If a political party raises land issue, they know they will not win the election – Bainimarama

FijiFirst Leader Voreqe Bainimarama says they have heard that the opposition parties are going around and telling the iTaukei community that they will restore the ownership of land that was sold during colonial times, however, Bainimarama says they are telling people this to gain their votes as these political parties know they will not win the elections.

While speaking in the iTaukei language at the FijiFirst rally at Syria Park in Nausori, Bainimarama says the opposition is trying these tactics to find ways to gain the votes of the people.

He says that type of talk will lead to people getting hurt and murdered, blood will spill, and there will be uprising from the people.

Bainimarama also says that some Indian parties are supporting the move to bring back the Great Council of Chiefs including the National Federation Party and Fiji Labour Party.

Bainimarama urges people not to listen to them because that was the situation before, but now, iTaukei land is protected under the 2013 Constitution.

He says people should not listen to that type of talk and just cultivate their land and become prosperous because more than 90 percent of land in Fiji is owned by the iTaukei.

Meanwhile, FijiFirst General-Secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says not a single millimetre of land has been lost under this government. He says under the SVT and SDL governments, iTaukei land was converted to freehold land, and that was how the previous law was, and the past government used it.

He adds that all that land cannot be returned, but under the 2013 Constitution, nothing like that can happen.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the opposition parties are trying to gain votes by bringing up this critical issue.

The general elections will be held on the 14th of next month, while the pre-poll starts on the 5th of next month.