Former Opposition leader Ro Teimumu Kepa has con­firmed that this would be her last term in Parliament.

While delivering her first speech in the first Parliament session af­ter this month’s general election yesterday, Ro Teimumu said there were younger, talented people coming up through SODELPA’s ranks and it was important for them to be given space to grow and utilise their talents in the service of Fiji.

“It gives me great joy and happi­ness to see an increasing number of women joining our ranks in Parliament,” she said. “They have so much to contribute being multi-skilled and multi-talented and I pray that the numbers will keep increasing to reflect the 50 per cent of our population.”

She extended her personal wish­es to the new Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka, saying that Mr Rabuka “has proved that he is the right man, in the right place at the right time. I predict he will rise to greater heights and will be on the government side as Prime Minis­ter one day very soon”.

Ro Teimumu also commented on FijiFirst’s campaign during the election period saying the ruling party completely trashed the ac­cepted convention of an incum­bent government going into care­taker mode before an election.

“That’s what normally happens in a democracy. And that is why His Excellency was referring to yesterday as democracy being a ‘precious treasure’. But the Hon PM and his colleagues blatantly and unethically used government resources and official engage­ments to try to gain politically during the campaign period.

“They continued to woo voters with handouts and benefits. A free Wi-Fi giveaway bonanza was timed for the election and contin­ued until the end.

“Why does a person have to be so nasty? Shame on you Prime Minister! And this is exactly what His Excellency the President has warned us about … that hateful style of politics must end. That there is no place for it, outside of this House and in it.

“The Prime Minister was fright­ening people and playing on eth­nic fears. These were extreme and shameful tactics.”

Ro Teimumu congratulated Gov­ernment and encouraged it to re­verse what she called the anti-dem­ocratic trends and rules imposed through the 2013 Constitution and the four amendments to the Stand­ing Orders in the 2014 Parliament.

“We are trying as a nation to move further towards democracy, not retreat from it.”

Edited by Epineri Vula

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