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Australia, North America and Britain to come next

By Reginald Chandar

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Oct. 31, 2013) – Fijians living in New Zealand have until today to register for the 2014 election.

Voter registration centres have been registering voters in Auckland and Wellington from last Wednesday and the electronic voter registration closes later this afternoon.

Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Elections Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has urged Fijians to take advantage of the opportunity and get registered for the first truly democratic parliamentary election in Fiji's history.

The next phase of registration which will be announced later will see Electronic Voter Registration Centres set up in Australia, the west coast of North America and Britain.

More than 500,000 Fijians have so far registered for the general election which is expected to take place by September 2014.

Code rejects inducements from politicians to media

By Dr. Mark Pearson

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (Pacific Scoop, Oct. 31, 2013) – An historic congress of Timor-Leste journalists held in Dili recently voted for their first code of ethics and a seven-member press council.

The next hurdle for media freedom in East Timor will be a press law currently before the national parliament, which it is feared will feature a journalist licensing system and criminal penalties, journlaw.com reported.

The media law proposed by a committee of journalists advising the government featured self-regulatory controls.

However, the final version included amendments proposed by the Secretary of State for Social Communication, Nélio Isaac Sarmento, rumoured to include the licensing and criminal sanctions.

Opening the congress on Friday, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao scolded journalists for not having developed adequate self-regulation when he had warned them to do so in...

Bilateral relationship ‘entering best stage’: Chinese ambassador

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, Oct. 31, 2013) – Tonga and China will celebrate the 15th anniversary of their diplomatic relations on November 2, while looking forward to continuing development assistance along with opportunities for Chinese enterprises to invest in Tonga.

China has also expressed an interest in closer coordination and cooperation with Tonga in international and regional affairs.

In a statement on October 25, the Chinese Ambassador to Tonga, HE Mr. Wang Donghua gave a brief over-view of how the diplomatic relations between the two countries had developed since 2 November 1998.

He noted that recently Tonga had become a destination for Chinese tourists, after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two countries to facilitate group traveling.

"More Chinese business people came to explore the opportunities for investment in Tonga, and the Pacific...

Government allegedly owes for tuition at USP Emalus campus

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Oct. 31, 2013) – Government-sponsored law students studying at University of the South Pacific (USP) Emalus campus, Port Vila, Vanuatu may not graduate this year.

This is due to outstanding tuitions owed by the government with the regional university.

A spokesperson for the students John Omani said about five Solomon Islands students are expected to graduate from the USP law school in Vanuatu in December.

However, none of them will be able to do so if the government fail to settle its arrears with the law school within few days, he said.

"Solomon Islands government (SIG) is yet to settle the fees for a winter course undertaken by the graduating students in June 2013."

He explained the students have enrolled for the course following an understanding between SIG and the law school.

"However, seeing that SIG does not pay its dues within an...