot surface-to-air missiles in order to help secure the border.

“Turkey can rely on Nato solidarity, we have

more plans in place to defend and protect Turkey, our ally, if needed,” Secretary General Anders Rasmussen told reporters in Prague, without elaborating.

Observers and activists estimate that more than 36,000 people have been killed in the long-running uprising against President Assad. Hundreds of thousands have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

“The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) declares its recognition of the Syrian national coalition... as the legitimate representative of the brotherly Syrian people,” Abdulatif alZayani, the GCC’s secretary general, said in a statement.

The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.

Western and regional powers have in recent weeks put pressure on a hitherto fractious Syrian opposition to create a unified, credible body that could become a conduit for all financial and possibly military aid.

The Syrian National Council (SNC), the previously dominant opposition umbrella group which is widely viewed as divided and ineffective, will control 22 of the 60 seats on the National Coalition’s leadership council.

The new coalition’s president will be Moaz al-Khatib, a former imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus who fled Syria this year.

US state department spokesman Mark Toner the US was looking forward “to supporting the National Coalition as it charts a course toward the end of Assad’s bloody rule”.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the move was a “milestone in forming a broad and

‘Perfect’ Archduke Joseph diamond sells for $21m Starr & Frost, said they thought it would be “going to a museum”, Reuters news agency reports.

l

The 76-carat Archduke Joseph diamond, described as internally flawless, comes from India’s famous Golconda mines.

Christie’s specialist, Jean Marc Lunel, said the Archduke Joseph is prized because it boasts the highest quality of shape, colour and clarity that can be found in a diamond.

“It is a world record for a Golconda diamond and a world record price per carat for a colourless diamond,” Francois Curiel, director of the international jewellery department at Christie’s, told reporters.

“The market is not on the best form at the moment. The sale tonight was almost flabbergasting.”

The diamond came from the ancient Golconda mines, where the famous Koh-i-Noor and blue Hope Diamond originated.

It was named after Archduke Joseph August of Austria, a prince of the Hungarian line of the Hapsburgs, who reportedly deposited it in a bank vault in 1933.

“Three years later it was sold to a European banker, and kept in France, locked away in a safe deposit box, where fortunately it remained undiscovered during World War Two,” the auction house said.

Decades later it surfaced at auction in 1961 and again at Christie’s in November 1993.

The diamond’s seller, American jeweller Black,

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu said the international community had “no excuse any more” not to support the opposition.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said only that his country supported a political transition “led by the Syrian people as soon as possible.”

Russia said the National Coalition should seek “a peaceful resolution of the conflict by Syrians themselves, without external interference, through dialogue and negotiations”.

Mr Khatib, 52, left for Cairo in July after several periods of detention by the Syrian authorities for criticising President Assad. He is seen as a moderate.

“We demand freedom for every Sunni, Alawite, Ismaili (Shia), Christian, Druze, Assyrian ... and rights for all parts of the harmonious Syrian people,” he said after being elected president of the National Coalition.

The group, formed after a week of talks in Doha, will have two vice-presidents prominent dissident Riad Seif and the leading female secular activist, Suhair al-Atassi.

Delegates said the leadership council would include representation for ethnic Kurds, Christians, Alawites and women. There will also be a military council that will reportedly include the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

- BBC

l

ONE of the world’s most admired diamonds has been sold at auction for more than 20m Swiss francs ($21m;£13m).

The price was well above the $15m (£9m) pre-sale estimate, and was far in excess of the $6.5m (£4m) it reached when it was last sold in 1993.

Western efforts to support the Syrian opposition have been hampered by Russia and China, which have blocked three UN Security Council resolutions seeking to pressure Mr Assad to end the conflict.

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Page 24

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4 Bedroom, 3 bathroom family home. Large open area kitchen and living area.

Air con in 2 bedrooms with fans in all rooms. Gas hot water and stove. Can be available fully furnished if required. Large established garden, 160,000vt.per month. Contact Bryan on 5577034 or Valerie 7751979 for inspection.

“Executive House For Rent - 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom, garage with internal access, large lounge/dining and kitchen, large deck with very good sea views over Erakor Island and beyond, fully fenced. Only 3 years old. Nice living on the end of The Golden Mile next to Amalfi Court in Eluk. Rent Bargain at V.165,000 pm and fully furnished. Ph. 5571030 or 5524333.”

LAND FOR SALE

A book about the History of Vanuatu before and after Vanuatu became a Republic is now on sale. It is very interesting with many true facts, information and knowledge.

Please contact Jack on 7745914 at anytime

FOR SALE

Land for Sale at Bladinieres Estate. Title No: 12/0631/412; Size: 2347 m2 (40m x 60m); Price: 3,5 million vatu. Contact: 7784983

FOR SALE

URGENT SALE

YELLOW MG 1979; 950 000 VT; Contact: 7750499

2 X 2012 Seadoo GTS PRO; Heavy duty as used by surf rescue; includes trailer and cover.

OPEN TO OFFER contact 7746495

Urgent Sale, with Bus Permit, HYUNDAI Stares Bus. Very Good Condition, 400,000vt.

Call mobile: 7799399

NOTICES

WANTED TO BUY

FOR RENT

Fully self contained two bedroom cottage location at Evergreen Estate on Devils Point Road. Wire up for Telsat Pay TV and Wimax.

Includes gardener. Quiet ,good views and close to beach.

ONLY 90,000 vatu per month.

Contact 7740104 or 5544054.

LAND FOR SALE

FOR SALE

Mitsubishi Pajero (Made in Japan and rebadged in US as a Montero).

Year 2006. 79,000 Miles.

4WD Automatic/ Sportstronic transmission. Full Option. AirCon, Leather seats 7 Seater, ceiling mount DVD. Many more features.

Has to be driven to know what true real comfort is. Great Family Car. Price: VT2.7M o.n.o. Email: maccasomerled@gmail.com Tel: 7747123 for More detailsl.

USA BUILT TORO ZMASTER ZERO TURN MOWER; DRIVEN BY A 26 HP KOHLER PETROL ENGINE; 60 INCH CUT THAT CAN MOW TO 1 HECTARE PER HOUR; VERY COMFORTABLE AND FUN TO USE; PERFECT FOR MAINTAINING LARGE GRASSED AREAS; ORIGINAL COST OVER 2 MILLION VATU NEW, SELLING FOR 950,000 VATU ONLY. PLEASE CALL BEN ON 5500001 TO HAVE A TEST RUN

Chicken Wire – Used but good 180cm lots. 50vt per metre.

Manual, 4 doors with seating for two in back, fully serviced, current mileage 71,869. Price VT650,000 ONO. Contact Sandra to inspect, telephone 22091.

FOR SALE

The Oset Bike is an American made Electric Trials bike suitable for kids up to about 12 years old. Near new.

Vt190,000 or best offer.

MAHOGANY 4 DRAWER FILING CABINET – DEEP DRAWERS ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE SUSPENSION FILES. GREEN TOP. MATCHING EXECUTIVE MAHOGANY “DOUBLE SIDED” DESK – able to be utilised by two persons if required. FEATURING 6 DRAWERS & 1 LOCKABLE CABINET EACH SIDE. VT 230,000 ono (for Office set) Contact 7744303

Honda Motorcycle XR400R, good condition. Fast. 2000 model. 400,000vt ono. Ph 7758080 or 23355.

Your Classified Ad stays on the Classified page for a reasonable time or until you advise cancellation. Up to 100 words are FREE for personal adverts. Then it costs Vt1,000 for each hundred words over the first one hundred. Photos are Vt300. This section is not available for Commercial advertising, only for personal advertising. Please bring your Classifieds before midday Wednesdays.

GENERAL GOODS AND RENT

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

FREE

Kawenu & Malapoa Estate: 1 bedroom apartment 27,000vt per month; 2 bedroom apartment 40,000vt. Contact Lori 7775393 for details

Elluk Drive, recently renovated Townhouse, 3 bedroom / 3 bathrooms, Double Lock-up garage, fully furnished. Call 7743151 for further details.

House For Rent

Tastefully renovated 3 bedroom house with excellent indoor-outdoor flow, two bathrooms and office or playroom, situated in spacious garden setting overlooking Port Vila Bay. This property is secure and private and ideally suited to family on short or long term transfer. Available fully furnished if required. As the owners also live onsite swimming pool and garden maintenance is all taken care of. Tel 77 58079 for more details or to arrange for a time to view

PUBLIC NOTICE

Can the listed persons please contact us by phone, email or PO Box to help us with our enquiries : 1.Melanesian Institute of Philosophy 2.Ayamiseba Max Junior 3.Philip Boedoro 4.Silas Taima – Lano Catering 5.Cong Duc Nguyen 6.Jeffrey Tokataake OR If anyone can provide us with contact addresses it will be appreciated.. Telephone Leonie on 5571030 or 5524333; email: vancreditservices@ gmail.com or P.O Box 3304, Port Vila

Public Notice

SIL is recruiting a Director for the Port Vila office to facilitate the work of Bible translation and literacy in Vanuatu.

The applicant must have university-level training in linguistics, translation theory, and Biblical studies along with appropriate experience.

This is a volunteer position.

No salary is offered.

Apply to: Director, SIL, PO Box 174, Port Vila

Storage available : CATAMARAN 11 meters FOR SALE Shape Lock Crowther – Sydney – 1980; Construction : Wood – Epoxy; Good condition - Fully equipped – Easy to sail and fast – Draft : 0,8 m; Certificate of safety – Vanuatu registration – Ideal for family or charter; REDUCED PRICE : 9 M VT; CONTACT : enyao@hotmail.fr

Vanuatu Self Storage, 24hr security.

Phone Lloyd Hately on 7114040

Australia to Port Vila Fr8 Logistics www. fr8.vu

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November 2012

News

Woman denied an abortion dies in Irish hospital A WOMAN has died of blood poisoning from a miscarriage, after an Irish hospital denied her an abortion telling her “this is a Catholic country”.

Ireland, as calls grow for major reform of the country’s confusing abortion laws.

Around 2,000 protesters took to the streets of Dublin shutting down traffic around the Irish parliament as demonstrators listened to speeches in favour of a woman’s right to choose while a candelight vigil was held in Cork to remember Ms Halappanavar, The Irish Independent reported.The first abortion clinic on the island opened its doors in Belfast last month, attracting hundreds of angry protesters.

The tragedy comes as the country is in the throes of a passionate debate over potential abortion law reform.

The Irish Times reports that both the hospital and the health department have begun investigations into the death at University Hospital Galway last month.

In the north an abortion is legal if there is long-term or permanent risk to the mother’s physical or mental health. But in the south, laws prohibiting all abortions have never been repealed, and doctors fear criminal and professional sanctions despite a little-tested 1983 amendment to the constitution that permits terminations if the mother’s life is in danger.

Savita Halappanavar, 31, a dentist who was 17 weeks pregnant, went to the hospital with back pain on October 21.

Her husband Praveen Halappanavar said she was told she was miscarrying, and after one day of severe pain she asked for a medical termination.

Protestors hold pictures of Indian Savita Halappanavar, who was refused a pregnancy TIDEafter PREDICTIONS FORher VANUATU termination doctors told it was a– PORT VILA CatholicNOVEMBER country, as they gather outside – 2012 LOCAL STANDARD TIME LeinsterTide House (Irish Parliament building) gauge zero is 3.6037 metres below VAN1 Indian national Savita Halappanavar who died after being refused a termination for a miscarriage. during a demonstration in favour of abortion legislationSUNDAY in Dublin. MONDAY infection) a week after she first arrived at the “Savita was really in agony,” he said. “She TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY hospital. 0052 0.32 was very upset but she accepted she was 0126 0.34 0200 0.37 1 0718 1.27 2 0757 1.24 3 0838 1.21 But her repeated requests were refused 1245 0.70 1319 0.74 1357 0.78 losing the baby. When the consultant came 1837 1.38 1909 1.34 1944 1.29 for three days, he said, because the foetal The hospital extended its sympathy to family on the ward rounds on Monday morning 1.5m heartbeat was still present and they said they and friends but said it could not discuss the Savita asked if they could not save the baby 1.0m were legally unable to perform the abortion. details of an individual case. could they induce to end the pregnancy. The 0.5m Mr Halappanavar said his wife was “in agony” consultant said ‘As long as there is a foetal 12 18 0 law 6 12 18 0 in 6 Ireland 12 18 0have the whole time.

