Choose FijiFirst if you want Fiji to continue to prosper.

This was the message by the leader of FijiFirst Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama at the ruling party’s first family fun day organised at Syria Park, Nausori.

About 3000 people turned up to take part in the event and to meet the party’s provisional candidates. 

Mr Bainimarama did not hold back. 

He spoke frankly and hit out at the National Federation Party and SODELPA and called them unworthy of occupying even the Opposition seats in Parliament.

In a very forthright address, Mr Bainimarama told all Fijians present: “We want to occupy the 51 seats in Parliament. But the 51 seats in Parliament will not be possible without your votes. 

“Those of you voted for FijiFirst in 2014, we want your votes again and those who are double minded, you have heard what we have planned and we say, come. Because, FijiFirst brings you certainty.”

NFP’s inability to counter any racist rants from SODELPA in Parliament was given special mention by Mr Bainimarama, who criticised both parties for failing to unite Fiji.

“You know very well the reason SODELPA was formed. SODELPA was formed for the iTaukei. They say-we are here for the iTaukei. Who is going to look after the Indo-Fijians? 

“NFP was formed to look after the Indo-Fijians. Who is going to look after the iTaukei? 

“You listen to what they preach when they go out, you listen to them in Parliament, their debates in Parliament.

“NFP was supposed to fight for Indo-Fijians. But guess what? When SODELPA attacks the Indo-Fijians, guess where the leaders of NFP go? Under the table. Seriously. When SODELPA attacks Indo-Fijians in Parliament, you never hear a single thing from Biman Prasad. Not a single word. Listen to the debates in Parliament,” he said.

Soccer wonderboy Roy Krishna jetted into the country yesterday to support his wife FijiFirst provisional candidate Naziah Ali at FijiFirst’s first family fun day at Nausori’s Syria park on October 6,2018. He flies back tonight to join his team Wellington Pheonix in camp. He spoke highly about the need for women to have a say in leadership. Photo:Simione Haravanua.

Mr Bainimarama touched upon a raw nerve in Camp SODELPA- having relatives vying for seats in the Party.

Pointing at his team of FijiFirst candidates, he said, these people were selected on merit as he mocked SODELPA’s line-up.

“SODELPA is a party of their own family members. They have father and son, brother and sister, mother and children,” Mr Bainimarama said.

He further criticised the 2014 SODELPA campaign where, among many others, some prominent leaders had claimed that a FijiFirst Government would mean that people will not be allowed to pray to Jesus.

Mr Bainimarama asked people present if they had heard that lie from Camp SODELPA in 2014 to which they replied, yes.

“Former Prime Minister Qarase had gone around telling people, do you remember this? When he had said with SODELPA that if people chose FijiFirst, people will not be able to do their Christian prayers.”

He also asked the iTaukei landowners present if any iTaukei land had been lost under FijiFirst. 

To this, people responded, “No”.

Facts and not fear mongering:

Mr Bainimarama, who had been the military commander for 15 years, said he was well versed with the security of this nation.

“Now I am putting aside my political hat and putting on my former Commander’s hat. As a former Commander for 15 years I know the security of this nation. 

“We brought security to this nation, we brought stability to this nation. That is very important. That’s what we need for you to have prosperity.

“When we had the writ of election on Monday, I was interviewed by one of the reporters and I said we must make the right choice, we do not want a repeat of 2000 and all of a sudden, NFP said he is scaring people. That is not scaring people. I am talking facts. We want to get away from that.

“You know what happened in 1987, you know what happened in 2000, we don’t want a repeat of that. 

“You hear the NFP supporters and their members speaking about 2006. They all harping about 2006, why I did what I did in 2006.

“If I had not done what I did in 2006, most of them would have been running through the canefields. I am serious.

“They don’t know what transpired between 2000 and 2006. NFP’s vision is blurred. Why? Because most of them have money and if something like that happens, they will go overseas to Australia, New Zealand and Canada leaving the poor Indo-Fijians behind.”

He recalled a dinner he was invited to by the business community in Fiji.

“I was invited to a business dinner where we were only two iTaukei amongst all those top businesspeople in Fiji and as I sat around, they asked me to remove the Government,” Mr Bainimarama said. 

“Remember the two articles – the controversial bills moved forward by SDL. In 2004, they asked if I could remove the Government and I said no, I will not remove the Government and they said if you don’t and if this thing happens – the two Bills – Qoliqoli Bill and Reconciliation Bill, they told me there and then, these two Bills will kill Fiji and when it does, we have the money, we will stand up and we will leave and you will be left with the poor Indo-Fijians in the cane fields.

“Also, those fellows are now NFP supporters. Now, because they think the political party can come in and all become ministers… But, when SODELPA says anything, they all duck under the table. 

“Nobody has any guts to say anything to those people because apparently SODELPA and others are walking around with club and spear, what a lot of bull.”

Do not waste your vote:

Mr Bainimarama then spoke on the value of votes.

“You have one vote, make use of that vote. Think of your children, your families, your grandchildren,” he said.

“Don’t sit on the fence, you know what we are going to do what we have done in the past ten years and we will continue with that. We will continue with more of that. “For us to occupy those 51 seats. We don’t want some political party sitting in Opposition talking about race, talking about religion. We don’t want that.

“SODELPA has a big argument going on, we don’t know who is the leader- Ro Teimumu or Rabuka or Niko Nawaikula? They are confused. If you want Fiji to prosper, we don’t need this kind of Opposition – NFP and SODELPA. 

“If we want to move forward and for these kids, these children of ours to have a better life, vote for FijiFirst.

“Make use of that one vote and think of your children and grandchildren.”

Biman Prasad response

Speaking to FBC news , NFP Leader Biman Prasad said Mr Bainimarama’s comments showed his desperation of trying to use this tactics for political gain because a lot of supporters that voted them in the last election were running away from the party.

Mr Prasad said Mr Bainimarama should stick to policies and ideas rather than condemning other political parties.

Edited by Losirene Lacanivalu

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