That is the question you have to ask the Public Service Commission was the response from Minister of Education Aseri Radrodro when asked by fijivillage News if he will accept Selina Kuruleca's appointment as Permanent Secretary for Education.
He says there has been much said about the appointment and in his capacity as the Minister of Education, there have been suggestions that he took a dislike of the appointment of Kuruleca.
When asked if he did mention to the Prime Minister that he did not like Kuruleca, Radrodro says it was just a matter of miscommunication between him and the Prime Minister when they had a meeting.
Radrodro clarified that he has the greatest respect for Kuruleca as a professional and as a friend known to him personally, however, he has had an agreement with the teacher unions in Fiji, the Fijian Teachers Association, and the Fijian Teachers Union that the Ministry of Education needs someone who has led at the leadership level at the Education Ministry.
He says all this is about giving recognition to the teacher unions as they have raised their concerns and that is what he is trying to accommodate.
Radrodro says the Ministry of Education is the largest Ministry in the Fijian government with over 18,000 employed as teachers and support staff that deserves and requires an experienced, visionary, and comprehensive leader who has led people at the executive level managing people and resources.
He says the unions have not been heard and their calls have been falling on deaf ears in the last decade and the last thing he wants to see as the Minister of Education is the two unions being at loggerheads again with the Ministry.
When asked if he has undermined section 126 of the constitution when he rejected the appointment of Kuruleca as PS for Education, Radrodro says he did not reject the appointment but all he is requesting is consultations that should be done.
According to the PSC contract, Kuruleca was supposed to take office on July 3rd.