Calls 0for6 abortion reform heartbeat we can’t do anything’.”

0.41 0322 0.46 0415 0.51 0515 0.55 0057 1.14 0207 1.19 0620 0.56 4 0239 0925 1.18 5 1020 1.17 6 1124 1.18 7 1225 1.22 8 1317 1.28 9 0719public 0.56 10 debate 0814 0.56 with triggered widespread 1441 0.82 1538 0.86 1651 0.86 1812 0.83 1921 0.75 1401 1.36 1441 1.44 2023 1.24 1.19 2215 1.15 0.64 sides2107 0.52 2336 1.13 Eventually the foetal 2112 heartbeat stopped passionate voices on2017 both - such as The next day there was the same conversation, and 1.5m the foetus was removed. But Ms this All-Ireland Rally For Life in July 2011. he said, despite Ms Halappanavar pointing Halappanavar was by now seriously ill, and 1.0m out that she was neither Irish nor Catholic. was 0.5m taken to the high dependency unit and Mr Halappanavar said when the couple first then the0 intensive care unit, where she died6 12arrived at the hospital they had6 been told the That evening she started shivering and 6 12 18 0 6 12 18 0 6 12 18 0 18 0 6 12 18 0 6 12 18 0 12 18 0 of septicaemia poisoning triggered 0308(blood 1.25 0009 0.11 0402 1.31 0455 1.36 by 0546 1.40 0057 0.09 in a few 0146 0.12 miscarriage “should be over hours”. vomiting and was started on antibiotics. But 11 0902 0.55 12 0950 0.55 13 1037 0.56 14 1125 0.59 15 0639 1.42 16 0731 1.41 17 0827 1.39 1520 1.51 1600 1.57 1642 1.61 1726 1.62 1214 0.62 1306 0.67 1402 0.71 it was not until lunchtime the next day that 2153 0.39 2238 0.27 2323 0.17 1812 1.60 1900 1.56 1952 1.49 the heartbeat stopped and the foetus was 1.5m removed.

1.0m

Tide Chart for Port Vila Harbour 0.5m

SUN 6 12 18 MON 0 6 12

0

18

0238 0925 1506 2048

0.18 1.36 0.75 1.40

19

18 0 0333 0.27 1027 1.34 1617 0.77 2151 1.30

TUE 6 12 20

18 0 0431 0.37 1131 1.33 1733 0.75 2303 1.22

WED 6 12

21

18 0 0532 0.47 1232 1.34 1848 0.70

THUR 12 18

6

22

0022 0634 1327 1955

0

1.17 0.55 1.36 0.63

6

23

FRI

12 18 0 0140 1.16 0735 0.61 1413 1.38 2051 0.55

6

24

SAT 12 18 0249 0830 1453 2138

0 1.17 0.65 1.41 0.48

“When she came out (of that operation) she was talking okay but she was very sick,” Mr Halappanavar said.

1.5m

“That’s the last time I spoke to her.”

1.0m 0.5m 0

6

25

12

18

0346 0917 1530 2218

1.5m

0

1.20 0.67 1.42 0.41

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

6

12

18

0

0033 0.29 0434 1.23 0515 1.25 0554 1.27 0001 0.29 Disclaimer: are supplied in good believed to be30 correct.

26 1000 These 0.69 tide 27 predictions 1038 0.71 28 1115 0.72faith 29and 0630 1.28 0705 1.28 1603 1.43 1636 1.43 1708 1.43 1149 0.73 1224 0.75

Weather Forecast 2255 0.36

1740 1.41

2329 0.32

6

12

18

0

The case has aroused high emotions in

Around 4000 women from the republic and 1000 from the north travel to Britain each year for abortions, and recent polls show a clear majority support for legal abortion.

However the vast majority of the country still identify as Catholic, and the church can still influence political leaders.

The story comes as a new study for the first time examines the consequences for women denied abortions.

The Turnaway Study from the University of California San Francisco looked a 956 women who sought abortions at 30 different clinics, of whom 182 were turned away.

It found that the women denied an abortion were three times more likely than women who receive an abortion to be below the poverty line two years later.

They were also much more likely to stay in a relationship with an abusive partner, with more than twice as many women denied an abortion reporting a recent incident of domestic violence.

However the study found no link between being denied an abortion and subsequent mental health disorders or drug use, and no long-term difference in chronic health problems.

1813 1.40

Forecast issued by the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department 1.0m 0.5m Weather Forecasting Centre, Port Vila at 11:15am Thursday, November 15, 2012.0 6 12 18 0 6 12 18 0 6 12 18 0 6 12 18 0 6 12 18 0 6 12 18 0 © Copyright: Commonwealth of Australia 2011, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) Disclaimer: These tide predictions are supplied in good faith and believed to be correct.

General Situation: A high pressure southorof NewforCaledonia maintains tight pressure No warranty is given in respect to errors, omissions, suitability any purpose.

gradients over the group with moderate to fresh trades through the country, while a surface trough lies to Northeast of Vanuatu.

Port Vila

Saturday 17 Max 28 Min 19

Sunday 18 Max 28 Min 19

Monday 19 Max 28 Min 19

Tuesday 20 Max 29 Min 18

Wednesday 21 Max 29 Min 18

Sunday 18 Max 31 Min 22

Monday 19 Max 31 Min 22

Tuesday 20 Max 30 Min 22

Wednesday 21 Max 31 Min 22

Thursday 22 Max 29 Min 18

Friday 23 Max 29 Min 18

Luganville

Saturday 17 Max 31 Min 22

Thursday 22 Max 31 Min 22

Friday 23 Max 31 Min 22

8 am to 8 am rainfall records over Vanuatu Meteorological Stations (millimeters) Thursday

Date Bauerfield Luganville

Friday

08/11/12 09/11/12 0.4 0.4 Nil Nil

Saturday

Sunday

10/11/12 Nil 4.0

11/11/12 Nil Nil

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

12/11/12 13/11/12 14/11/12 Nil 2.4 4.2 Nil Nil 1.1

“Whatever the weather – have a good week” The independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Send your news stories to the independent email: editor@independent.vu Page 25

EDITORIAL

Yumi stap kam kolosap end blong yia.

Yumi gat niu gavman wetem ol niu fes we pipol blong Vanuatu i putum bigfala hop long olgeta se oli save mekem gud samting bitim olgeta we oli bin stap fastaem long ol yia we i go. Taem yumi tingting long fiutja blong kaontri blong yumi, yumi tingting moa long ol risos we yumi gat mo hao yumi wok wetem ol risos ia blong priperem fiutja.

Semtaem long end blong yia, yumi gat ol niu pikinini we oli winim pepa blong olgeta long skul, emia blong wok mo emia blong gohed long stadi long level we i moa hae long emia we oli go tru long hem long yia ia. Namba blong olgeta studen we sistem blong edukesen we Vanuatu i adoptem tru long TVET i go kasem wan taosen long wan yia, emia long saed blong ol teknikol mo vokasonal skul wetem ol trening olsem emia we Chamba blong Komes mo Indastri i stap givimaot. Bigfala namba ia i kamaot folem nid blong Stet be i no folem nating nid blong ol stakeholda, i minim olgeta kampani we plante nao oli stap long praevet sekta. Emia i minim se Stet i trenem ol pikinini blong wok be nid long saed blong wok ia emi smol nating nomo komperem wetem ol kampani we oli setap long Vanuatu mo pawa we oli gat long saed blong mani.

Taem yumi komperem namba blong ol pikinini we oli graduet long end blong evri

Niu pepa, no wok!

yia wetem ol opotuniti we i stap finis long saed blong wok long ol difren kampani, inkludim pablik administresen we emi gavman, yumi kam blong faenemaot se i gat plante “failures” long saed blong polisi blong krietem moa wok long Vanuatu mo pulum moa kampani o investa ovasi i kam.

Taem yumi tokabaot ol polisi ia wetem ol “failures”, yumi tokabaot ol desisen long hae level we oli no riflektem nating rialiti blong laef we Vanuatu i stap go tru long hem wetem ol pikinini blong hem. Sapos Vanuatu i prodiusum ol risos (human risos) be emi no givim raet ples blong olgeta long sosaeti, emia emi wan bigfala problem.

Sapos Vanuatu, tru long gavman blong hem, i disaed se i mas gat wan taosen pikinini oli graduet long ol difren fil blong wok be ol opotuniti long saed blong wok emi smol tumas, emi wan narafala problem we oltaem i shud gat solusen blong hem.

Be sapos ol man blong tekem desisen long hae level oli no tingting hevi long nogud situesen we Vanuatu i stap go tru long hem, bambae Stet i gohed blong westem taem mo mani long saed blong trening taem we i gat nid be i no gat opotuniti blong wok.

Ol opotuniti ia blong wok i save kamaot bigwan nao long saed blong praevet sekta we emi kontribiut moa long developmen mo ekonomi blong kaontr ia. Ol opotuniti ia blong wok oli bin mekem se gavman i setemap ol ofis we wan nao emi Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority (VIPA).

Wok blong ofis ia emi blong pulum ol

investmen i kam long Vanuatu blong givim moa wok. Long klia lukluk we i stap naoia emi soem se VIPA emi kam wan bigfala “waste of time and waste of money”. Sapos gavman blong Vanuatu i givimaot long VIPA, aot blong badjet blong Stet blong wan yia, 60 milion vatu mo VIPA i pulum ten niu investa nomo i kam blong givim wok long fifti man mo woman Vanuatu, emia i had blong akseptem se VIPA i gohed blong wok mo kakae big mani from nating. 60 milion vatu ia i shud go nomo long wan samting we pipol blong kaontri ia i save luk gudfala frut blong hem.

I gat ripot se aot long hamas pipol mo kampani blong ol narafala kaontri we VIPA i pulum olgeta i kam long Vanuatu long wan yia, smol namba nating nomo oli givim wok be plante oli kam long saed blong “adventure”, emia blong mekem mani blong olgeta nomo. Ripot ia i save tru taem yumi luk tumas “Chinois” oli kam setap tede long Port Vila be oli no givim tumas wok long ol manples o oli givim wok we oli no pem folem minimum wej. Taem doa blong VIPA i open tumas long ol “Chinois” be yumi luk se namba blong ol pikinini we oli graduet i go antap moa, emi from we oli kam wok blong olgeta bakegen mo emia emi wok blong dipatmen blong Leba blong dil wetem.

I gat wan narafala ripot tu we i talem se i gat plante investa mo kampani we oli wantem kam setap long Vanuatu be from we oli faenemaot se rod blong kasem laesens

blong wok long kaontri ia wetem sam narafala samting bakegen i longwan tumas mo i fasfas lelebet, oli tingting tu taem bifo oli mekem fes step. Oltaem taem wan investa o wan kampani i aplae blong kam wok mo givim wok long ol NiVanuatu, VIPA i no save helpem hem long evri nid blong hem: “clearence” long saed blong imigresen, leba long saed blong wok permit mo sam samting bakegen.

Oltaem, wan investa o wan kampani hemwan i mas ronron i go long left mo raet blong gat evri pepa we loa blong Vanuatu i askem bifo VIPA i apruvum nem blong hem. I gat plante investa o kampani finis we oli mas askem long ol kampani we oli stap finis long Vanuatu mo oli dil wetem investem blong helpem olgeta, mekem se oli mas pem ol lokol kampani ia big mani.

