We Unite Fiji party builds grassroots support

The We Unite Fiji political party has begun laying the groundwork for the next General Election, positioning itself as an inclusive political movement and promising wide-ranging reforms if elected.

Party president Ruveni Nadalo said members had been building support across Viti Levu since last year.

He said this followed what the party viewed as an encouraging performance in the 2022 General Election despite having only seven months to prepare.

"We were only given seven months to campaign before the 2022 election, but when the results came in, we were surprised by the number of people who voted for us," Mr Nadalo said.

"An election is a game of numbers and, after the election, we sat down and realised that this would be our platform heading into the next election."

The party, which was formed shortly before the 2022 polls, has remained largely out of the public spotlight but has continued organising at the grassroots level, particularly across Viti Levu.

Mr Nadalo said the party's key message was inclusivity, describing We Unite Fiji as a political home for all Fijians regardless of race, ethnicity or religion.

"This is the only truly inclusive party in Fiji today," he said.

"Everybody who calls Fiji home — iTaukei, Indo-Fijians, Rotumans, Samoans, Tongans and all other communities — this is your party."

Mr Nadalo said public response during village visits in the Western Division had been positive and that party teams were also engaging with Indo-Fijian communities.

He claimed that support for traditionally Indo-Fijian-backed political parties was declining and said We Unite Fiji hoped to attract those voters.

"Parties like the National Federation Party and the Fiji Labour Party are losing support," he said.

Looking ahead to the next election, Mr Nadalo said voters should expect what he described as a "major reform agenda".

However, he did not outline specific policy proposals during the interview.