Strong leadership and rule of law vital for Fiji’s progress – Parkinson

Fiji requires political leadership to establish the rule of law in the country, ensuring its independence, giving everyone a voice, and making sure everyone feels secure in their ability to bring about change.

This has been highlighted by Communications Fiji Limited and Leadership Fiji’s Chairman, and former President of Pacific Islands News Association, William Parkinson while responding to questions on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan.

CFL is the parent company of FM96, LegendFM, VitiFM, Navtarang, Radio Sargam, fijivillage and PNGFM.

While responding to questions about his lowest point, Parkinson says this was during the 2000 coup on the night when his home was ransacked, CFL was threatened and when Fiji TV was destroyed.

He says all those in authority had stepped away and had told them to go home, make themselves safe because they could not do anything.

Parkinson says this memory sits strongly with him and it has driven a lot of things, including his passion and of those who started Leadership Fiji.

He says we cannot build a modern nation state like this, and we need a new cadre of leaders who understand that, the rule of law must be protected and that if a modern nation state is to be created, then it needs to have everybody involved and working together irrespective of who they are, their race, gender and where they come from.

He says this is similar to how CFL is built. Parkinson further says that successful modern nation states are built around a sense of ownership where every citizen needs to be able to feel that they can participate in the process of leadership and taking Fiji to that next stage.

He says need to create an environment where we can all feel like we can participate.

He says we need to also create a political environment, where we have made some big steps forward in recent years towards that; where individual citizens feel supported in being able to make those decisions and lead our country forward.

Parkinson says through Leadership Fiji, he wants to get away from this notion where the government will do everything for the citizens and people just wait to be told what to do.

He says his faith in Fiji was shaken in 2000, however, he always felt that in the end, we will get through it as a citizen but it requires the need to create an environment where citizens are stepping forward and saying what issues they want solved.