Analysis:

When a Member of Parliament uses his social media platform to call for archaic laws such as beating women for wearing pants in villages, something is definitely not right in our country.

Niko Nawaikula over the past six years has used his Facebook page to call for a number of ridiculous things. But the latest post justifying beating of women for wearing pants in villages is by far one of the most outrageous things he has called for.

And when this post receives 320 likes and 27 heart reacts and Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) supporters and Party officials are not denouncing such a message, this is not a good sign of how the main Opposition party thinks.

This is what Mr Nawaikula said:

SODELPA principles versus FijiFirst:

This is not the first time a SODELPA MP has looked at things purely on racial grounds. Once we start looking at things purely on racial grounds, we start allowing MPs like Mr Nawaikula to sow the seed of poison as obvious from his post. FijiFirst’s principles had been clear- nothing is done on racial grounds and this has been one of its strong grounds during campaigning and one of the reasons why they have been successful in the last two elections.

When we start to categorise issues purely on racial grounds, we start to give space for ideas such as okay for beat up women for wearing pants.

This idea by Mr Nawaikula should be denounced in the strongest terms. We have come very far since 2006. Such ideas will only take us backwards. Younger Fijians would agree that such philosophies have no place in a developing nation.

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