Sapos ol lokol kampani ia oli mekem wok we VIPA i shud mekem, yumi no luk risen from wanem VIPA bae i gohed blong wok mo gavman i gohed blong pampem mani blong pipol i go long hem.

Emia emi wan long ol “failures” blong Stet we niu gavman i shud lukluk long hem mo katemaot ol eria we i no nid blong oli exist long Vanuatu from we wok blong olgeta i no kasem level we sosaeti i expektem.

Gratien Molsoul

Eleksen blong niu praem minista long mande Ol 52 memba blong palaman oli kasem Port Vila finis folem leta we ofis blong klak blong palaman, hemi sendem igo long olgeta blong oli kam long wan spesel sesion blong palaman long mande hemia afta long tumoro blong ol niu memba blong palaman ia, oli mekem promes blong olgeta mo long semtaem tu bae oli elektem ol niu spika blong palaman mo niu praem minista blong kantri.

Afta long eleksen blong niu praem minista, bae ol memba blong palaman i muv ikam long ples we oli stap kolem tut blong pig blong niu praem minista ia, hemi save apoentem ol minista blong hem mo oli mekem promes blong olgeta.

Bigfala kuesten we istap kam kasem long iestede se hu nao bae hemi kam niu praem minista bitwin ol 52 niu memba blong palaman ia we oli bin winim jeneral eleksen long namba 30 oktoba.

Afta long eleksen ia, hemi lukim wan long olgeta 33 politikol pati we oli bin kontestem eleksen ia, ino kat wan long olgeta, hemi bin winim wan simpol majoriti blong 27 memba blong palaman blong hemi save fomem gavman hem wan.

Afta long eleksen ia mo ol anofisiol mo ofisiol risal, ikat tufala kamp, hemia blong kea teka praem minista, Sato Kilman mo Edward Natapei, hemi bin fom blong karem tugeta ol memba blong palaman blong fomem niu gavman.

Insaed long tufala kamp ia, ikat ol blok mo smol blok bagegen o grup blong oli potikol pati we oli bin fom blong negosietem niu gavman blong mande. Kam kasem long iestede tugeta saed istap klemem iet se tufala ikat namba blong fomem gavman Page 26

long mande. Ikat kuesten abaut namba be antap long hem ikat kuesten tu abaut hu nao, bae hemi kam niu praem minista long mande mo hu nao olgeta we niu praem minista ia, bae hemi apoentem olgeta blong oli kam ol minista blong hem. Long ol nem blong posibol niu praem minista, ikat nem blong Mr Natapei, Mr Kilman, presiden blong National United Pati mo Ham Lini.

Afta long eleksen, Mr Kilman, hemi singautem ol pati we oli bin stap long gavman mo ol nara pati we oli sapotem hem long ting ting se hem nao, bae hemi kam niu pream minista long mande. Long narasaed, Mr Natapei, hemi sakem huk tu.

Hemi maneij blong hemi krapem vaes presiden blong NUP, Morkin Steven mo memba blong palaman blong Ambae, James Bule blong oli saenem wan MOU long las wik. Long wik ia, NUP I sapos blong kamaut klia blong talem se wanem saed nao, hemi stap long hem afta Mr Lini istap long nara saed mo Mr Steven istap long nara grup.

Long taem Mr Natapei, hemi talem se hem we hemi winim bigfala namba blong ol memba blong palaman we hemi 8 komperem long ol nara polikol pati, hemi talem se bae hemi no kam praem minista mo VP hemi lego posisen blong spika blong palaman i empti istap blong politikol pati we hemi wandem, hemi save joenem kamp blong hem blong karem tufala posisen ia.

Long taem ia tu, blok blong VP we hemi karem Union blong Moderet Pati blong Serge Vohor, Melanesian Progressive Pati blong Mr Barak Sope mo Graon mo Jasttis Pati blong Ralph Regenvanu, hemi klemem tu se hemi kat namba blong go long gavman long mande.

Ol pipol we oli stap folem developmen blong politik afta long jeneral eleksen long las manis i talem se tok tok blong Mr Natapei blong hemi invaetem ol MP blong kam praem minista mo spika blong palaman, hemi soem mo hemi minim se Mr Natapei, hemi no bin kat iet long taem ia namba blong hemi save fomem gavman long nekis mande. Oli talem se sapos VP kamp, hemi bin kat namba long taem ia, bae Mr Natapei ino save advataesem tufala posisen ia.

Folem tradisen blong fomesen blong fomem gavman, pati we hemi kat bigfala namba, hem nao, hemi holem posisen blong praem minista. Afta long ofisiol risal, hemi bin klia se Mr Kilman mo Mr Natapei, tufala nao bin stap fait from posisen blong praem minista be Mr Natapei, hemi sakem tawel finis.

Hemi livim Mr Kilman istap mo putum long kuesten nem blong man we hemi save agensem hem long grup blong Mr Natapei.

Fomesen blong ol nara blok insaed long blok blong Mr Natapei mo Mr Kilman, hemi mekem se negosiesen blong hu nao, bae hemi kam praem minista long mande mo hu nao, bae oli kam ol minista, hemi hat folem tradisinol praktis ia se pati o grup we hemi kat big namba hem nao, hemi holem posisen blong praem minista. Sam long olgeta blok inssaed long tufala bigfala blok,

oli tekem distens long tufala main blok be oli pat iet insaed mo go krietem blok wetem namba blong klemem tradisinol praktis ia blong namba.

Tradisinol praktis blong namba ia, hemi save mekem tu se long mande, Vanuatu, hemi save kat wan praem minista we hemi bae hemi kamaut autsaed long namba we oli komposem tufala bigfala blok.

Long tasde aftenun, i sapos blong kat wan saening blong MOU long ofis blong praem minista be oli seftem ikam long iestde bagegen afta we ol politikol teknikol pipol we oli wok long MOU ia, oli talem se oli nidim moa taem iet. Long VP grup, oli sapos blong saenem wan MOU tu long iestede.

Long yestede, klos sos long grup blong Mr Kilman i talemaut bagegen se olgeta nao, oli kat namba be grup blong Mr Natapei, oli stap sakem huk iet mo oli redi blong go long gavman long mande.

Ikat tok tok se ikat longfala taem iet mo hemi save happen gavman i save fom nomo insaed long korido blong palaman mo insaed long jemba. Plande tok tok abaut namba be nem blong man we bae hemi kam niu praem minista, bae hemi save kamaut klia nomo afta we palaman i elektem niu spika blong hem long mande.

Sendem leta mo nuis stori blong yu i kam lo independent email: editor@independent.vu The Independent/L’indépendant - Sarere 17 Novemba 2012

Nius

Phocea i blong hu?

Magistret kot blong Port Vila, hemi givim desisen blong hem long wik blong panisim kapten blong sip, Richard Malaise blong hemi pem wan faen blong 310 000 vatu afta we hemi talemaut long kot se hemi rong long tufala rong we istap agensem hem.

woman nara kantri i save kam sitizen blong Vanuatu nomo afta we hemi stap long kantri long 10 yia. Tufala i pas finis long kot mo prosekiusen, hemi sakem tawel long kes blong tufala mekem se tufala ikam fri man.

Tufala rong ia, hemi fasin we Malaise olsem kapten blong Phocea, hemi bin mekem blong hemi go ankarem seling bout ia long Paradise Cove we hemi no wan port blong ol sip blong nara kantri, oli go anka long hem.

Ol 14 memba blong kru we oli lego kantri inkludim Faviola, kot, hemi bin panisim olgeta blong oli pem wan faen blong wan hendred tausen vatu from we oli bin go so long Paradise Cove be ol man blong dipatmen blong kastom, oli no go tsekem olgeta iet.

Nara rong we Malaise, hemi fesem, hemi fasin we hemi mekem blong hemi no talemaut long darekta blong dipatmen blong kastom se Phocea, hemi kasem aelan blong Efate blong hemi kam insaed long Port Vila haba.

Tufala nara pipol we tufala istap iet blong pas long kot from isiu blong Phocea, hemi keateka minista blong foren afea, Alfred Carlot mo keateka minista blong edukesen, Marcelino Pepite.

Polis i talem se seling bout ia, hemi kasem Port Vila long namba 14 julae mo long 20 julae nomo, oli bin mekem wan operesen blong oli save go insaed mo risal blong hem nao, hemi mekem se oli putum ol rong agensem kapten afta we oli bin arestem hem wetem wan gel America we nem blong hem, Faviola Brugger Dadis.

Tufala istap fesem jaj blong go insaed long Phocea bifo ol man blong kastom, kuarantin mo imigresen igo kliarem sip.

Fes rong agensem Malaise, faen blong hem, hemi wan milien vatu anda long lo blong Vanuatu be kot hemi panisim hem nomo blong hemi pem wan faen blong wan handred tausen vatu. Long seken rong faen blong hem, hemi tri milien vatu be kot hemi givim hem, tu-handred tausen vatu nomo.

Ikat ol nara jaj we polis i bin putum agensem ol pipol we oli saspektem se oli bin involv long isiu blong Phocea olsem ‘fraud’ be afta prosekiusin dipatmen, hemi widroem.

Bae ikat wanem oli kolem ‘trial’ blong tufala nomo long manis blong eprel long nekis yia afta we tufala i talem long kot se tufala ino rong long jaj we istap agensem tufala.

Hemi pem tu ten tausen vatu blong wanem we oli kolem ‘cost blong kot’.

Naoia we kapten i pas long kot, ino klia iet se gavman bae hemi holemtaet Phocea istap afta we kapten blong hem, hemi brekem lo blong Vanuatu o bae hemi go bak wetem sip ia.

Tufala nara pipol we tufala i talem se tufala i blong Samoa mo Tonga mo tufala i pas long kot from we tufala igo long sip bifo olgeta blong dipatmen kastom oli go mekem wok blong olgeta, kot i panisim tufala blong pem wan faen blong ova wan handred tausen vatu wan wan.

Long las wik ikat tok tok long rod se ikat wan dil finis wetem gavman blong ona blong seling bout we tede Vanuatu ino save iet se hemi hu, hemi mekem wan spesel dil wetem gavman blong Vanuatu autsaed long kot blong hemi pem fo milien vatu nomo afta hemi save lego Port Vila haba wetem Phocea.

Tufala man ia i bin kam long plen samtaem bifo Phocea i kasem Port Vila mo sam de nomo afta tufala i kasem kantri, ol otoriti i givim passport blong Vanuatu long tufala afta we sitizen ofis, hemi givim pepa long tufala se tufala i man Vanuatu.

Ol tok tok long rod ia i talem se sapos gavman i holem taet sip blong hemi salem, bae kantri i save winim six handred milien vatu long hem.

Lo blong Vanuatu i talem se wan man o

Keateka minista blong faenens, Moana Carcasses Calosil i talemaut long las wik se isiu ia, hemi wan sivil keis mo hemi stap wetem ona mo pablik prosekiuta. Ino posibol

Phocea long Port Vila habour. blong kasem pablik prosekiuta blong hemi save tok tok long isiu ia. Sapos Phocea, hemi lego Vanuatu olsem we tok tok istap kamaut, bae hemi aut wetem plande mistri we ino kat ansa blong hem.

Wan long olgeta nao se sip, hemi kam mekem wanem long Vanuatu afta we ol kru ia, oli bodem sip nomo long Tonga.

Isiu blong Phocea, hemi lid igo kasem isiu blong passport. Wan foto blong Mr Carlot Mr Carlot wetem Pascal Anh Saken, i lukim tufala istap tufala diplomatik passport. Sapos wan hemi blong Pascal be narawan, hemi blong hu.

Taem sip ia, hemi kasem Paradise Cove long namba 14 julae, pipol we oli stap long so mo long Ifira, oli bin lukim bout, hemi bin stap mekem ko-kam bitwin sip mo so. Oli bin lukim sam man tu igo fising klosap long seling bout.

