Fiji Election: Accusations all round

Unity's Nabulivou on FijiFirst's undemocratic ways;

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SODELPA's Rabuka's tax liabilities; calls for a Leaders' debate, NFP's Prasad's claim of 12 years of Government incompetence.

Former PM and SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka has admitted in his court caution interview that he had failed to declare all his assets, liabilities and income to the Supervisor of Elections contrary to the Political Parties Act.

It is alleged that he provided a false declaration of assets and liabilities, namely, a tax liability of $316,956.20, and an investment and interest income with Raghwan Construction Ltd of $120,000.  If found guilty he may not be able to stand in the National Elections.

FijiFirst "undemocratic"
Former FijiFirst MP Alivereti Nabulivou has accused the FijiFirst Government of doing things in "undemocratic ways." “There was no freedom ... no fairness and transparency because only two guys are leading this Government, there is no democracy,” he claimed.“I had more votes than some who were given portfolios in Government ... where is the fairness there?"  “I applied for FijiFirst, went for the interview and I am the first man out."

FijiFirst did not accept  him as a candidate this election, and he is now standing as a Unity Fiji candidate.
He seems to think that having more votes and being first in the queue should have made him a cabinet minister and an automatic candidate this election.

Almost all opposition parties want a leaders' debate...  but it would appear FijiFirst is not all that keen/ https://www.fijitimes.com/2018-general-elections-let-us-debate/  Questions sent to the FijiFirst party and the HOPE party remained unanswered when this story went to press last night.
The Fiji Times reports, "Some of the debatable issues identified by the four leaders include: basic rights and freedoms; State of the economy; wage rate; poverty and unemployment; cost of living; housing; debt sustainability; education; national unity; e-ticketing; foreign policy; and, traffic congestion."

Head to head with Dr Prasad
NFP leader Dr Biman Prasad said the PM was behaving like someone who was desperately clutching to straws for survival.

“He has totally shirked his pledge for the election campaign to be all about a battle of ideas. Instead he should have a public debate with me on why under his leadership for past 12 years there has been a stratospheric rise to the cost of living, deteriorating public health and medical services, mess in the education system, almost 50 per cent decline in the sugar industry, almost total collapse of the dairy industry, ballooning debt levels, against a backdrop of exorbitantly high increases to salaries of the PM and Cabinet ministers.”

I examine these accusations in a separate post. pn145
--ACW