A new dawn

Dinesh Kumar,

Ba

Congratulations to Sitiveni Rabuka and his PA/NFP/SODELPA coalition for being constitutionally voted in to form the new Government of Fiji.

Hearty thanks and appreciation to the former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and his FijiFirst party for governing Fiji for the past 16 years.

Congratulatory messages are also coming in from all world leaders as the newly elected Government begins a new chapter in Fiji’s history.

People wanted a change in leadership and they got it. The Fijian Elections Office (FEO) results app proves that the FijiFirst Party attained 42.55 per cent of the total votes cast. This eventually implies that the vast majority of 57.45 per cent of Fijians wanted a change.

The enormous task now lies upon the shoulders of this new Government to deliver the promised changes. My humble plea would be to bring in the necessary reforms gradually and amicably.

However, a few changes need to be done immediately.

On the eve of Christmas, when Parliament convened for the first time after the election, the chosen 55 candidates voted for the appointment of the Speaker of the House, Deputy Speaker and the Prime Minister.

Although the PA/NFP/SODELPA coalition had 29 Members of Parliament on their side, someone amongst them continuously voted for the other party. With all due respect, I believe that the first obligation of our new Prime Minister would be to identify that MP and get a replacement.

Anyway, I had always been taught by my academic as well as my religious teachers that changes are necessary and inevitable. We need to accept these changes and comply accordingly.

Those who resist changes may make life complicated for themselves. Let’s welcome this new dawn and the new era of governance with an open mind.