Ikat alegesen se ino Mr Carlot nomo mo Mr Pepite nomo igo insaed be ol nara minista tu i bin go, ol memba blong palaman long taem ia mo ol man blong politik.

Involvmen blong ol lida blong Vanuatu insaed long isiu blong Phocea, hemi lid igo

tu blong saspendem polis ofisa we hemi mekem investigesen long sip ia. Man we hemi klemem se hemi ona blong Phocea, Pascal Anh Saken, hemi ronwe long Vanuatu bifo polis igo long sip mo ripot i talem se hemi ronwe long kantri afta we ol otoriti, oli bin givim hem wan diplomatik passport mo gavman, hemi apoentem hem ikam konsul blong Vanuatu long Viet Nam mo hemi ol nara diplomatik posisen tu long ol nara pat blong wol olsem long Amerika mo Asia.

Mr Carlot i talem se apoentmen Pascal, hemi folem desisen we kansel blong ol minista, hemi mekem.

Mr Carlot mo keateka praem minista, Sato Kilman ino serem sem luk luk long hem afta we Mr Kilman, hemi mekem wan oda blong karemaut diplomatik passport long hem be kasem tede, hemi stap wokbaut iet wetem ofisiol dokumen blong Vanuatu ia.

Oli talem Interpol, hemi stap traem blong trakem hem blong karemaut diplomatik passport ia be hemi no kasem hem iet. Taem we hemi lego Vanuatu, oli bin lukim hem long Viet Nam be ino long taem, oli talem se oli luk hem long Hong Kong.

VNP: Hopkins i mas akseptem lus

Vanuatu National Pati i talem se ikat kot i wan ples blong solvem wan problem olsem eleksen disput be ino nius pepa.

Presiden blong VNP mo semtaem niu memba blong palaman blong Banks mo Torres konstituensi, Christophe Emelee mo VNP kansela long Torba provins, Jack Wona, tufala i talem se tufala i respektem fridom blong ULF kandidet, Basil Hopkins blong go long niuspepa be pipol blong Torba i mekem chois blong olgeta finis.

Tufala i talem se Mr Hopkins, hemi bin kontestem eleksen long tu-taem finis be hemi no bin save winim tufala eleksen ia. Mr Emelee mo Mr Wona, tufala i talem se lus blong Mr Hopkins long eleksen, hemi wan bigfala tok tok blong ol pipol blong Torba se bae hemi no save riprisentem olgeta long wan palaman.

Tufala i talem se Mr Hopkins, hemi sapos blong luk luk hem wan bagegen se hemi no mekem wan samting i rong agensem ol pipol blong Torba bifo hemi komplen long lus blong hem.

Mr Wona i talem se ikat sam pipol blong Vanualava we oli stap wet iet long mani blong natangura blong olgeta mo maket blong drae kava blong olgeta.

Hemi talem se ol pipol i bin draemap kava folem rikues be oli fainem se naoia, oli no save salem drae kava ia mo naoia, oli stap kranem bagegen blong drink long vilej.

Tufala i talem se kava mo natangura, tufala i impoten sos blong pipol blong Torba i mekem smol mani long hem mo kiaman promes blong sam man blong politik long wan ples olsem Torba, Elektoral Komisen, hemi sut panisim tu ol kandidet we oli mekem promes ia, blong oli no stanap long wan eleksen.

Tufala i talem se kaon long famili long wan vilej, hemi afektem moa famili kompea long kaon long gavman mo ol statuteri bodi blong gavman.

Mr Emelee mo Mr Wona, tufala i talem se naoia tu, ol parens mo studen blong Arep junia sekendri skul, oli stap wet iet long sponsasip blong skul fi blong olgeta we sam man blong politik, oli mekem.

Tufala i talem se naoia we ol kandidet ia, oli lusum eleksen, bae oli stil mekem promes olsem sponsasip blong skul fi o nogat.

Tufala i talem se tede hed blong pipol blong Torba i open finis mo oli save fainemaut kuik

The independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 Novemba, 2012

taem se kaen promes olsem, hemi ol kiaman promes.

Presiden blong VNP mo VNP kansela ia, tufala i talem se wetem namba we pati i kasem long eleksen long las manis, hemi putum pati istap naoia long wan gudfala posisen mo hemi redi blong winim ol fiutsa eleksen we istap kam long level blong provins mo jenerol eleksen. Long jenerol eleksen blong las manis, Mr Emelee, hemi bin lidim eleksen long konstituensi blong Banks/Torres wetem 1028 pipol we oli bin vot long hem.

Tufala bigman blong VNP ia i talem se pati ino frait blong go bak long wan bae-eleksen sapos Mr Hopkins, hemi kamap wetem wan strong evidens o pruv blong hem be tufala i biliv se risal blong hem, bae hemi semak nomo. Maet bae hemi difren long ol nara politikol pati be VNP, bae hemi mantenem mo hemi save inkrisim namba blong hem.

Tufala invaetem Mr Hopkins blong kontestem bagegen eleksen blong provins blong hemi pruvum se hemi stil kat sapot o nogat.

Long wan nius blong VNP long Torba, MP Emelee i talem se bae hemi askem long gavman blong sapos gavman tru long Air Vanuatu, hemi save sabsedaisem praes

blong plen igo long konstituensi blong hem.

Hemi talem se gavman i sabsedaisem ol sip blong ol praevet bisnis man taem we oli go pem koprah long Torba be semak tritmen ia, hemi gud blong hemi mekem tu wetem ealaen blong hem.

Mr Emelee i talem se blong pipol blong Torba, oli travel aut mo olgeta blong go, oli mas pem tiket blong plen long ova 54 000 vatu we hemi sas finis bitim praes blong plen blong go long New Caledonia mo lelebet klosap blong go mo kam bak long New Zealand.

Niu MP blong Torba ia i talem se hae praes blong plen ia, hemi no kakae nomo ol lokol pasenja be hemi kontribiut tu blong mekem se ol turis, oli fainem i sas tumas blong go.

Torba provins, hemi wan long olgeta ples blong Vanuatu we hemi kat ol nais bits, wotafol, kaltsa, kastom mo tradisen blong diskaverem be hae praes blong plen, hemi kontribiut blong mekem se ol turis ino go plande olsem ol nara pat blong Vanuatu.

Biuti blong Torba ia, hemi mekem se ol lokol bisnis, oli buildim ol bangalow be oli empti istap from we turis ino go.

Bisnis blong turis, hemi wan impoten sos blong gavman mo ol lokol bisnis pipol olsem long Efate, oli winim bigfala mani long hem

Page 27

DRIVE ANGRY

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard and William Fichtner Director: Patrick Lussier Milton (Cage), an undead felon, has broken out of hell intent on finding the vicious cult who brutally murdered his daughter and kidnapped her baby. Joined by toughas-nails Piper (Heard), the two set off on a rampage, all while being pursued by an enigmatic killer (Fichtner) who has been sent by the Devil to retrieve Milton and deliver him back to hell.

THE IDES OF MARCH

Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney and Philip Seymour Hoffman Directed by: George Clooney An idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.

IN HER SHOES

T V g u i d e

PLANET OF THE APES

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Roth Directed by: Tim Burton The sudden appearance of one man in a world where apes are in charge and humans are enslaved serves as a catalyst for a revolution.

RAMONA AND BEEZUS

Starring: Joey King, Selena Gomez and Bridget Moynahan Directed by: Elizabeth Allen Synopsis: Ramona (King) is a little girl with a very big imagination and a nose for mischief. Her playful antics keep everyone in her loving family on their toes, including her older sister Beezus (Gomez), who’s just trying to survive her first year of high school. Through all the ups and downs of childhood, Ramona and Beezus learn that anything’s possible when you be

SHANGHAI NOON

Starring: Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz and Shirley MacLaine Directed by: Curtis Hanson Two sisters with nothing in common except for their shoe size discover a family secret that leads to a special bond, bringing them closer together.

Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson and Lucy Liu Directed by: Tom Dey A member of China’s Imperial Guard travels to the Wild West and teams up with a train robber to rescue a kidnapped princess.

TRUST

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Starring: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green and Liam Neeson Directed by: Ridley Scott A young Frenchman discovers his destiny as a knight during the Crusades and ultimately uses all his courage and skill to defend the city against staggering odds.

Page 28

Starring: Clive Owen, Catherine Keener and Liana Liberato Director: David Schwimmer A suburban family is torn apart when fourteen-year-old Annie (Liana Liberato) meets her first boyfriend online. After months of communicating via online chat and phone, Annie discovers her friend (Chris Henry Coffey) is not who he originally claimed to be. Shocked into disbelief, her parents (Clive Owen and Catherine Keener) are shattered by their daughter’s actions and struggle to support her as she comes to terms with what has happened to her once innocent life.

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Life style

Life Style Here’s How to Prevent a Charley Horse Like iqtu’s “You Cramp My Style” by electronic music artist James Zdrowski, a nighttime charley horse can get you up and dancing. But it’s no fun. Theories abound about what causes these painful leg cramps at night and how to prevent them. Everything from quinine to medications such as antianxiety drugs, muscle relaxers, and vascular dilators are prescribed, but for most people, most of the time, four simple steps will prevent this late-night, foot-stamping samba.

What causes leg cramps at night?

If you get more than 20 minutes (go for 30 minutes) of exercise a day, you won’t just sleep better. You’ll sleep much b e t t e r, getting 65% more restorative REM sleep. You’ll also have energy to burn and you’ll be more alert, which means you’ll be less likely to zone out during meetings and more likely to know what your spouse said to you 2 minutes ago. Bonus: If you’re prone to leg cramps at night, you can likely kiss those goodbye. Pretty slick for just 20 minutes of walking! Go for 30 minutes. (Did we say that already?)

Other big benefits of getting 8 hours of sleep every night:

1.

•

•

•

2.

Get plenty of vitamin D3, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Get tested for your blood levels of these and iron, too. Deficiencies are linked to leg cramps. From both food and supplements, aim for: 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily. The best food sources for vitamin D3 are herring, salmon, sardines, and fortified soy milk.

1,000 to 1,200 mg calcium citrate daily.

The best food sources for calcium citrate are dark leafy greens, almonds, canned salmon, and sardines.

400 to 500 mg magnesium. The best food sources for magnesium are pumpkin seeds, spinach, and almonds.

Stretch before you go to sleep. Stand 18 to 30 inches from a wall. Place your palms at shoulder height against the wall, and lean in until you have a full stretch on the back of each calf. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat.

1. You can stop fantasizing about naps. (You won’t need them.)

2. You’ll look better. “Beauty sleep” is for real.

When you’re sleep deprived, not only do you ooze fatigue, you also look measurably less attractive.

sleep even as the years go by: Stick to a schedule. Not only with daily activities -- like bathing, dressing, and eating -- but also with weekly ones -- like shopping, cleaning, and meeting up with friends. Doing so may help reinforce circadian cycles Keep It Regular In the study, keeping on schedule with daily activities had a slightly bigger impact on improving sleep than did sticking to a routine with weekly activities -probably because daily activities are often integrated into nightly bedtime routines. Once you get yourself on a schedule, use these additional strategies for good sleep: •

How “clean” is your sleep routine?

•

Take note on what’s keeping you awake.

•

Have a mini bedtime snack.

Need to Hydrate? Eat Fruits and Vegetables to Get 50% of Your Daily Water Intake

You can get 50% of your daily dose of H20 by eating fruits and vegetables. You’ll not only quench your thirst, you’ll rev up your disease-fighting powers and make your real age younger.

3. You’ll be younger and healthier. Averaging less than 6 hours of ZZZs makes you prone to high C-reactive protein, a warning of aging and inflammation that threaten your heart, brain, and arteries in ways that invite cancer, arthritis, and diabetes.

