The Vice President of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) has voiced concerns over how the organization is being run, calling for major changes.
According to the Australia Network News, PINA's Vice President, John Woods, said that he was so "frustrated by the inaction and inefficiency" of the organization and that he has been 'isolated by PINA's executive for demanding to see its accounts and for raising his concerns'."I've still not seen one piece of paper with any figures to do with bank balances, expenditure, revenue from membership, revenue from subscriptions to PACNEWS, I can't even get the basics."
According to the report, Mr. Woods 'has also called for the organisation to be re-located outside of Fiji and away from censorship of its military authorities, which he says is preventing the body from doing its job'.
"I feel that influence of the censors and the kowtowering to the censors by PINA or the administration and our President is contrary to what we stand for, which is freedom of expression, open and robust media. "
"The Fiji military is interfering with freedoms of expression, it's throttling the media in Fiji...it's also basically a dictatorship, and we have to move out from under its influence."
PINA is located in Fiji's capital, Suva.