Newly elected National Federation Party president, Pio Tikoduadua says he has started the groundwork with party leader, Biman Prasad, to win the 2018 General Election.

Mr Tikoduadua, the former FijiFirst Government MP, said he was honoured and privileged to be elected as party president. Mr Tikoduadua had resigned from Parliament in 2015 for health reasons. He joined the NFP this year.

He replaces former NFP Opposition MP Ro Tupou Draunidalo who was suspended from Parliament and later resigned from the party.

Priscila Singh and Seni Nabou were appointed party vice presidents. At least a thousand people attended the convention at the Girmit Centre.

As far as the party’s budget for the election is concerned, Mr Tikoduadua told the Fiji Sun that it was less compared to the FijiFirst party.

Meanwhile, party leader Mr Prasad may have may have showed a shift in thinking concerning the Penang Sugar Mill in Rakiraki.

When he was asked questions by the Fiji Sun about how or where the party would source funds from to build a new sugar mill in Rakiraki, Mr Prasad replied Building sugarcane mills is not his party’s only priority.

Previously at two party meetings held in Rakiraki in April and May, Mr Prasad had told the people of Rakiraki to vote for his party and that the first priority of his government would be to build them a new sugarcane mill. To date, the party has not provided details of how it plans to source funds, rebuild the Penang Sugar Mill and how this would be viable for the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC). However, the Fiji Sugar Corporation has said that the cost and return on investment in rebuilding the Penang mill was not viable for the industry. Since the closure, the FSC has plans to transport cane by road from Rakiraki for crushing at the bigger Rarawai Mill in Ba.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama had earlier revealed that FSC’s chief executive officer Graham Clarke, was looking into a plan for a new mill. Mr Clarke said a new would be built if cane production exceeded four million tonnes.

Other promises Mr Prasad highlighted if his party form the next government again without detailing how this could be viable:

Party will develop a set of measures for a minimum living wage of $200 a week. This will mean about $5 an hour rate for people.

NFP government would also increase the number of basic food items to 15 from the current seven.

They would also establish a National Health/Hospital Service to look after the public health system.

His government would implement a minimum guaranteed price of $100 for a tonne of cane.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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