Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry says the Fijian people have been let down by the Coalition’s inability to lead.
He says the continuous internal problems and scandals, that have continued to plague the Government.
In a statement, the Fiji Labour Party Leader said serious questions are now being raised on the Coalition Government’s ability to lead, just 15 months out of the last general election.
Chaudhry said there is a widespread disappointment at the Government’s failure to keep its election promises to return the nation to true democracy and good governance, to improve the lot of ordinary families by bringing down the cost of living and raising minimum pay, and to enhance the safety and security of all.
The former Prime Minister also called out the Prime Minister for retaining Lynda Tabuya as the Minister for Women despite the findings of the PAP Disciplinary Committee which removed her as the People’s Alliance Deputy Party Leader after examining allegations of a sex and drug scandal with a former Cabinet colleague.
He said now we hear that the Attorney-General is also under police investigation on another matter.
“Two months ago two ministers were under investigation for corruption. Due process requires that the ministers be suspended pending the outcome of the investigations and this has not happened.”
Chaudhry said the lack of adherence to the rule of law and defiance of the constitutional requirements in the appointment to posts in the judiciary is another major concern.
He said the Government has sent two glaring cases to the Supreme Court for a decision.
He said there is no need for this when the Constitution is quite clear on the issue – There continues to be a worrying lack of accountability and transparency.
“Take for instance, the failure, almost a year later, to provide accounts for questionable funding for the Girmit celebration last May; or to release a report on the fatal Ferris wheel accident in Suva, denying justice to the victims.”
The former Prime Minister said that people are disgusted with the Government’s inability to deliver on its election promises and are voting with their feet.
He said even the World Bank has now expressed worry at the high rate of outmigration of skilled manpower from our shores.
Chaudhry said the recently announced public consultation on converting certain parcels of tenanted State Land to Native Land has created uncertainty and disquiet among the tenants of the minority communities who are already greatly disadvantaged by lack of access to land.
“The Prime Minister in his intervention on the President’s address in Parliament continues to spew platitudes on the need to ‘maintain harmony and embrace diversity.”
Chaudhry said the Prime Minister needs to look closer home at certain government policies and the actions of his ministers to find the cause of much of the distrust and frustration that is becoming prevalent in certain sectors of society.
FijiLive is trying to get comments from the Prime Minister.
