Biman: We are confident SODELPA will join coalition
NATIONAL Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad said he and The People’s Alliance party leader Sitiveni Rabuka are confident the three Social Democratic Liberal Party members who made Parliament will join their coalition.
At a news conference yesterday, he dismissed claims that SODELPA members Viliame Gavoka and Aseri Radrodro were leaning towards the FijiFirst party.
Prof Prasad said they recognised that SODELPA had its share of internal strife, however, they maintained it was not a question of the duo’s loyalty.
He said there were some “good people” who had negotiated the actual agreement with the PA-NFP team and they had confidence in SODELPA.
“What happens within SODELPA, how they resolve the issues or the disagreement is up to them.
“We know Mr Gavoka, we know that he will do the right thing. He knows that the overwhelming majority of the people in this country have rejected the FijiFirst party as a government and that’s about 58 per cent of the people in this country that have rejected FijiFirst party.
“I know that Mr Gavoka is a thinking man, and the others in the party know that. He has been at the forefront of indigenous issues in the Parliament.”
He also dismissed speculation that the two men’s silence was an indicator of them throwing their support behind FijiFirst.
Prof Prasad said some media organisations were trying to speculate after being told very clearly that Mr Gavoka and Mr Radrodro would keep up their end of the bargain.
“You think Mr Gavoka and Mr Radrodro are little kids. They are responsible people.
“They’ve been elected by the votes of the people. I know their contribution in Parliament. They have stood out in many ways.
“And these are not people who would be bought and influenced by the likes of Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and others and his cronies out there who are desperate to remain in power, even after the people have said very clearly in this country that they shouldn’t be in government.”