Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Coordinator Shamima Ali says she is appalled at the blatant disregard for COVID-19 protocols displayed by the Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and some of the other Ministers during their recent tour of the Western Division.
Ali says on one hand we are told by the Minister for Commerce and Trade that there are now hefty fines imposed for those who do not mask up and maintain the 2 metres physical distancing while on the other hand, the Acting Prime Minister is blatantly breaking all these mandatory regulations while meeting people in the West.
She is questioning whether there is a different set of rules for the Attorney General and Ministers in the FijiFirst Government and a different set of rules for ordinary Fijians.
Ali says we have been told by the Permanent Secretary for Health that we have to strictly follow COVID transmission suppression protocols.
She adds how are people supposed to take these supposedly mandatory regulations seriously when the person who is leading the country is openly flouting the very same rules and regulations.
Ali is calling on Sayed-Khaiyum to also act like a responsible citizen and play by the same rules imposed on the rest of the people.
Ali says we are in the midst of the third wave of COVID-19 and if there are mandatory rules and regulations in place, we must all abide by it and the law enforcement officers must not be selective when it comes to ensuring these COVID-safe measures are followed.
She says the Attorney General has returned from abroad earlier this month and by freely mixing around with people in close proximity in these tours, he is placing the lives of others at risk.
We have sent questions to Sayed-Khaiyum and are awaiting his response.
