Bad Blood in COP29 Fiji Camp
Mr Singh challenged Mr Lal to “refund all your air tickets and per diem claims to the State if you walk your talk.”
Monday 25 November 2024 | 08:40
From left: Fiji Opposition Member of Parliament Ketan Lal and the Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs Charan Jeath Singh, (right), have been reported to have different views in the minister’s presentation during the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
A heated exchange has erupted between Opposition MP Ketan Lal and Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh, with both sides launching scathing criticisms over each other’s participation at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Both were members of the Fijian delegation at the summit which concluded yesterday.
The war of words first erupted when Mr Singh posted on his Facebook account stating that most of the attendees were just wasting time and were burden to their respective countries.
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Mr Singh had said: “In future we need to send a very lean team of professionals, experts and negotia-tors, who are objective and can deliver their hard and clear message to COP30 come next year.”
Mr Lal accused Mr Singh of hypocrisy and incompetence, claiming that his late addition to the delegation, extravagant travel expenses, and limited participation in the event were a blatant misuse of taxpayer funds.
“Minister Charan’s criticism of our negotiators is disappointing,” Mr Lal said.
“Despite joining the delegation at the last minute, his presence added little value to Fiji’s efforts. He trav-elled business class with stopovers in Sydney and Dubai, at taxpayers’ expense, and attend two side events.”
Mr Lal further criticised Mr Singh’s speeches at the event, alleging that they were written by the same dedicated staff who had been working around the clock to negotiate on Fiji’s behalf.
“While others were actively engaged, Minister Charan was nowhere to be found—essentially lost at the conference,” Mr Lal claimed.
However, the minister fired back with a sharp rebuttal, challenging Mr Lal’s credibility and accusing him of being unfit to negotiate for Fiji on the international stage.
Mr Singh challenged Mr Lal to “refund all your air tickets and per diem claims to the State if you walk your talk.”
He also criticised Mr Lal’s parliamentary career, saying: “I didn’t need 600 votes to get into Parliament like you. I came here on my own strength, with the approval of the Prime Minister, to advocate for the sugar industry, which has received zero funding the past decade.”
Mr Singh did not hold back, mocking Mr Lal’s political allegiance and labelled him a “lapdog” of another political party.
“You didn’t speak at any events at COP29, and you are the same person who disrespected the Prime Minister in Parliament. You’ll be history in the next General Election.”
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