KEPA LEADS RABUKA IN POLL
Bainimarama preferred PM with 62%, Kepa is on 20% and Rabuka just 5%
pposition leader Ro Teimumu Kepa has pulled away from SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka to be in a commanding lead as preferred prime minister, the latest
opinion O Fiji Sun-Razor poll reveals.
She polled 20 per cent of the votes in second place, with Mr Rabuka trailing in fourth place with five per cent.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama continues to lead the pack at 62 per cent. National Federation
Party leader Biman Prasad has overtaken Mr Rabuka and jumps to third place with nine per cent.
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry continues to hold the wooden spoon on one per cent. Others account for three per cent.
Ro Teimumu’s significant jump in the polls ahead of Mr Rabuka comes in the wake of an internal SODELPA row over a $2 membership fee and Mr Rabuka’s statement about the paramount chief ’s plans to put her retirement on hold to contest the election. The fee dispute had questioned whether Ro Dona Takalaiyale, Ro Teimumu’s traditional spokesperson (matanivanua), was a financial member when he was elected vicepresident at a special general meeting on December 9 last year.
Ro Dona was one of five senior party members who expressed concern at how the meeting was conducted on December 9. Before the meeting started, Ro Teimumu paid the membership fee for Ro Dona and nine others from the Rewa constituency. While Ro Dona and senior party officials have resolved their dispute and Ro Teimumu has finally applied for a SODELPA ticket, Mr Rabuka has copped the fallout from that dispute. The poll indicates that many were not happy with how she was treated. They respected the positive way she handled situation and advocated reconciliation. In fact there is a growing movement rallying around her to counter Mr Rabuka, whose campaign team is trying to replicate FijiFirst’s strategy of telling its voters to vote for party leader Mr Bainimarama.
Mr Prasad’s leap to number three in the pecking order comes as a surprise when the party rating does not reflect it.
NFP scored only five per cent when voters were asked which party they would like to see elected to govern Fiji. The Fiji Labour Party scored four per cent, Unity Fiji one per cent, others three per cent. Those unsure one per cent.
If the general election was held today FijiFirst would romp back into power with overwhelming majority, the poll shows. FijiFirst scored 62 per cent. SODELPA polled 24 per cent in second place and National Federation Party in third spot with five per cent.