4. You’ll be slimmer.Sleep shortages stimulate your appetite, so you risk becoming tired and flabby. Nighty-night.

Easy Tip for Good Sleep

Broccoli is 92% water; a tomato, 94%; and a pear, 84%. That means one serving of broccoli (4 ounces) gives you 3 ounces of water! Get your 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables a day and you’ll take in a third to a half of the recommended intake.

1.

Stay hydrated. Drink water all day long (a little at a time so you’re never thirsty). Don’t overdo it or you’ll be waking up in the middle of the night -- not to stamp out cramps, but to pee.

2.

Try 900 mg of DHA omega-3 fatty acids.

This is good for your brain and eyes, and to prevent leg cramps. You might also try 200 mg of omega-7 fatty acids, another type of healthy fat with great benefits.

Walk During the Day to Sleep Much Better at Night

We know we talk a lot about how important it is to get enough sleep and how vital it is to stay active. Here’s a reason why: You can’t have one without the other.

This news didn’t rock our world. We’ve long known that exercise helps you sleep better. But that fact just got highlighted in neon pink, thanks to very specific data from a new study.

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

What time do you shower? Your answer could have an effect on how well you sleep.

For good sleep, you should shower -- and perform all your daily activities -- at the same time each day.

Research shows that older adults who stick to a routine when it comes to personal care tend to fall asleep faster and enjoy better sleep quality compared with folks who have erratic schedules.

Sleep and the Signs of Aging Sleep quality tends to go down as we get older. It’s all due to natural changes and signs of aging that are out of our control and affect the sleep/wake cycle. And it’s probably why more than 50% of older adults report suffering from insomnia. But here’s a way to get good

What you do drink can include unflavored and noncarbonated bottled water (better yet, tap water), as well as juices, nonfat milk, and even coffee (the diuretic effect of caffeinated beverages goes away if we drink them regularly, and 1 cup of coffee gives you about 2/3 cup of water). Remember to drink when you want to -- and don’t wait until you get dehydrated.

You’ll know you’re getting enough water when your pee is pale (think light beer, maybe).

Page 29

News

promedıcal news promedıcal news

By Michael Benjamin Operations Manager Les Nouvelles le personnel de Promedical a assisté à 47 cas pendant les 3 semaines dernières, 19 Ni Vanuatu le pt’s, 18 Touristes et 10 Extapotent. Une variété de cas aux limites de s’Évanouit aux accidents de voiture avec les patients multiples nous occupant avec les cas multiples se produisant en même temps. Le plus grand cas était sur la veille d’élection où un petit camion a perdu le contrôle et a labouré par la clôture au cimetière, en heurtant une pierre angulaire et en chassant tous les 5 passagers derrière le camion dans le cimetière, 4 était parti en courant au moment où Promedical et les policiers sont arrivés, mais ceux qui sont restés ont été gravement blessés, blessures variaient de composé fracturé les jambes, les épaules disloquées de blessures à la tête et les traumatismes médullaires de requête.

Tous les patients ont été évalués et traités avec une attelle, soulagement de la douleur et précautions de la colonne vertébrale et avec l’aide de l’ambulance VCH, transporté à VCH pour sur les soins continus.

Un touriste âgé d’un navire de croisière a trébuché et est tombé quelques étapes à l’Anchor Inn, personnel et clients appelé Promedical et s’est occupé de la Dame jusqu’à l’arrivée des ambulanciers, Bravo au personnel à l’Anchor

A l’intérieur d’ambulance Promedical Lit 2, conçu pour permettre le transport des patients gravement malades.

Inn pour obtenir une réponse rapide et calmement dans orthopédique. Un autre touriste a trébuché sur un carré laquelle ils ont réagi à la situation. L’évaluation a confirmé de béton avec des fils sortant près du sentier pédestre sur qu’elle avait rompu son bras gauche, mais aussi sa hanche le chemin du retour de Chantillys sur la baie, le voyage a entraîné une fracture très méchant de sa cheville gauche gauche, elle a été traitée avec soulagement de la douleur, et une douleur intense, elle a été traitée avec soulagement de la douleur et la cheville a été pris en charge avec une Une attelle placé sur son bras et sa hanche et transporté attelle, une fois de plus à l’aise elle a été transportée à VCH vers le bateau de croisière pour les radiographies et les pour les rayons x, puis sur Centre de santé Tassiriki pour soins médicaux avant une évacuation sanitaire Careflight sur la gestion des cours, elle et son mari ont volé la maison a été organisée et elle est retournée pour la chirurgie le lendemain pour la chirurgie.

Emergency Number Emergency Number

25566 / 115 25566 / 115

Red Cross News

By Charley Sikal MORE than twelve youths have gone through an Emergency Response Team Training (ERT), hosted at the Vanuatu Red Cross headquarters, from the 7th-9th of this month.

The purpose of this training was to enable the participants to be able to undertake and manage the basic requirements of the National Red Cross Society’s response to a disaster in their area.

Vanuatu Red Cross Society disaster coordinator, Augustine Garae said, after the three days training, the participants understand the history of the Red Cross, the significance and use of the emblem, the seven fundamental principles and

Page 30

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the different components of the Red Cross Movement.

“They now understand fully the expected behavior standards for field personnel: be able to conduct a disaster assessment in the field; be able to develop a need analysis; be able to undertake resources mobilization; understand the distribution of relief items; produce regular and meaningful situation reports and be willing to respond on behalf of Red Cross to disasters in their areas,” he said.

Facilitator, Mr Augustine Garae talking to the participants.

“This program is put forward as part of Vanuatu Red Cross preparedness and response activity at this time when we are in the cyclone season, which starts on November each year and goes to the month of April the following year.

“Similar programs are being conducted at all Red Cross Provinces across the country.

“First Aid in emergency and logistics is part of the training module that will effectively enhance the ERT member’s capacity,” Mr. Garae explained.

Participants looking at the disaster management report.

Henry Jackson, another facilitator to the training, also stated that he believed in and trusted the participants to perform the correct actions after a disaster, as well as to be confidential in whatever report they produce on the Vanuatu Red Cross disaster assessment forms, for the betterment of their communities.

The Independent/L’Indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Health

Ten Cold and Flu remedies that really work Aches. Sniffles. Fever. When you’re sick, you just want to feel better in a hurry. There’s no cure for a cold or flu, but we’ve got 10 home remedies that can help, from chicken soup (your grandma was right!) to hot chilli peppers.

Hot Tea with Honey and Lemon When you’re sick with a cold or the flu, drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated, and make sure they’re hot.

Black tea helps soothe a sore throat and chase away the chills with a good dose of virus-fighting interferon.

Add a dollop of antioxidant-rich honey and a squeeze of lemon for vitamin C

Orange Juice Crave orange juice when you’re sick? It’s full of vitamin C, which may help shorten a cold’s duration of and work as a natural decongestant. Aim for 500 mg of vitamin C four times a day. A cup of OJ has 124 mg. Other good sources of vitamin C include strawberries, tomatoes, and broccoli.

Hot Peppers Hot chilli peppers contain capsaicin, the compound that gives them their kick and acts as a decongestant to help relieve a stuffy nose. Can’t stand the heat? Mild bell peppers can help, too. They don’t have capsaicin, but they’re full of vitamin C.

•

Lather up. Hand wipes are convenient and popular, but plain old soap and water may keep you healthier. Research has shown that handwashing kills significantly more bacteria than antimicrobial hand wipes do. That said, if there’s no water around, hand wipes are much better than nothing -- and alcohol-based wipes are best of all.

When washing, you have to be thorough (suds up for 15 seconds) and frequent, because germs can survive on your hands and other places for 3 hours or more.

•

Know where the germs hide. Big hangouts for germs: the phone and the TV remote control.

Researchers have found high levels of amylase, an enzyme that warns of contamination from saliva or other bodily fluids, on the handsets and mouthpieces of phones and TV remote controls. In fact, phones and remotes tend to have even more amylase than diaper-changing mats! And where there’s amylase, there may be cold and flu viruses.

Once you touch a contaminated surface with your hands, it’s likely that the virus will be transferred to your nose or mouth -- and bingo, the bug’s in your body.

Neti Pot

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A neti pot looks like a genie’s lamp that can perform some sinus-clearing magic. Fill it with warm saltwater (use noniodized salt). Then stand over a sink, tilt your head to one side, and slowly pour the liquid through one nostril and allow it to stream out the other -- along with a lot of gunk that’s causing congestion.

Eat and sleep well. Don’t go too long without food: One small study showed that after having a meal, people produce more gamma interferon, an immune system compound that can help your body fight viruses, including ones that cause colds. Another ally: sleep. It induces the release of growth hormone, which in turn stimulates the immune system. And that fights for you more than any congressman ever did.

Cold and Flu Symptoms

infection, while ginger helps tame nausea. Add a little ginger and garlic to your chicken soup to boost its cold- and flufighting power.

Steam There’s a reason why you feel better after taking a hot shower -- or sit over a bowl of steaming water with a towel draped over your head.

The steam shrinks the mucus membranes in your nose and throat, and encourages mucus to drain, which helps ease a stuffy nose and congestion in your chest.

Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen Fighting a fever with that flu? Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help bring it down safely. If your fever stays above 103 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours (especially in children), contact your doctor.

Oatmeal Whole grains, like oatmeal, contain selenium, zinc, and beta glucan to help support your immune system and fend off cold and flu infections. Add a generous dollop of yogurt -- its probiotics may help keep a virus from settling into your respiratory system.

Nasal Decongestant Spray

Chicken Soup Grandma was right -- a bowl of chicken soup does make you feel better when you’re sick. This time-tested remedy contains cysteine, an amino acid that’s chemically similar to a bronchitis drug to help reduce inflammation. The salty broth also helps thin mucus, and the protein in the chicken helps you produce disease-fighting antibodies.

Garlic and Ginger Both garlic and ginger can offer potent cold and flu relief.

Garlic helps bolster your immune system to squelch an

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday, 17 November, 2012 Page 28

A nasal spray can help ease congestion. But don’t overdo it. Using a nasal decongestant spray for more than three days can cause a rebound effect with even worse congestion.

The Best Ways to Dodge a Cold That cold that’s getting passed around faster than the latest celeb gossip? Help yourself steer clear of it with these strategies:

•

Some cold symptoms and flu symptoms are the same. This chart will assist you in determining thorough (suds up for 15 seconds) and frequent, because germs can survive on your hands and other places for 3 hours or more.

•

Know where the germs hide. Big hangouts for germs: the phone and the TV remote control.

Researchers have found high levels of amylase, an enzyme that warns of contamination from saliva or other bodily fluids, on the handsets and mouthpieces of phones and TV remote controls. In fact, phones and remotes tend to have even more amylase than diaper-changing mats! And where there’s amylase, there may be cold and flu viruses.

Once you touch a contaminated surface with your hands, it’s likely that the virus will be transferred to your nose or mouth -- and bingo, the bug’s in your body.

Eat and sleep well. Don’t go too long without food: One small study showed that after having a meal, people produce more gamma interferon, an immune system compound that can help your body fight viruses, including ones that cause colds. Another ally: sleep. It induces the release of growth hormone, which in turn stimulates the immune system. And that fights whether your symptoms are likely to be due to a cold or an influenza virus.

Symptoms of Cold and Flu gradual onset of symptoms sore throat decreased appetite runny or congested nose red eyes sneezing headache general body ache dry cough sudden onset of symptoms pain around or behind the eyes fever of 101°F to 104°F intestinal disturbance vomiting fatigue

Cold Flu ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Page 31

The Indy Entertainment

Andy Capp

Broom Hilda

B.C

Non Sequitur

One Big Happy Calvin & Hobbes

Peanuts 9 Chickweed Lane

Pickles

Cathy Shoe

Drabble Widard of ID

Page 32

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, Page 27 2012

News

Abuse scandal sidelines BBC news chief THE BBC’s news chief and her deputy have been temporarily replaced while the broadcaster deals with the fallout from coverage of a child abuse scandal that forced its director general to resign, the broadcaster says.

on Monday criticised the payoff for Mr Entwistle, who led the BBC for just 54 days.

