Why Alvick Maharaj removed as FijiFirst MP although he did not vote for the parliamentary motion?

Questions are being raised on why attempts have been made to remove FijiFirst Party senior Member of Parliament, Alvick Maharaj from his parliamentary seat.

Maharaj did not vote for the parliamentary motion to change the salaries and benefits, and had raised concerns that some changes were discriminatory against youth parliamentarians.

fijivillage News is also trying to get comments from Acting General Secretary, Faiyaz Koya and the party’s Foundation Member, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum on whether this is a personal vendetta against Maharaj as he has been raising issues regarding some questionable matters in the party and was also replaced as Opposition Whip last year.

We have also asked for a response from Koya and Sayed-Khaiyum on FijiFirst MP Mosese Bulitavu's comments saying that FijiFirst does not have an internal dispute resolution in it's Constitution.

Bulitavu also asks how can termination letters be issued if MPs were not even asked to respond to the allegation against them.

fijivillage News has also managed to get the instructions given to the MPs by Koya last Friday.

It says FijiFirst Leader, Voreqe Bainimarama who was visited by his lawyers at Korovou Prison informed them about his decisions on specific policy matters.

The instruction said vote against the pay rise or at the very least abstain.

The message from Bainimarama said in short voting for it will make FijiFirst caucus members look greedy given that that ordinary Fijians who are their main supporters will lose confidnece in them as the cost of living has sky rocketed and social wages has decreased significantly and is a major public issue and is the achilles heel for the coalition government.

The message said a pay rise is not appropriate at this time, and apart from the philosophical issue, from a political perspective, if NFP or any other party abstains or votes against the Bill what will FijiFirst look like if they vote for it.

He said you can already see on social media that an overwhelming majority of Fijians even the PAP, NFP and SODELPA supporters are against the motion.

The second instruction dealt with no giving of speeches in the vernacular as Alvick Maharaj did.

Bainimarama's instruction said phrases here and there which can be translated or easily understood by all have always been acceptable by FijiFirst.

He said the philosophical rationale is that they are an inclusive political movement. not exclusive.

He adds by making speeches in the vernacular they are completely going against their core principles of inclusiveness.

We have sent questions to Acting General Secretary, Faiyaz Koya and the party’s Foundation Member, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

We have asked if they have received the confirmation of the vacation of the 17 FijiFirst MPs seats by the Speaker.

fijivillage News has also asked Koya and Sayed-Khaiyum for their comments after FijiFirst MP, Mosese Bulitavu said FijiFirst doesn't have an internal dispute resolution in it's Constitution.

He also asks how can termination letters be issued if MPs were not even asked to respond to the allegation against them.

We have also asked if this is a personal vendetta against Maharaj as he has been raising issues regarding some questionable matters in the party and was also replaced as Opposition Whip last year.

Bulitavu has also said that Section 5.3 (c)(ii) of the FijiFirst Party Constitution stipulates that "if FijiFirst is in the main opposition party in Parliament, the Parliamentary Leader shall be the Leader of the Opposition."

In addition, section 5.3 (b)(iii) of the FijiFirst Constitution says that the Parliamentary Leader is the head of the Leadership Committee and in section 5.3 (b)(iv) the Leadership Committee determines the composition of the Central Executive Committee which includes the President, Vice Presidents, the General Secretary and the Treasurer. Any member of the Leadership Committee is a Foundation member.

Bulitavu is asking why is the Leader of the Opposition/Parliamentary Leader of FijiFirst since taking office on 27 March, 2023 been kept out of the Leadership Committee and not appointed as a Foundation member.

He also asks why didn't the Leader of the Opposition being the rightful Parliamentary Leader who the FijiFirst Constitution says should be the head of the Leadership Committee take part in the selection of the new Party President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer and the appointment of the acting General Secretary.

He says only a Leadership Committee meeting chaired by the Parliamentary Leader can issue a lawful party directive to MP's.

He asked are FijiFirst not breaching their very own Party Constitution.

We have asked who are the 17 new MPs earmarked to come in, who have confirmed to the party that they are ready to serve and what is their message to the 17 terminated MPs who say they do not accept the decision and are questioning the legality of it.