I cannot come to the meeting, don't trouble me now

from w
This reminds me of an old youth church song
I cannot come to the banquet, don't trouble me now,
I have married a wife, I have bought me a cow,
I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum,
pray hold me excused I cannot come.
About refusing an invitation to a wedding banquet.

Well, Sir Paul Reeves in Fiji wanted to meet some esteemed dignitories and a meeting was arranged in a Catholic church in Lami and the certain persons of high status were invited. No-one came to the meeting!
Excuses: I'm in a court case so don't trouble me now.
I'm watching Marist Rugby, don't trouble me now. etc. etc.

Oh dear Sir Reeves, a former governor of New Zealand did not have enough clout to make people forget their other priorities. Does this mean that the persons of status just won't talk or was the timing of the visit a problem. Yes, I think it was badly timed, but there's an element of rudeness in hospitality as well these days, and ignoring the vavalagi who might think he has the answers. Sobosobo Sir Reeves, and he a party to the Fiji Constitution and all that. Anyway, he did meet with Akuila and I hope they had a nice conversation.

Return to polls, Sir Paul urges
Saturday, March 08, 2008

Former New Zealand Governor-General Sir Paul Reeves has urged Fiji to go back to general elections as soon as possible. Sir Paul is visiting Fiji in his capacity as the Commonwealth's envoy, at the invitation of coup leader and Interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.

The envoy - who headed Fiji's 1997 Constitutional Review Commission after an earlier coup - met Citizens Constitutional Forum's chief executive Reverend Akuila Yabaki.

The New Zealand Herald reports Sir Paul was supposed to meet ousted Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, who led Fiji for six years until he was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006.

Qarase, however, was busy in court.

He has denied charges of corruption between 1992 and 1995 - before he assumed power after a failed coup in 2000. Sir Paul's nine-day visit is his second round of talks with the interim Government. He is scheduled to return to Auckland tomorrow.

New Zealand Herald