“Clearly, it is hard to justify a sizeable payoff of that sort,” spokesman Steve Field told reporters, but added it was for the BBC to justify the decision.

Helen Boaden, the BBC’s director of news and current affairs, and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, have handed over their responsibilities to others for the time being “to address the lack of clarity around the editorial chain of command,” the corporation said on Monday.

However, the prime minister gave his support to Chris Patten, the embattled chairman of the BBC Trust, the corporation’s governing body.

“Consideration is now being given to the extent to which individuals should be asked to account further for their actions and if appropriate, disciplinary action will be taken,” the statement said.

The BBC, meanwhile, faced criticism for agreeing to a 450,000 pounds ($689,000) payoff - a year’s salary - for George Entwistle, who resigned as director general on Saturday after a BBC news program bungled reports that powerful Britons sexually abused children.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s spokesman

“The important thing is for Chris Patten to lead the BBC out of its present difficulties,” Mr Field told reporters.

The multi-faceted crisis stems from allegations that the late Jimmy Savile, a BBC entertainment star, was a serial sexual abuser of underage girls. Newsnight, a BBC news program, was working on an investigation which was shelved last year by an editor, and the BBC subsequently went ahead with a year-end tribute program to Savile.

Earlier this month, the same news program wrongly implicated a British politician in sexabuse claims. The program did not identify the politician but the name quickly became known.

BBC employees arrive for work at New Broadcasting House in central London, after the BBC’s director of news, Helen Boaden has stepped aside.

The BBC said it wanted “to make it absolutely clear that neither Helen Boaden nor Stephen Mitchell had anything at all to do with the failed ‘Newsnight’ investigation” which linked a politician to allegations of sexual abuse.

The statement suggested that both were too busy dealing with various inquiries to give full attention to their jobs.

Following the conclusion of a review of BBC

management’s role in the failed Newsnight investigation, Boaden and Mitchell “expect to then return to their positions,” the BBC said.

Iain Overton, who was involved in preparing the Newsnight story about the politician, resigned on Monday as editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The organisation said the story had been “strictly contrary to the fundamental principles and standards of the bureau.”

Toyota tests cars that communicate with other vehicles TOYOTA Motor Corp. is testing car safety systems that allow vehicles to communicate with each other and with the roads they are on in a just completed facility in Japan the size of three baseball stadiums.

especially for developed markets such as the US, Europe and Japan. But the strongest sales growth is coming from emerging markets which are eventually expected to show more interest in safety technology.

The cars at the Intelligent Transport System site receive information from sensors and transmitters installed on the streets to minimise the risk of accidents in situations such as missing a red traffic light, cars advancing from blind spots and pedestrians crossing the street.

Toyota’s Japanese rival Nissan Motor Co. recently showed cars that were smart enough to stop on their own, park themselves and swerve away from pedestrians who suddenly jumped into the vehicle’s path.

The system also tests cars that transmit such information to each other.

A human sign and an arrow pop up on a dashboard display to notify the driver of a pedestrian and an approaching car during a demonstration of Toyota’s Intelligent Transport System.

Couple jailed over Facebook death A TEENAGE Dutch couple have been jailed for inciting another adolescent to stab a girl to death for allegedly posting derogatory comments on Facebook.

The 16-year-old female defendant, identified only as “Polly” because of her age, was handed the maximum sentence for a minor by the eastern Arnhem court this week.

“She was jailed for two years and sent to a youth psychiatric facility for three years, one suspended,” court spokeswoman Marlou Nijland said.

Her accomplice and boyfriend at the time, identified as 18-year-old Wesley C, received the same sentence.

Details of the case shocked the nation when the court heard that the couple hired a teenage hitman to stab 15-year-old Joyce Hau to death on January 14.

The attack happened after Hau and Polly had a fight on the social networking site and derogatory comments were apparently posted.

Shortly afterwards, Wesley C contacted Jing Hua K, 14, and according to prosecutors asked him to “silence someone”.

Jing Hua K went to the victim’s home, saying he had something to give her. When she came to the door he repeatedly stabbed her with a knife and then attacked her father, scarring his face for life.

The victim was left “in a lake of blood”, judges said in September as they handed Jing Hua K a one-year sentence and ordered him to spend at least two years in a psychiatric facility.

The girl died in hospital five days after the attack.

Jing Hua K was promised 150 euros ($A185) or “a few drinks” if he carried out the murder, the court heard.

“Both defendants have a personality disorder and the level of development of their socioemotional functioning is lower than average,” the verdict said.

More than 90 per cent of Dutch citizens between the ages of 16 and 25 use social networking sites including Facebook, the central statistics office said.

Facebook said last month that it has over one billion users, of which more than half connect to the site daily.

- AAP

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

In a test drive for reporters, the presence of a pedestrian triggered a beeping sound in the car and a picture of a person popped up on a screen in front of the driver. A picture of an arrow popped up to indicate an approaching car at an intersection.

An electronic female voice said, “It’s a red light,” if the driver was about to ignore a red light.

The 3.5 hectare test site looks much like the artificial roads at driving schools, except bigger, and is in a corner of the Japanese automaker’s technology center near Mount Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan.

Toyota officials said the smart-car technology it is developing will be tested on some Japanese roads starting in 2014. Similar tests are planned for the US, although details were not decided. Such technology is expected to be effective because half of car accidents happen at intersections, according to Toyota.

Managing Officer Moritaka Yoshida said Toyota sees preventing collisions, watching out for pedestrians and helping the driving of the elderly as key to ensuring safety in the cars of the future.

“We offer the world’s top-level technology,” he told reporters.

All automakers are working on pre-crash safety technology to add value to their cars,

Toyota also showed a new feature that helps the driver brake harder to prevent bumping into the vehicle in front. Toyota officials said drivers often fail to push hard on their brakes in such situations because they panic.

Toyota said the technology will be available “soon,” without giving a date, and hinted it will be offered for Lexus luxury models. Luxury models already offer similar safety features such as automatic braking.

Technology involving precise sensors remains expensive, sometimes costing as much as a cheaper Toyota car.

Toyota has also developed sonar sensors that help drivers avoid crashing in parking lots. One system even knows when the driver pushes on the gas pedal by mistake instead of the brakes, and will stop automatically.

Rear-end collisions make up 34 per cent of car accidents in Japan, comprising the biggest category, followed by head-on collisions at 27 per cent.

Cars that stop and go on their own, avoiding accidents, are not pure science fiction, experts say.

Alberto Broggi, professor at the University of Parma and an expert on intelligent transportation systems, said the idea of the accident-free cars is “very hot”, and probably within reach on some roads within several years.

“I’m sure we will arrive to such a technology even if I don’t know when exactly,” he said.

- AP Page 33 39 Page

The Indy Entertainment

H H O O

R R

23 Sept.

22 Oct.

23 Oct. 22 Nov.

serious shopping today. You have an eye for bargains that will help you spot a real deal. This is perfect for hitting thrift stores or buying antiques, and even if it’s not your style to argue over prices, you can be an extra successful negotiator now.

Scorpio - Although differences of opinion are normal, you don’t need to escalate them into outright conflict today. You’re the passionate type who doesn’t take a half-hearted approach, giving you strength of vision when things get tough. But this intensity can also trap you in an extreme position now. Keep an open mind and a healthy sense of humor. Remember, it isn’t worth damaging a relationship just to make your point.

Sagittarius -Although your motto might be live and let live, it seems like you could

23 Nov. 21 Dec.

22 Dec. 18 Jan.

O O 19 Jan. 19 Feb.

S S

CROSSWORDS

Libra - Although it’s the start of the workweek, your mind may be set on doing some

lose some of your easygoing attitude today. Even a simple conversation can build in intensity and volume until tempers grow out of control. Naturally, you have a right to your opinions, but nothing is gained by getting upset now. Keep things on friendly terms or just drop the subject for a while. Make a peaceful exit from the scene before

Capricorn -Others seem to make situations more difficult today, especially if you are inflexible in your attitude. You prefer to stick with your plan, but should prepare yourself to make adjustments if you want to avoid conflict. Don’t use force to get your way; instead, step back and try to understand the opposing viewpoint. You may not agree with the ideas, but you can maintain harmony now if you respectfully listen to what’s being said.

Aquarius - You are a great believer in freedom and individuality. Exerting power over other people might not interest you, but you have responsibilities today that require you to step up to the plate and be a leader. Working within specific structures can succeed if the rest of the group shares your enthusiasm for the cause. You may be able to accomplish the impossible now with a dedicated team effort.

Pisces - Someone might require your emotional support today, but all you can bring

is a wider perspective on the situation. Your faith and spirituality help create a larger context to balance a sense of loss. Although a situation may seem hopeless, your innate wisdom is comforting to those in need. Trust in your ability to reduce pain and 20 Feb. 20 March suffering, even if you feel like you’re not doing all that much now.

Aries -

C C O O

You may be required to face the consequences of your desires today. From a positive perspective this process can deepen a relationship, allowing you to grow more intimate with another person. It’s about going further than you normally choose to go. However, difficulties arise if you try to blast through resistance without taking 22 March 20 April responsibility. Make the most of your time now by slowing down to address the softer side of the story.

Taurus 21 April 20 May

21 May 21 June

P P 22 June 22 July

E E S S

It seems as if nothing is simple now as powerful feelings impact your connections with others. Your current inclination to peel away the layers of the onion to see what’s underneath can be a welcome opportunity to take a relationship to the next level. But dissatisfaction might be revealed that leads to renegotiating a partnership agreement or even ending it. Be courageous and accept the changes that are inevitable parts of life.

Gemini - A task that you thought was already completed could require additional work now. If you rushed through it the first time around, expect to put more effort into it again today. This is an excellent time to do some maintenance, even if you are not very excited about the idea. Cleaning up at home or at work can bring satisfaction if you pick one job and do it thoroughly, rather than spreading your energy too thin.

Cancer - Intensity is the keyword for the day, and there’s no way you just want to kick back and relax. Power and passion can bring fulfillment -- and this means taking risks with your heart, even if the situation is complex. Life doesn’t have to be simple now to be good. Romance may shine brightly on your horizon today because you’re capable of discovering new heights of pleasure with the right partner.

Leo -

23 July 23 Aug.

Expect to face issues of power and control now, especially in family dynamics.

You might see a potential conflict as a difficult situation that must be avoided, but it can also be a rare opportunity to break unconscious patterns that limit your choices.

Be fearless and know that greatness comes from addressing the toughest issues with frank openness, rather than avoiding them as a matter of pride.

24 Aug. 22 Sept.

Virgo - Sometimes strategically telling a secret is quite useful, but it can also be very dangerous. The risk is that while you get closer to one person, you might lose the trust of others who are not included in the conversation. The positive side is that you may receive objective insights from someone who has a very clear take on the issues.

Use your keen analytical mind today to make sense out of a previously mysterious

SUDOKU ROCKU Last Solution 456

ACROSS 1. “Oh my!”

5. Stalks 10. Hairdo 14. Pear-shaped instrument 15. Daring 16. Layer 17. Denizen 19. By mouth 20. Conceit 21. Lacquer ingredient 22. Foe 23. Snuggled 25. Scatter 27. Not young 28. Shears 31. Each and all 34. An attention-getting feat 35. Decay 36. Citrus fruit 37. Self-reproach 38. Gull-like bird 39. Venomous snake 40. Chivalrous 41. Optical maser 42. Federal 44. One of the tribes of Israel 45. Map within a map 46. Green with vegetation 50. Javelin 52. Unpaid 54. Average 55. Curved molding 56. Improve 58. Bother 59. Fine thread 60. Historical periods 61. Exam 62. Toward the outside 63. Friends

10. Makes amends 11. Pyrotechnics 12. 500 sheets 13. Paris airport 18. Tummy 22. At one time (archaic) 24. Ripped 26. Hue 28. Motionless 29. Debauchee 30. Sun 31. Distinctive flair 32. Brand of credit card 33. Void 34. Smaller than an atom 37. Departed 38. Found on most beaches 40. Schnozzola 41. Very slow in tempo 43. Unlawful intercourse 44. Refused 46. Country house 47. 3-banded armadillo 48. Area of South Africa 49. Amount of hair 50. Garret 51. Chills and fever 53. Toward sunset 56. Beer 57. Representative (abbrev.)

