Mahendra Chaudhry says voters should decide if Fiji is ready for a non-iTaukei PM

Mahendra Chaudhry has put the question of whether Fiji is ready for a non-iTaukei prime minister in the hands of the public, after it was raised during a political forum in Nasinu. The Fiji Labour Party leader was asked about the issue by proposed SODELPA candidate Varinava Tiko at a Fiji Media Association Town Hall Forum held at the Fiji National University campus. Chaudhry’s response, according to the report, was that people should decide for themselves whether the country is ready for a prime minister who is not iTaukei. Tiko said he believed many people were tired of hearing about coups because the subject reopened painful memories. He linked the issue to the 1997 Constitution, saying it had been rushed and that people had complained about the process. Tiko also criticised what he described as Sitiveni Rabuka’s approach at the time. The proposed candidate then raised concerns about what might happen if people tried to arrest Cabinet members, pointing to provisions in the proposed Bill relating to the military and Cabinet. He asked which side the military would follow in such a situation, and alleged the government was misleading iTaukei people as it travelled around the country. Tiko also questioned whether landowners would receive resources they were entitled to, and what could happen if people discovered after a translation of the Bill that its contents were different from what they had been told. He said there were widespread calls to remove immunity provisions and that the public was weary of repeated talk about coups. Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, also mentioned at the forum, assured attendees that the government was listening to their views. The exchange placed a sensitive question about leadership, constitutional safeguards and public trust squarely before the audience, while Chaudhry’s answer left the final judgement with Fiji’s voters.