In an astonishing development, FijiFirst reveals that those of its MPs who voted for the controversial pay and allowance increases on Friday did so in direct contravention of an instruction from the Acting General Secretary of the Party, Faiyaz Koya. Koya, of course, will have been acting on the instructions of the Party leader, Frank Bainimarama, and the man who remains the real power in FijiFirst, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
The 16 MPs who defied the instruction include the parliamentary Opposition Leader, Inia Seruiratu, and a host of other big names. According to this Party statement, they are to be disciplined in line with the FijiFirst Constitution. What this means isn’t yet clear. But it isn’t too hard to imagine this as a prelude to a major power struggle.
The Party with the most number of seats in the parliament is tonight in very real turmoil.
Some initial reaction on social media:
And your party will now die a natural death ! Khaiyum you are a dictator and an ass! Get it that no one wants you around again in politics ever ! Piss off !
It looks like in their exuberance and greed, the politicians who voted themselves a big pay rise may have acted illegally. I for one think that parliament should be dissolved immediately and fresh elections called. There are just too many crooks in parliament. The President and the Army must step in and take control of the Constitution and the safety and security of the people of Fiji.
This must be done today. Please do not leave it till tomorrow or next week or next time. These crooks must be stopped and removed today.
Don’t talk about Army or military here
Move away from this thuggery rule
Rule of law should be paramount
Democracy is voice of people
During coups,some military officers didn’t know what was happening
They were there only following commands
Na cava, na coup
Cava qori
Duri qa ,Taura na dakai
This is clearly an attempt by Inia Seruiratu to firmly tell Frank and Aiyaz that he is the leader now and the one to lead FFP into the next election and that he will take not take instructions from those who are now irrelevant and not the face of the party anymore.
Interesting days ahead.
No use taking any action
This is a win win situation for FFP
1.Their parliamentarians get pay rise
2.Current government is a Coalition
Even if NFP hasn’t voted for, they are still part of this current government
Voters here don’t look at FFP for salary increase, most look at the current government doing the call
This is a win for FFP in another context over the Coalition
If the Coalition wouldn’t have brought this bill in the first place and the PM would say that they will shelve all recommendations of the committee in regards to salary increase than the Coalition would have received heaps of credit here
Isa,Drua lost another away match
Leave all this political bast@:-:ds
Not worth it
Don’t pollute your mind with this scumbags
Hope Drua makes top 8th next week
Have a very great week ahead
Yes let’s focus on the Drua and also on the Rugby 7s winning Gold at the Paris Olympics ( even though the team has not performed anything like world champions over the last couple of years but yes by our prayers and faith they can do it). We shall overcome.
So let’s just leave the politics to the politicians eh and bury our heads in the sand.
Why do we pay taxes when this government has been duped to giving tax holidays and then puts their pay up?
So let’s get this straight the big idea was:
1. Shrink the economy
2. Give MPs more money
3. put up VAT to make poor pay for MPs
Who advised this? Who is in charge of economy? Who is advisor?
No amount of arse displaying can distract from this.
The image of FFP Leader in a serious meeting with/flanked by AG and PM from FijiLeaks (26/5) may be interpreted in many ways but if my interpretation is correct, the signal doesn’t augur well for FFP leadership and Fiji. The optics at the table looks concerning. Does this suggest why the Opposition Leader and indeed the Opposition have been mute in parliament and the leader and his majority members have sided with the Government on the remuneration bill? Are the FFP and the Govt in cahoots? One wonders.
Just another day in Paradise. Turmoil and chaos.
Inia and co just could not resist the windfall. And this could mean the preacher politician will bite the dust and Koya takes over. Thanks to Khaiyum.
Add to that the chaos Rabuka and co has been creating.
An intervention through use of the Doctrine of Necessity seems inevitable
and will be welcomed.
This appears to be a political stunt by Fiji First. The party officially recommended a salary increase to the emoluments committee, and it’s likely that the party’s General Secretary was aware of this before it was submitted. Fiji First also had two representatives on the committee who presented their recommendation. Therefore, their current stance or actions seem laughable. They likely did not anticipate the overwhelming public backlash, but now that they have seen the public’s reaction, they are backtracking for political gain.
Let’s not forget that it was Fiji First who introduced the emoluments committee, allowing sitting MPs to review and recommend their own salaries. They rewarded themselves handsomely in 2014, and now this pathetic coalition government is continuing that trend. All of them (past government and present MPs on both sides) are self-serving and self-entitled bastards.
The country’s getting f*****d up by an incompetent and racist government and all you care about is a stupid rugby match?
Rugby is the opiate of the masses here, and some silly people would think all is well when Fiji wins some inconsequential rugby match which doesn’t make a difference to their lives.
So they watch the match, eat the noodles and tin tuna they can ill afford now and go to bed satisfied, while their ministers give themselves a 100k raise and live lavish lifestyles by hoodwinking them.
Except for a couple of members, FFP under Inia have been a largely ineffective opposition in holding government to account. They and all the others don’t deserve a pay rise – a pathetic government whose members at every opportunity are away overseas on some jaunt or other and an opposition whose members have performed poorly.
When diehard Rabuka supporter like Raju strongly condemns this payrise, I hope the government takes note. The people are very angry about this.
The sooner “Serui-“Mr Climate Change-Ratu” is replaced as party leader the better.
SYSTEM, SYSTEMS. SYSTEMS.
Our Westminster parliamentary system is a F**king disaster.
As per my submission to the Ghai Constitutional Commission, I once more call for
a One Party State !
At the time, I said, give it 16 years, 4 election cycles before, a review.
The Ghai Commission suggested a Constitutional Assembly to deal with such suggestions as mine. Fair enough, maybe a bridge to far for them to make.
What we have now is no bridge, we are f***ked.
Trapped in our own insanity, doing things over and over and expecting a different result.
“WHAT ! You think new elections are going to solve our problem? This system we have only brings the scum to the surface and that is what we have. No honest man or women can survive or let alone want to get involved in a corrupt soul destroying system. ”
Republic of Fiji Military Forces, you gave yourself guardianship role over our nations welfare and removed the Constitutional Assembly that was suggested to be put in place by the Ghai Constitutional Commission. They traveled throughout the country receiving 7,000 submissions towards the 2013 Constitution. At the end of this process, you stepped in and removed the Constitutional Assembly. BIG MISTAKE !
You stopped the people of this country from allowing them to rectify mistakes and oversight found during the practical application of our Constitution.
The Westminster Parliamentary system is an absolute disaster, an abomination against the values of the people of our country which are in the main spiritually anchored in their faiths and traditions. YOU TOOK AWAY THE ONLY MECHANISM FOR THE PEOPLE TO CHANGE A REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM THAT DOESN’T WORK !!!!!
When will you intervene to rectify your disaster?
You have brought shame upon our nation, and as if that is not enough, what more,
officers and soldiers pushing wheel barrow load of money to the corner shop to buy a loaf of bread?
The ulterior motives of many Parliamentarians are “What I can get being a politician , rather then what I can give to the Nation as a politician . In this modern era its hard to find MK Ghandi,Martin Luther King or Bishop Oscar Romero amoung our politicians .
I suggest read your Holy Books and grasp the leadership qualities of the incanates and Prophets and make changes to your leadership style .