Last solution - 456

DOWN

The grid of 81 squares consists of nine blocks each containing nine cellls. Solve the puzzle using logic and a process of elimination. Fill in the blank cells using the numbers from 1 to 9. Each number must appear just once in each row, column and block. Solution next edition.

Page 32 4

1. Extraterrestrial 2. Move forward suddenly 3. A Musketeer 4. Ocean 5. Grinned 6. Lugged 7. Test 8. Very small 9. Collection The Independent/L’Indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Children’s Page

Birds

Word Search:Birds Bird

Heat Quiz Take our heat quiz and learn some new and interesting information about energy transfer, boiling points and what happens to water at freezing temperatures.

Enjoy the trivia questions & answers, put yourself to the test and see what you know about this fun science topic.

1. True or false? The boiling point of water is 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit).

2. When water is cooled, does it expand or contract?

3. True or false? The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth is 42.4 °C (108.3 °F).

FQ B X UJ Q W C A J

F J B X U RU J CJ A XG W U Q D G E F R F

KJ Y Q LE F R X N U

9. True or false? Heat is a form of energy.

10. At what temperature is Fahrenheit equal to Centigrade?

Heat Quiz Answers

4. Heat from the sun gets to the Earth by radiation, conduction or convention?

1. True 2. Expand

5. What is the freezing temperature of water?

3. False - 57.8 °C (136 °F) 4. Radiation

6. True or false? Kelvin, Celsius and Fahrenheit are all measures of temperature.

5. 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) 6. True

7. True or false? 100 Kelvin is the temperature of absolute zero.

7. False - 0 Kelvin 8. Insulators

8. Substances that don’t conduct heat are known as what?

9. True 10. -40 degrees

Craft Ball

B

BEAK TWEET

BEAK TWEET BIRD WING

P C Z K N K W I RP YCZ Z R A V B XN L K W TI R E DZ FR A PV EBT G F X F T K KR CEL Z F N BP G XE PTW G Q F UKJ K R ZC I LW ZT B GZ X D HP AWX Q Q J R ZI HI OWF TT Z D H C BA MXF Q N ID HT ZO J F I TY CR B E GM SFX N D TR Z R GJ C I F Y R EZ G B GS RXS R RU G F EC EFK V Z BC G Y TR HSO M U F E K ME TKZ VB C Y T G KH AOZ M K K M JT EZJ BS G K NA F ZM KC J DE S JU SB N RF SM C D H IS U B RJ BS H B T AI Q J B T A Q

BIRD CAGE EGG FEATHER WING CAGE EGG FEATHER

Soluiton

F Z GF R J NZ W Y B CG MRE JS BN EWA YK C WMI EN W B KEY AH W HWK IS D KT YG A TH KB VD L E T EA ETD E UV I LN E BE LED D U J Y IO N B NLY D J XYX O R DN Y X X R D

FLY FLY

B ZB GS UB AK BZ RN TG U H Z HA F B BS ZRR T G YZQ HS F YB B Z R W I IY Q S UE TYW F QWK IT I US TN W S F QM K K ET S XNN S Q MH KR E Q X N H R

NEST NEST

PET

SEED PET

SING SEED

SIN

Grade Range: 1st grade and up Difficulty Rating: Easy Time: approximately 15 minutes for project Categories: Gift, Wearable Party Flip Flops

User-created with abctools® for home and classroom use only.

Graphics and format ©2000-2008 abcteach® Birds

These flip flops are quick and easy to make. The flip flops wouldUser-created make a with abctools® for home and classroom use only.

Graphics and format ©2000-2008 abcteach® Birds great party craft either at home, in clubs, or in school.

www.abcteach.com May not be sold/redistributed without permission

www.abcteach.co May not be sold/redistributed without permissi

What you will need: Latex balloons (largest package of balloons you can find) Flip flops Glitter glue, optional

Sudoku Soluiton

1. Tie balloons side by side on flip flops as shown in photograph.

2. Add glitter glue if desired. Let dry.

3. Enjoy wearing your flip flops or give as a gift.

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Page Page 35 31

Weird and Wacky news Wife ‘runs down husband for not voting’ and other weird US election news A WOMAN in Arizona allegedly ran her husband down with an SUV leaving him in a critical condition as he hadn’t voted and she blamed him for Barack Obama’s re-election victory.

Witnesses said Holly Solomon chased husband Daniel around a parking lot in her jeep, while yelling at him about not participating in the election, forcing him to hide behind a light pole. She then allegedly pinned him to the curb with her vehicle this week in Mesa, Arizona, ABC news reports.

A new study has found a link between smacking and insulting children, and their developing cancer or heart disease later in life.

Smacking kids may increase cancer risk: study SMACKING and insulting your children may increase their risk of cancer and heart disease later in life, a controversial new study has found.

Scientists from the school of psychology at Plymouth University surveyed cancer and cardiac patients aged 40-60 in Saudia Arabia, where “the use of beating and insults is an acceptable parenting style,” the researchers said.

“More frequent beating (once or more per month) and insults were associated with a significantly increased risk for cancer, cardiac disease and asthma,” they said in the Journal of Behavioural Medicine, which published the study.

risk was increased because this type of parenting causes stress in the child.

“A stress-inducing parenting style, even when (socially acceptable), has long term adverse health consequences,” they concluded.

However the researchers said that, because they mostly came together, it was impossibly to say whether the beating or the insults were most to blame.

They also acknowledged that other factors may be at work such as wealth and education, which could be the root cause of both the parenting style and the bad health.

Other experts warned against reading too much into the study.

Those who had cancer were 70 per cent more likely to have been beaten as a child compared to a healthy group, and those with cardiac disease were 30 per cent more likely to have been beaten.

Dr Andrea Danese, from King’s College London, told the London Daily Telegraph that the data could be biased by the memory of those surveyed for the study.

The researchers speculated that the disease

“Ill people may be more likely to report unhappy childhood,” she said.

US election: Unhappy Americans ask to secede from US MORE than 100,000 Americans have petitioned the White House to allow their states to secede from the US, after President Barack Obama’s re-election.

The appeals were filed on the White House’s We the People website.

Most of the 20 states with petitions voted for Republican Mitt Romney.

The US constitution contains no clause allowing states to leave the union. By this week night the White House had not responded.

In total, more than 20 petitions have been filed. One for Texas has reached the 25,000-signature threshold at which the White House promises a response.

The last time states officially seceded, Page 36

following the election of Abraham Lincoln, the US Civil War followed.

Most of the petitions merely quote the opening line of America’s Declaration of Independence from Britain, in which America’s founders stated their right to “dissolve the political bands” and form a new nation.

Police said the 28-year-old, who did not test positive for drugs or alcohol, genuinely believed her family would be economically disadvantaged if President Obama was reelected. She was reportedly furious that her husband had not voted and blamed him for Obama’s win.

Mr Solomon remains in a critical condition at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center. Mrs Solomon has been charged with domestic violence and aggravated assault.

The alleged incident is the latest in a series of bizarre news stories related to last week’s presidential and general elections which saw Obama defeat Republic rival Mitt Romney.

We the People The White House’s online petition web page, We the People, is being swamped with requests from a number of states for the right to peacefully succeed from the United States and form their own government, technology website mashable.com reports.

Multiple petitions posted by individuals in Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Michigan, Montana, New York, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, North Dakota, Montana, Indiana, Mississippi, Florida, Kentucky, Alabama and Texas have all requested the right to formally leave the US government and form their own administrations.

While most individual petitions have less than 15,000 signatories, the petition for the state of Texas has already 37, 897 signatures.

Mashable.com reports that it generally takes just 25,000 signatures for a petition to get an official White House response.

Racist tweets now mapped by state Voting-related data continues to make the news, with a group of geography academics in the US mapping racist post-election tweets by state.

The text complains of “blatant abuses” of Americans’ rights.

The groupFloating Sheep-catalogued racist election tweets sent from 1-7 November. The group took 395 geo-coded racist messages and compared the number of hateful tweets to the volume of other election tweets sent out from each state over the same seven-day period.

It cites the Transportation Security Administration, whose staff have been accused of intrusive airport screening of flyers.

- BBC

The results? Southern states like Mississippi and Alabama had the highest volume of racist tweets and were closely followed by Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee.

Currently, the most popular petition is from Texas, which voted for Mr Romney by some 15 percentage points more than it did for the Democratic incumbent.

Orthodox Jews of Obama Meanwhile a group of ultra Orthodox Jews calling themselves ‘True Torah Jews’ are now taking credit for a bump in support for Obama in the village of Kiryas Joel in upstate New York.

Only 7 per cent of the village, who are said to be mostly Satmar Hasidic Jews, voted for Obama back in 2008, BuzzFeed reports.

The group says thanks to their radio ads criticising Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu for interfering in the election, 42 per cent of the village backed Obama in 2012.

“I usually vote for the Republicans,” local resident Joel Klein is quoted as saying in the group’s press release. “But this time I voted for Obama to show my protest against the Israeli politicians, and to show that they don’t represent Jewish interests.”

Romney losing friends fast Mitt Romney - whose campaign still hadn’t dismantled a website it built in preparation of a win earlier this week - is fast losing online support, mashable.com reports.

A website dedicated to the presidential candidate’s social media declinedisappearingromney.com- reports that he is losing 847 friends and followers on Facebook per hour.

The site is tracking his fall from grace on social media in real-time with a graph that shows just how many people are leaving the team by the hour.

Macy’s shoppers unhappy with the Donald Around 40,000 Macy’s shoppers are now petitioning the retail giant to remove controversial entrepreneur Donald Trump from their ads for promoting the long-discredited theory that Obama wasn’t born in the US and therefore by law can’t be president.

Trump, who made headlines around the world after he called for revolution when Obama won last week’s election, has enraged shoppers for the up-market retail store, Jezebel.com reports.

“Donald Trump does not reflect the ‘magic of Macy’s,” reads the online petition posted on SignOn.org.

“We urge you to sever ties with him. Macy’s says it has a strong obligation to be ‘socially responsible’ and that ‘actions speak louder than words.’ Indeed. It’s time to act.” “...Aside from his controversial birther viewswhich have long been discredited after Obama authorized his birth state of Hawaii to release his long-form birth certificate-the petition also notes Trump has “used his public platform to deny the reality of climate change.”

It also smacks him for sexist behavior and “personally attacking women he disagrees” with.

“Additionally, his detractors point out the reality star has “hypocritically complained about jobs being shipped overseas to China, despite the fact that almost his entire clothing line sold at Macy’s is made in China.”

The Independent/L’Indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Photo Feature

Celebrating Diwali - the festival of light MORE than 60 lovers of Indian food and culture celebrated the Indian festival of Diwali at the Indian@Seaside restaurant in Port Vila last weekend.

Diwali, which means ‘rows of lighted lamps’, is perhaps the most well-known of the Hindu festivals and takes place around the beginning of November.

It is called the ‘festival of lights’ because houses, shops and public places are decorated with small earthenware oil lamps called diyas.

For many Indians this five day festival honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

People start the new business year at Diwali, and some Hindus will say prayers to the goddess for a successful year.

Lamps are lit to help Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, find her way into people’s homes.

The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance, and the legends that go with the festival are different in different parts of India.

