Comments made by the People’s Alliance Party Leader Sitiveni Rabuka about Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s health status are ‘very unFijian.’

Acting Prime Minister and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said this while responding to Mr Rabuka who said that people needed to know about Mr Bainimarama’s health.

“The comments made by Rabuka is very unFijian, extremely unFijian,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

“Rabuka is trying to be relevant by making statements about the honourable Prime Minister. No decorum, no finesse, no respect, very, very unFijian.”

He said that the Government had held press conferences and issued press statements on Mr Bainimarama’s medical procedure, the city he was in and that of his recovery.

“We should respect his privacy and his family’s privacy so that he can recuperate, he is actually doing well,” he said.

“I’ve also mentioned that I’ve communicated with him, and I communicate with him on a regular basis so this type of comment just to get on the front page of the Fiji Times is very distasteful. It shows a complete lack of respect for an individual’s privacy when they’re going through a medical procedure.”

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said he didn’t understand why Mr Rabuka claimed that the Government was keeping the Prime Minister’s health state a secret because they had informed the people about his health on two occasions.

He said politicians like Mr Rabuka like to be relevant and that he and the National Federation Party leader, Biman Prasad had not made any statements on their party policies.

“There’s absolutely an absence of policies. They have no policy on ICT, no policy on the pandemic, no policy on education.

“Rabuka, in fact said, ‘I made education free’ and then when it was pointed out to him that it was not free then he said, ‘oh yes, I meant this.’ So again, there’s a lack of consistency.

“It goes to show that if a person who is not even in Parliament; is outside of Parliament; can make that type of inconsistent statements, imagine what he will do if he ever, God forbid, gets into Government.”

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said members of the public needed to understand that some politicians who were also in Parliament were making inconsistent statements which were a reflection of the kind of leader they would be if they ever formed Government.

“This is a good opportunity for members of the public to realise when these people make statements, and they are given the opportunity by certain media organisations to make very silly statements, inconsistent statements which really should be picked upon.”

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum also responded to claims that Government ministers were handing out freebies during their visits to communities and during community consultations.

He said it was ridiculous and an election gimmick to identify Government assistance as giveaways, adding that what the Government was doing on the ground was a continuation of the policies set in place by the FijiFirst Government.

“It’s just a natural extension of what we have been doing for a number of years.”

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