Fiji at a crossroads due to leadership failure – Chaudhry

There is a need for bold and decisive leadership to tackle the many challenges Fiji faces as a nation, and the country cannot go on like this. In his New Year’s message, Fiji Labour Party Leader Mahendra Chaudhry says the newspaper article titled “Rubbish rules the streets” is timely, and Labour believes the filth seen around the country is symptomatic of the rot, laxity and a “don’t care” attitude that is fast permeating the entire nation.

He says there is an air of decadence, whether one looks at the environment, the urban landscape, the appalling state of healthcare facilities, neglected roads and public buildings, or the haphazard manner in which the nation is being governed.

Chaudhry says the country has stopped caring, and much of this is rooted in frustration and despondency brought about by a failure of leadership, weak, self-serving and self-indulgent leadership devoid of integrity, riddled with contradictions and impervious to public opinion.

He adds that Fiji today stands at a crossroads.

The FLP Leader says the nation faces severe challenges for which the Coalition appears to have no answers.

He says all that is offered is hollow and sanctimonious rhetoric with little substance, adding that while much was promised, little has been delivered.

Chaudhry says the Coalition promised the restoration of full democratic rights and freedoms, but three years on there is no hope of municipal council elections being held, no mention of Growers Council elections, and while the draconian Media Decree was repealed, there is little sign of a free and unbiased media, with many later receiving questionable government grants.

He adds that the Online Safety laws are being abused to target political critics, while serious complaints against government cronies are ignored. Chaudhry says urgent amendments to the Electoral Laws, with national polls due this year — have been delayed, while the report of the Review Committee on Electoral Laws gathers dust on the Attorney-General’s shelves.

He says a Supreme Court opinion delivered in September cleared the way for changes to the 2013 Constitution, but progress has been marred by what he describes as a disastrous Referendum Bill, which he says is undemocratic and draconian as it prohibits public discussion and debate in the lead-up to a national plebiscite.

He also says the Coalition has yet to make public the amendments it intends to introduce to the 2013 Constitution, and its continued silence is leaving minority communities feeling jittery and apprehensive, adding to growing political instability.

Chaudhry adds that the nation’s financial situation has worsened during three years of Coalition rule, with the country now heavily reliant on budget support from Australia and New Zealand and borrowing from international financial institutions for capital works.

The FLP Leader says while contractors complain of not being paid for work done, the cash-strapped government has nonetheless been liberally handing out grants to media organisations and what he describes as dubious, crony-based entities.

He says corruption is rife, yet there is still no Code of Conduct, Freedom of Information legislation, or an Accountability and Transparency Commission, which he notes are mandatory requirements under the Constitution.

Chaudhry says the illicit drugs situation in Fiji is critical and has been made more acute by what he describes as scandalous revelations of the complicity of senior police officers and high-ranking government officials with drug cartels.

He says despite this, no strong measures have been adopted to address the problem.

Chaudhry highlights that instead of progress, there has been a marked decline in service delivery, evident in the poor condition of hospitals and health clinics, deteriorating roads, frequent water supply disruptions and the soaring cost of living. He says the failure to address rural decline and poverty has led to a fall in agricultural production and increased rural-to-urban migration, placing further pressure on jobs and social services in towns and cities.

Chaudhry says thousands of young and skilled Fijians continue to migrate overseas in search of employment and a better future.

He adds that the fate of the sugar industry remains uncertain, plagued by declining cane and sugar production and chronic milling problems.

He says the 2025 season was disastrous, possibly the worst on record, and that the industry lacks firm direction.

The FLP Leader says Fiji remains heavily reliant on tourism, leaving the economy vulnerable to adverse external factors. He adds that successive failures to broaden the economic base have left the country without sufficient local capacity.

Chaudhry says Fiji has also failed to protect its vital natural resources from unsustainable exploitation by foreign-owned companies and foreign nationals.

He says the impression created is of a government bungling its way through, driven by internal conflict, frequently breaching constitutional and legal requirements, with unruly elements pursuing their own interests and showing little respect for public service norms.

He also says the ongoing Commission of Inquiry saga has unfolded like a comedy of errors, involving dismissals, legal challenges and attempted out-of-court settlements by disgraced bureaucrats, lawyers and Cabinet ministers charged with criminal misdemeanours.

The FLP Leader says the saga has brought disrepute to the Coalition, deepening instability and eroding public confidence.