Right to life is more important than anything else, says the Minister for Defence and National Security, Inia Seruiratu.

This was his response to a supplementary question by Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya, who asked the minister to provide justification for the national 11pm to 4am curfew, imposed by the Government.

Ms Tabuya said there was no scientific evidence and logic that proved curfews prevented crimes.

“The right to life is more important than the economy,” Mr Seruiratu said in Parliament this week.

“There is a thin line between health and safety in the interest of safety and of course the other issues.

“Everyone in Fiji appreciates the fact, the Honourable Ro Teimumu Kepa has just expressed her gratitude that we are COVID-free and let us not rush into changing what we have in place because life is more important than anything else.

“So let us stick the course and let us suffer together as a country for the good and betterment of every Fijian.”

The minister also said there was a provision in the Constitution relating not only to national security.

“The curfew that we have in place is not only something that we pulled out during TC Yasa and TC Ana, but it was there from day one when we wanted to have a COVID free Fiji.”

TC Ana curfew time blunder

Mr Seruiratu also apologised in Parliament for the inconvenience caused during the changes in curfew time by the NDMO, in the lead up to TC Ana on January 29.

In terms of the curfew, he said it was done in the interest of safety apart from law and order and other concerns.

“We have a process and we take full responsibility for the decision that was taken by the office of the NDMO. We base decisions on the forecasts that we are given,” he said.

He said forecasts could be accurate but also be different from real life scenarios.

“Initially, it was to make landfall on Viti Levu but what was interesting in TC Yasa is, every six hours, when there is an update from the meteorological office, it continued to shift east,” the minister said.

“But that changed the morning after when the next forecast came in again

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