What is seen today demonstrated by the National Federation Party and The People’s Alliance Party is the “naked grab for power, at any cost”.

Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum made the statement in Parliament yesterday during the Fiji Investment Bill debate while calling out NFP leader Biman Prasad.

“It’s a sign of desperate people. We have not fallen into the abyss where we cannot get ourselves out because they’re so far gone into their own political survival,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

1987

While contributing to the debate, Mr Prasad claimed that threats were made to people during recent government consultations guaranteeing consistency only if the current government was voted back into power.

“I know they’re getting desperate. They’re spewing all these racist filth as well. And you can see all these racist filth being spewed by the Prime Minister himself about 1987 and what Indo-Fijians went through,” Mr Prasad said.

“They are ramming through Bills under Order 51 without any serious discussions and investors are watching this kind of governance.

“The sacking of the Solicitor-General, the inquiry of the Auditor-General, the perception that independent institutions are not independent. It doesn’t create confidence.”

Referring to Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, Mr Prasad claimed that he ran away overseas in 1987.

Raising a point of order, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said: “I did not run away from Fiji. I actually went away for my studies. I was here in the 87 coup. I was arrested in Sukuna Park, I went to CPS (Central/Police Station-Totogo).

“Don’t tell me anything like that. Don’t lie. I went for studies and I came back to Fiji.

“I never, unlike some other academics in their quest to get a job in Australia, ever gave up my Fijian citizenship. Even though at that time I would have got better jobs if I gave up my Fijian citizenship and got Australian citizenship, I didn’t. Others you support did. So get your facts right.”

He urged the Opposition to be honest when they enter the Parliament Chambers and not be hypocritical.

“The hypocrisy is quite pungent.”

Mr Prasad said: “The fact of the matter is for whatever reason he left after 87 and then some of us who were here during 87, during 2000, they don’t talk about 2000, they don’t talk about all these atrocities committed against the people in Muaniweni, Dreketi, they never talked about that. They don’t talk about 2006. Talk about it.”

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum also told Mr Prasad to ask NFP member Richard Naidu about an incident where there was an attempt to put him in a lovo pit.

When questioned by the Fiji Sun yesterday, Mr Naidu said: “I am quite busy today. I just do not have time to waste responding to some pointless nonsense in Parliament from Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.”

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