FijiFirst General Secretary, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum asks how is there a conflict of interest and where is the conflict when asked in a press conference to respond to calls by some political parties for him to resign as Minister Responsible for Elections.
He asked to be shown where is the conflict.
Sayed-Khaiyum says prior to 2007, Laisenia Qarase was the Leader of the former SDL Party and also Minister Responsible for Elections during the 2001 and 2006 elections.
Sayed-Khaiyum says every service in government has somebody responsible for it but it does not mean that the Minister is doing the day to day running of that office.
He also says they will not run trial by media when asked on the People’s Alliance Party’s complaint against the FijiFirst.
Sayed-Khaiyum also says Sitiveni Rabuka has got no ethics, in the sense that being a former Prime Minister he should know the due process.
He says if Rabuka has been arrested or if he has been asked to come for an interview, you go through the process.
The Minister asks why is he trying to post everything and do a live commentary on social media. He also stresses that if The People’s Alliance continues to breach the law, the FijiFirst will continue to complain.
Sayed-Khaiyum urges the Fijian Elections Office to implement the law as the law must be equally applicable to all the parties including the FijiFirst. When asked on when the FijiFirst is releasing it’s manifesto, he says they have half of a manifesto already which is the budget.
Sayed-Khaiyum says their commitments are very practical and tangible which have been budgeted, and they will continue down the same ideals and goals.
He also says not everything is about just giving money, it is also about the new way of thinking and may not have a dollar cost to it.
While reacting to Sayed-Khaiyum’s comments on Rabuka having no ethics, People’s Alliance Deputy Leader, Manoa Kamikamica says they are not into name-calling and the public will decide on that.
