‘I want to serve people’

A FORMER mayor is contesting this year’s election in the hope of bringing back municipal council elections.

Rohit Kumar, who served as mayor of Lautoka from November, 2005, until January, 2009, says ratepayers lacked representation in their local councils.

He said he also noted the lack of transparency behind every day operations of municipalities across the country.

Originally from Dreketi, Labasa, Mr Kumar moved to Viti Levu in search of further education and job prospects and ended up making the Sugar City his home for the past 25 years.

In that time, he spent a little over three years as mayor. He was also the last mayor in office for Lautoka after the dissolution of the elected council and subsequent scrapping of municipal council elections.

“I had already served at the district level and done community and now I want to serve on a national level and that is my goal, I want to serve people,” he said.

“The way that municipal councils are being run now, as a former mayor, even I don’t know how the council works. “When there were elected councilors, if there was anything happening in the city or town, a number of councilors would get together because everyone has different ideas.

“They would put those ideas together and make the right decision for the ratepayers and there used to be representations for the ratepayers. One person alone can’t decide everything so that is my major concern and if we are there, council elections will be held.”

He said he chose to contest under the FLP banner as he was already a member of the party.

“Campaigning has been going very well and people have given positive responses.

“FLP has released its manifesto and voters can see and decide. Our record speaks for itself.

“People have got their right. They will decide which Government will be best for the country but the right people will be there for the right changes.”

In the lead-up to the 2022 General Election, a number of political parties have stated they would bring back municipal council elections. In its manifesto, FLP has stated they will bring back municipal and provincial council elections to allow for better representation and accountability to ratepayers.

The National Federation Party has also, in the past, voiced its support for municipal council elections.