PM is seen as the father of the Small Island Developing States - AG

The Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji is a leader in climate change and the Prime Minister is seen as the father of the Small Island Developing States not just in the Pacific but in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.

Sayed-Khaiyum highlighted this during his right of reply on the motion that Parliament approves that Fiji ratifies the 2005 Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum.

He says this is because the Talanoa spirit has been internationalized by the Prime Minister through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change through the hosting of COP.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the reality is that the credentials of Fiji is highly regarded.

The Attorney General says that the opposition claims that the government has not followed the Pacific way of consensus and has used USP as an example.

Sayed-Khaiyum says they have attended some of the meetings and the USP Council members at the behest of Pal Ahluwalia, who he refers to as the former Vice-Chancellor, have berated the Fijian Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson who was selected by Fiji. He says they have also slandered and defamed the Chair of USP's Audit and Risk Committee, Mahmood Khan.

Sayed-Khaiyum says even the members of the opposition have done the same.

Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji is the largest grant member country which contributes 80% of grants to the USP while Nauru’s contribution to USP is $127,000 which equates to 0.003% and it was the President of Nauru that led this charge for a few months.

He says since 2014, Fiji has contributed about $140 million to USP by way of TELS and Toppers fees.

Meanwhile, the University of the South Pacific announced in June this year that Professor Pal Ahluwalia will be the Vice-Chancellor and President of USP for a three-year term.

Professor Ahluwalia is based at the USP Samoa Campus.