Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu says the if Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is serious about accountability, there is a clear and honourable course available to him and he should take guidance from the precedent set by former Deputy Prime Ministers Professor Biman Prasad and Manoa Kamikamica and immediately step aside as Prime Minister while the appeal process is underway.
He has highlighted this after Rabuka had indicated that he will appeal the High Court’s decision that the dismissal of Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner, based on his advice to the President, was unlawful.
Rabuka had said yesterday that he is considering resigning if the appeal fails.
In a statement, Seruiratu says stepping aside is the only action that would demonstrate credibility, respect for the rule of law and genuine concern for the integrity of public office and anything short of that is mere theatrics, a distraction tactic that does nothing to restore public confidence or address the damage already done.
He says the Prime Minister’s sudden suggestion that he may resign is nothing more than a calculated attempt to generate sympathy for the very chaos he has personally created and inflicted on the nation.
Seruiratu says this is not statesmanship, it is a display of disingenuous emotion and crocodile tears calculated to invite sympathy rather than accept responsibility.
The Leader of the Opposition says the Prime Minister knows full well that by the time any appeal arising from the Malimali judgement is heard, Parliament will in all likelihood already be dissolved.
He says floating the idea of resignation now without taking any concrete step is therefore a hollow gesture designed to distract the public and deflect responsibility.
Seruiratu says the people of Fiji should not be treated as an audience in a circus show, everything that has gone wrong in this matter begins and ends with the Prime Minister.
He says by his own admission, the decision under legal scrutiny was his alone and the instability, confusion and legal disorder now confronting the country are the direct result of his actions.
The Opposition Leader highlights that is not an isolated incident it is part of a never-ending drama that has come to define this Government, a pattern of reckless decision-making followed by damage control, excuses and blame-shifting.
Seruiratu says that is the true measure of the chaos Fiji is now enduring.
Meanwhile, following today's Cabinet Meeting, Minister for Information, Lynda Tabuya says Rabuka will now assess the presentation and options given by Solicitor General, Ropate Green, and also await the Judicial Services Commission's decisions.
Tabuya says Prime Minister has asked to be given a few days to consider the possibilities of the way forward, and an appeal is available to the Prime Minister as is the process that is available to any citizen of the country.
Tabuya says the court could not order the reinstatement of Barbara Malimali or decide on damages, leaving the matter to the Judicial Services Commission.
She says the JSC will now convene to decide on Malimali’s future, stressing that the Commission is independent of the Executive.
Tabuya adds that once the JSC makes its decision, it will be up to the Prime Minister to consider whether to file an appeal, noting that he acted based on legal advice from King’s Counsel in New Zealand and not on his own.
Tabuya also says there was also a resounding sentiment in cabinet today that they will not accept the Prime Minister's resignation and they fully support him as the Prime Minister.
