NFP and Draunidalo

Kamal Lyer, National Federation Party, Suva

We refer to a report “Draunidalo to lead proposed party” in (Sunday March 5) Fiji Sun.

There is a paragraph in the story attributed to NFP and we quote, “With the NFP now overtly engaged in talks for “cooperation” with other opposition parties, Roko Tupou’s resignation (in retrospect) was inevitable”.

This is grossly false and deliberate mischiefmaking on the part of the Fiji Sun. The whole story is a viewpoint or an opinion not based on facts.

It is extremely well known to the Fiji Sun, other media organisations and indeed the people of Fiji that the NFP has decided it will not be part of any cooperative or coalition arrangements with any party for the 2018 general elections. Neither the NFP was in any such arrangement for the 2014 elections.

This is not a personal decision of anyone in the Party but the decision of the Working Committee of NFP by way of a resolution, first adopted at its meeting of 26th June 2016 in Nadi, and once again unanimously adopted in the Working Committee meeting of 19th November 2016 at Suva. Both meetings mandated the Party Leader to talk with leaders of other political parties including the Prime Minister and his Government on issues of national concern and interest like changes to draconian and regressive laws.

That is exactly what the Party Leader has been doing, aiding issues of concern in Parliament and dialoging with Leaders of other parties on these issues since October 2014. This is distinctly different from “openly engaged in talks on cooperation”, as connected by Fiji Sun.

We challenge the Fiji Sun to provide a single shred of credible evidence that the NFP is openly engaged in talks with opposition parties following Roko Draunidalo’s resignation. We also challenge you to provide evidence as to what kind of talks is the Party is openly engaged for cooperation with opposition parties.

The Party Leader’s statement of 23rd January (partially printed by Fiji Sun on 24th January) as well as the statement of Roko Tupou Draunidalo, (both made following her resignation to given to Party, the Registrar of Political Parties and the Honourable Speaker of Parliament), are extremely clear.

Yet Fiji Sun has chosen to deliberately twist the facts, discarded its principles of ethical and accurate journalism by trying to malign the NFP and the party’s principles and policies as being responsible for Roko Draunidalo’s resignation.

The comment is not attributed to anyone and therefore is the newspaper’s own view. Even in this case, in the interest of fairness, accuracy and balance, the newspaper should have contacted the Party and Roko Tupou herself to verify the newspaper’s claim. But it didn’t because the report does not state anyone was contacted or even attempts had been made to do so.

We therefore ask the Fiji Sun - Put up (provide conclusive evidence of your theories (albeit wild and unsubstantiated) or Shut up.