Party Stalwarts ‘Tour’ Concerns

The National Federation Party and SODELPA’s joint ‘Listening Tour’ has raised eyebrows among NFP’s most loyal The move reminds of the NFP coalition with Rabuka’s Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei in 1999 where they suffered a landslide loss

National Federation Party stalwarts had no say in leader Biman Prasad’s decision to embark on a listening tour of the West with Opposition leader Sitiveni Rabuka. Questions were raised by the party stalwarts. This comes days after the resignation of vice president Riddhi Damodar. Her resignation came as she labelled the party’s issues with their accounts as embarrassing.

Some party members think that this is an exercise under the Parliament of Fiji.

The move somewhat reminds of the NFP coalition with the Sitiveni Rabuka-led Soqosoqo

ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei (SVT) in 1999 where they suffered a landslide loss.

The tour was brokered between the two parties without any involvement of the Parliament of Fiji.

Former Opposition leader and NFP member Prem Singh said he was not invited to discuss the engagement between the party and SODELPA. Mr Singh said he was not consulted about the move.

He added he had no say in the decision.

“NFP has always been a party on its own. I do not have a say on the engagement between SODELPA and the National Federation Party in coming together to the west,” Mr Singh said.

“I was not invited to it but I believe people were allowed in that meeting.

“We respect our leaders and their decision, and it is a Parliamentary thing and anything that happens in the proceeding of Parliament and anything that comes out of Parliament is a different issue when it comes to the ground.”

Labasa businessman, Charan Jeath Singh, said he had raised concerns but was informed that it was a tour by the two leaders who were in the opposition to listen to what the people had to say. Nadi-based Bala Dass said he had spent yesterday morning being part of the tour.

He said NFP would not form a coalition with any party and if anyone wanted to join NFP, they should resign from their party to do so. Mr Rabuka said the tour of both the parties was a suggestion made by the NFP which they agreed to.

“NFP has put on a suggestion to come and we gladly accepted because there is nothing much going on this week,” he said.