NFP promises more women candidates

The National Federation Party (NFP) has pledged to recruit more women to contest the next general election after only one woman featured among its first 18 proposed candidates.

Party leader Biman Prasad acknowledged that the initial line-up did not reflect the party’s record of women’s representation in Parliament.

“That doesn't mean that there won't be females,” he said.

Mr Prasad said the party was working to recruit more women and expected to have another female deputy leader.

“You can be assured that we will be working very hard to get as many females as possible.”

Mr Prasad said political participation remained difficult for women and young people because of the political environment and what he described as reluctance and hesitation created by some laws and other factors.

He pointed to the NFP’s current parliamentary representation as evidence of its commitment to women.

Mr Prasad said the initial list should therefore not be seen as representing the final gender balance of the party’s candidates.

The party held its convention on Saturday at Jai Narayan College in Suva, with more than 800 representatives from across the country attending, including a small delegation from Labasa.

Mr Prasad said the turnout reflected the diversity of the party and its commitment to its founding principles of equality, unity and justice.