In India the festival is a time for springcleaning the home, wearing new clothes, exchanging gifts (often sweets and dried fruits) and preparing festive meals, and decorating buildings with fancy lights. Huge firework displays often celebrate Divali.

There were no fireworks at the Indian@ Seaside celebration, but plenty of lights, food, music, dance and fancy clothes.

Indian@Seaside’s Wasim and Neelu (left) hosted a Diwali celebration which included displays of Dandia dancing (above).

Dancing included a display of Dandia dance, performed by girls in gorgeously colourful costumes.

The Dandia dance originated as devotional dances, which were performed in honour of the Goddess Durga, the mother of the universe. This dance form is actually the staging of a mock-fight between Goddess

Durga and Mahishasura, the mighty demonking. It is also nicknamed ‘The Sword Dance’, with the sticks used in the dance representing the sword of Goddess Durga.

There was also Bollywood style dancing, with guests encouraged to join in the moves.

The night’s feast included vegetable biryani, tandoori chicken drumsticks, vegetable

samosas and tangy beef koftas, with a dessert of chocolate samosas with icecream.

But perhaps the highlight of the evening was a fashion show, featuring staff and friends of restaurant owners Wasim and Neelu showing off some beautiful outfits, just right for a colourful celebration of such an important festival.

The colourful Festival of Light party last weekend included a fabulous fashion show of glamourous garments (above and below), followed by Bollywood dancing, with guests encouraged to take to the floor and join in the fun (far left, right).

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Page 33 Page 37

Biscuit

&

Cheesecake Recipes

Anzac biscuits

Ingredients: •

•

•

•

•

• • • •

125g unsalted butter 2 Tbsp golden syrup 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 Tbsp boiling water ¾ cup desiccated coconut 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup plain flour ¾ cup caster sugar ½ tsp fine salt

Note

W of hip fa the up a tro vou se g ba r co ops ites olde tch th uple . M for n all ey’l of ake you to l be bat tha r o s g ch t a oo ob es n! ble – du p

Dark chocolate bread & butter pudding Ingredients: • •

•

•

•

• •

Method 1.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 4 oven trays with baking paper. Combine butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until butter is melted. Add bicarb and water and whisk to combine.

Remove from heat.

Combine coconut, oats, flour, sugar 2. and salt in a large bowl, add butter mixture and beat until combined. Form into 48 small balls and put on prepared trays, allowing space for spreading. Flatten slightly with a fork.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until 3. golden. Cool biscuits on trays before serving.

If you’d like a crispier biscuit, flatten the dough balls with the heel of your hand rather than gently with a fork. The biscuits will be thinner, wider and, ultimately, more crunchy.

2 1/2 cups milk 200 g dark

chocolate, roughly chopped 125 g

PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 tablespoon cocoa 1 tablespoon caster sugar 4 eggs 8 slices raisin bread Icing sugar, for dusting Pure cream, to serve

Method 1.

Combine the milk, chocolate, PHILLY, cocoa and sugar in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Allow to cool then whisk in the eggs.

2.

Cut each bread slice in half diagonally. Arrange bread triangles in a greased 2 litre capacity shallow baking dish. Pour over chocolate mixture and stand for 10 minutes.

3.

Bake in a moderately slow oven 160°C for 35–40 minutes or until set. Allow to cool slightly. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream. Serve immediately.

4.

Handy tip: Italian Panettone is a great substitute for raisin bread.

Raspberry and yoghurt cheesecake

10

se

rv

es

Pineapple coconut cheesecake

Ingredients Ingredients

Method

• •

• • •

• • • •

•

1.

Make crust: Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Grease a 20cm (base) springform pan. Process biscuits until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add butter. Process until combined. Press mixture over base and side of prepared pan.

Refrigerate.

Cheesecake 250g Arnott’s Nice biscuits, halved 125g butter, melted Filling 2 x 250g packets cream cheese, chopped, softened 2/3 cup caster sugar 3 eggs 1/2 cup coconut milk 440g can crushed pineapple, drained Toasted shredded coconut (see tip), to serve

Meanwhile, make filling: Using an 2. electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined, adding coconut milk. Fold in pineapple. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Place pan on a baking tray.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or 3. until just set (cheesecake will wobble slightly in centre). Turn off oven. Cool cheesecake in oven for 3 hours with door ajar. Refrigerate overnight. Top with coconut. Serve.

Note Tip: To toast shredded coconut, place in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.

Cook, stirring, until golden. Serve with whipped cream, thawed frozen berries, or chocolate curls. Dust cheesecakes with icing sugar mixture, drinking chocolate or cocoa powder. We used non-stick springform pans. If using regular pans, line the base with baking paper.

Page 38

•

• •

•

•

300 g digestive

biscuits 100 g butter, melted 200 g fromage blanc or cream cheese, diced and softened 300 ml sweetened

condensed milk 125 g (H cup) plain

Method

•

•

•

•

yoghurt 125 g (H cup) sour cream 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 x 5 g gelatine sheets, soaked in cold water 125 g raspberries, washed

1.

Crush the digestive biscuits in a food processor or put them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Use the crumbs to line the base and side of a 20 cm round springform cake tin. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.

Put the fromage blanc or cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with 2. a paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 5 minutes, then increase the speed to medium for a further 5 minutes until smooth. Gradually add the condensed milk on low speed, again increasing the speed to high for 5 minutes, making sure there are no lumps in the mixture.

Add the yoghurt and sour cream and continue mixing on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping the side and bottom of the bowl from time to time, until well combined.

3.

Heat the lemon juice in a small saucepan. Squeeze the water from the gelatine leaves and then stir them into the lemon juice until they melt. Strain over the cheesecake mixture and continue mixing for 5 minutes at high speed until all the ingredients are well combined. Pour the cheese filling over the cake base until it is filled to halfway. Sprinkle the raspberries all over the cheesecake and then top with the remaining filling mixture.

Refrigerate for 4 hours. Once set, remove from the tin, cut the cake into wedges and serve with the berry coulis.

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

Dining Out

Sip and sup in style ‘POPULAR Pub with Panache’; ‘The happening place in PV’; ‘Great beer, great food’; ‘We loved this place’... these are just a few of the recent comments posted by travellers on the popular website TripAdvisor about The Brewery.

The Brewery

Lini Highway, Port Vila Phone: 28328 Open: Lunch and dinner 7 days Special Features: Home of the popular Nambawan beer and now also brewing cider and porter, this bar and restaurant also offers top tucker at palatable prices.

‘When everywhere else is quiet especially on Sunday this is the place to be. Lovely cold beer, good atmosphere, catch up on sport on TVs, watch the world go by from balcony...’ says one, and certainly when we stopped in for lunch last weekend, the place was buzzing, with couples, groups of friends, families and even lone visitors enjoying a coldie and a bite to eat.

chicken and lentil salad, which features roasted pumpkin.

Couples or even crowds can share the platters (VT 2400-3900) - choose from Italian antipasto, a tapas platter or the Port BBQ platter for two.

It seems everyone feels comfortable at The Brewery, with its different areas catering for different tastes. Indoors you can view sport and other events on four large-screen TVs; there’s an upstairs lounge and verandah.

There are heartier meals to be had, of course, with the restaursant’s grill working overtime to turn out top notch steaks - the eye fillet in cognac sauce is highly recommended - as well as schnitzels, rack of lamb and more (VT 2600-3400).

On weekend nights the upstairs transforms into a mini nightclub dubbed The Loft, with DJ ‘Sunrise Steve’ pumping out some tunes.

For our lunch last weekend, we shared a couple of scrumptious treats, starting with a serve of salt and pepper chilli calamari (VT 1200). And as calamrai goes, this was first class - lovely and tender, in a crispy, spicy coating that really complemented the squid, and topped with a zesty fried mix of chilli, ginger and coriander, all on a bed of crisp lettuce and crunchy cucumber - delicious.

Or you can just relax downstairs on the deck and people watch. We love the misting machines that surround the deck, as the fine spray of water they send out not only keeps out the dust from the road, but helps keep the air cooled too.

The beer brewed in-house, Nambawan, is a hit with locals and visitors alike, and the latest liquid refreshments being concocted at The Brewery - porter and cider - are also going down a treat. Owner Matt Measey says the venue will shortly be bottling its very popular cider so people can take it home to enjoy, as well as tasting it at the bar and restaurant, which will make some people we know very happy.

And everyone is able to find something on the menu to please them, as well, from snacks to pizzas (among the best in town) to hearty meals.

We and many of our friends have never been disappointed with the food served up at The Brewery - no doubt it’s down to the skill of the head chef ‘Bu Bu’, whose heritage is both French and Italian, two countries with classic cuisines that add much to any menu.

There are many Mediterranean touches on

go for spicy foods, there are plenty of other choices, including the chicken schnitzel burger, with cheese, tomato, lettuces and mayo. And all burgers are served with a mound of The Brewery’s famous hand cut chips.

We also shared one of the famous pizzas, the Bu Bu Special (VT1950), a ‘tweaked’ version of the classic Margherita topped with paper thin slices of smoked Italian ham.

The pizza was as close top perfect as you can get: thin, crispy crust, right amount of tomato puree and fresh tomato to boot, bubbly, browned cheese and that delightful smoky ham added at the end.

There are luscious salads (VT1500-2800), such as the classic Caesar, Nicoise, seafood salad and the very popular barbecued

We went away more than happy, and looking forward to the next visit to The Brewery.

- Tony & Elaine Wilson

The Brewery is home to great local brews and delicious fare. the menu here, including the aforementioned pizzas, pasta dishes and others... but more of those in a moment.

If you are after a light meal or lunch, there are a host of options, including delicious wraps (VT 900-1500) - try the slow roasted beef and mustard with sundried tomatoes, feta and salad, or the vegetarian home made felafels, a Middle Eastern medley of felafels, cucumber, carrot, lettuce and onion with a chilli sauce.

The burgers (VT 1100-1600) are also some of the most creative in town, such as the ‘spice it up’ burger, featuring spiced organic Vanuatu beef, a chilli aioli, lettuce, jalapeno and avocado when in season. If you don’t

Local ‘bites’

w CHRISTMAS is nearly upon us and it’s time to arrange those festive functions.

Any business considering where to hold a staff Christmas party should check out the Beach Bar at Mele Bay, which has a selection of menus available and offers plenty of fun and entertainment for groups to enjoy.

There’s a sumptuous Xmas buffet for VT 3500 per person, or the gang can tuck into a spit roasted pig or veal leg feast for VT 2500, while a BBQ buffet is just VT 2200 per person.

Work up an appetite with free beach volleyball and pool; there’s jet skis for hire, towbehinds, or have some team building fun with the Zorb balls.

For details or bookings contact the Beach Bar by email at beachbarmele@gmail.com or call 5552604 / 5564353. w PORT Vila’s popular Elan Restaurant will be opening for Christmas Day lunch to offer the ideal spot for those who like to celebrate in style without the hard work.

The restaurant will be offering a special four course menu, which will include a glass of bubbles on arrival and a choice of seafood entrees, traditional turkey roast and a choice of desserts, for VT 6800 per person.

The local village children’s choir will also be singing Christmas Carols for guests to enjoy.

Bookings will need to be paid in full by December 14.

To receive a copy of the Christmas Menu, contact Linda or Darryl Millar at elan Restaurant and Bar by email at elan@vanuatu.com.vu or call 25526.

Wine of the week WILD ROCK ‘Gravel Pit Red’ Merlot Malbec 2010, Hawkes Bay, NZ, is a light to medium bodied Merlot with a touch of Cabernet.

Flavours of dark black fruit and spice and hints of cocoa and a long refreshing finish lend nicely to a hearty Santo beef or veal.

Easy drinking red that is normally VT2000 and is on special now for VT1800.

- TW

Send your ‘bites’ to: editor@independent.vu

The Independent/L’indépendant - Saturday 17 November, 2012

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