Editorial: Fiji demands quick action

The speech in Parliament yesterday by Independent Opposition Member of Parliament, Praveen Bala, hits the nail on the head.

It should be the speech of the week and it deserves serious and Government’s immediate attention.

Bala’s message carries a reality many leaders in Cabinet refuses to face. Fiji is now sinking deeper into crisis of drugs, rising murders and HIV.

Bala pointed this out because it is killing Fijians now. Crime is rising. Drugs are infiltrating villages, schools and towns. HIV is now a national crisis. These are not only statistics; they are daily tragedies affecting Fijian families.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka must take heed of Bala’s call for national dialogue. Not as political suggestion, but as a genuine appeal to unite Fiji against a national threat. The time for political differences is over.

Parliament continues to spend time debating procedural disputes such as the FICAC saga, which now has been appealed again by the PM.

There have been numerous investigations and political quarrels while Fijians yearn for decisive leadership. Families are struggling against the rising cost of food, transport, medicine and school fees.

Fijians see little comfort in endless inquiries that promise accountability, yet rarely deliver results. Meanwhile, desperation grows daily. When people cannot find jobs or support their families, some, including parents turn to criminal networks and the lure of quick money through drug cultivation and trafficking.

Government must respond now. The drug crisis, violent crime and the spread of HIV require immediate national action involving Government, the Opposition, churches, community leaders and security agencies.

Fiji stands at a dangerous crossroads. If leaders fail to act now, the consequences will result in more broken families, more lost youths and more public confusion. Fiji deserves better from leaders, and it deserves it now.