I'm shocked but not surprised, and the government and the appointing authority should be held responsible for this.
Leader of Opposition, Inia Seruiratu highlighted this to the media this morning in Parliament while commenting on the appointment of Barbara Malimali as the FICAC Commissioner.
Seruiratu says they have been promoting good governance and institutional integrity from day one, and he wants to make it clear that they have nothing against Malimali.
He says they, as the Opposition are strong advocates of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, and it's good to see that our women are being considered and appointed into key positions of leadership, not only in government but also in the private sector and, in other key agencies.
The Leader of the Opposition says good governance originates from political leadership and the maintenance of the rule of law and adhering to processes and systems. He further says that he hopes this can be rectified and also hopes that the Judicial Services Commission will take the appropriate action.
Seruiratu says he is also concerned that FICAC plays a very significant role in the justice system and through the Ministry of Trade there are about $6 billion worth of investments under consideration.
He says what happened will have serious implications for investor confidence as they want to entice them but this does not all go well with the plans of the government and that is why they are raising this serious concern.
We have sent questions to Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka and Chair of the Judicial Services Commission, Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo. They are yet to respond.
