Opposition to Target Govt’s Perceived Weaknesses

Former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayec-Khaiyum’s exit from Parliament was not a result of a constitutional blunder.

It is understood to be a deliberate ploy by FijiFirst to put to better use its resources to expose the coalition Government’s weakness.

Some would argue that the move would disappoint 22,524 voters who voted for him to represent them in Parliament. He scored the third highest number of votes after Voreqe Bainimarama and Sitiveni Rabuka.

It is hard to believe that Mr Sayed-Khaiyum or Opposition leader Voreqe Bainimarama were not aware of the provision in the Constitution about the appointment of the Constitutional Office Commission members.

Sensing perceived problems in the new Government, Mr Bainimarama has released Mr Sayed-Khaiyum from the Commission to focus on the party as general secretary.

He said “given this heightened development and the sheer number of complaints that we have received, and the manner in which the first Constitutional Offices Commission meeting was conducted, I have decided that the former Attorney-General will exit from the COC to completely focus on the areas I had raised yesterday, including seeking legal redress.

“We will nominate a suitably qualified individual as our nominee to the COC.

“As I said before, the deteriorating situation in Fiji requires that I take charge of matters inside Parliament, while the former AttorneyGeneral takes charge of matters outside of Parliament.” Mr Bainimarama claimed in his last video broadcast that the new Government had breached constitutional provisions by not informing the President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere of its planned Constitutional Office Commission meeting and apppointments. Some political observers have noted the cavalier attitude and what they describe as the cowboy style wound hurt the new Government. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, according to the plan, will lead the charge in building a case against the charge in building a case against the new Government for its continuing alleged violation of the Constitution and the governance processes in the way it has moved to ring in the changes.

At the end of this exercise, the Opposition hopes to convince the country that the new Government is not fit to govern.

This could be pursued in court and sent to the President to use his discretion and exercise his executive power. If it comes to this point anything is possible.

There is one way to counter this and that is the Government must do it’s due diligence and comply with the law by respecting the processes in instituting changes.

There is no other way. Yesterday failed SODELPA election candidate Tanya Waqanika resigned from the COC because her appointment did not follow the rules.

The salvos that were fired in the beginning by Minister for Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua by publicly inviting BrigadierGeneral Sitiveni Qiliho to step down as Police Commissioner are believed to have polarised members of the disciplined forces.

It is understood that the military was surprised when the Police replaced their personnel in providing security for Government ministers including Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

It was the lack of consultation that bothered the military especially when they are in charge of national security, external and internal.