Opposition members

NOW that Mr Bainimarama has resigned from Parliament, what benefit did all the individual donors get from their huge collective donation to the FijiFirst party election campaign?

I believe all the donors’ money spent by FFP on their expensive “234” banners, billboards and fullpage newspaper advertisements have been wasted by Mr Bainimarama’s decision to quit.

What example has he set for the other FFP MPs? How many more will quit?

I believe the four FFP members who have now left Parliament, at such an early stage of their term, scored more than 85 per cent of the votes received by the entire 26 elected FFP members.

Of the remaining FijiFirst members of Parliament, who together scored less than 15 per cent of their total elected vote, 20 of them will be the lowest ranking elected members in the next sitting of Parliament.

I believe only six FFP MPs have scored more votes than the lowest ranking MP of SODELPA; only four FFP MPs have scored more votes than the lowest ranking MP of PA; and only two FFP MPs have scored more votes than the lowest ranking MP of NFP.

And none of the sitting FFP MPs have scored more votes than any of the leaders of the three Government parties.

I believe FFP can no longer honestly call itself FijiFirst, and should probably be renamed the Fiji Quitters Party. The FFP donors can rightfully feel cheated by the FFP members who failed to stay in Parliament.

Perhaps the Political Parties Act 2013 should be amended to compel political parties to refund a proportionate amount of party donations when their elected members either resign or are ousted from Parliament.

If not to their voters, I believe elected politicians and their parties should at least be held accountable to the people who donated money to their campaigns. AREN NUNNINK

Hooper St, Savusavu