Fiji's Prime Minister Bainimarama has told the Opposition to move on from attempts to discredit the FijiFirst government and debate on issues facing Fiji.
 
As the new Parliament session got underway, Bainimarama stressed that his government’s years of work will never be undone.
 
“Those old debates are over. You cannot undo our great achievements. You cannot rob our people of their common identity. You cannot walk into a Year 6 classroom and tell those young folks they are not all Fijian. You cannot tell our students their merit and hard work will be ignored because they don’t have the right background or the right last name, the right connections, they aren’t from the right province or they don’t have enough money.”
 
Bainimarama chastised the Opposition for their unrelenting efforts to derail any and all government efforts aimed at nation-building in past Parliament sittings.
 
The Prime Minister’s address focussed on nation-building, growth and serving the needs of young Fijians – the Opposition being told to wake up to certain realities.
 
“Young Fijians don’t have time to waste listening to petty spats in this chamber. They are looking forward. They want jobs, they want specialised degrees, they want to build new industries. They want access to new technology.”
 
The Prime Minister said young Fijians want to be empowered and be able to own homes as well.
 
Meanwhile, Fiji's Opposition leader Sitiveni Rabuka has called for Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama to resign and advise the President to call for fresh elections.
 
“So that the people of Fiji can give a fresh mandate to its representatives to bring this country and its people out of the political doldrums and the economic dump we are in and we stand on.”
 
Rabuka says the government has mismanaged the economy, frustrated the Police and the DPP and embarrassed the President by giving him an address that he should never have been given.
 
He has also  hit out at the Presidential address in Parliament saying the statement President Jioji Konrote was made to give – was unfit to be delivered by the Head of State.
 
While responding to the President’s address in Parliament Rabuka says the address was not a gracious one and he will not agree with the motion before parliament.
 
“The government must take responsibility for putting our Head of State into this embarrassing position of reading an address that is a poor and wrong impression of the person we have as our president.”
 
President Konrote last Tuesday laid out the agenda for government in the coming year and reminded Members of Parliament to serve all Fijians irrespective of what side of the house they’re on.

SOURCE: FBC NEWS/PACNEWS

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