False Fiji Times Page Unlikely to help either FijiFirst or SODELPA

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The Fiji Times has warned readers to beware a false  Facebook page purporting to be the Fiji Times Facebook page. The false page falsely informs readers that the FICAC case against SODELPA's Sitiveni Rabuka was successful and Rabuka will not be able to contest the election. It claimed votes cast for Rabuka would therefore not count. 


It would appear the false page was created either by a FijiFirst supporter trying to influence the vote, or by a SOPDELPA supporter hoping the blame would be past on to FijiFirst.

The FijiFirst supporter would be wrong. A vote not cast for Rabuka would surely be cast for another SODELPA  candidate, and it's the sum of the party votes that determines seats in Parliament.   It's doubtful the SODELPA supporter would be successful, either. Most voters would probably put it down to yet another false rumour. 

-- ACW

Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk reports:

The Fiji Times has appealed to readers to report a fake Facebook account purporting to be the official page of the daily newspaper.

In a message posted on the newspaper’s website today, editor-in-chief Fred Wesley says: “We need your support to report this FAKE page https://web.facebook.com/Fiji-Times-254313332110085/ to Facebook so it can be removed.”

The fake page ran a false news item claiming that opposition SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka had been barred from contesting tomorrow’s general election. In fact, a High Court ruling yesterday cleared Rabuka to contest the election to the jubilation of a crowd waiting outside the Suva courtroom.

The fake news item said:

“The Social Liberal Democratic Party (SODELPA) leader Sitiveni Rabuka has been disqualified from running for the 2018 Fijian General Elections.

“All votes cast for Rabuka’s number will not be counted now …”

It would appear the false page has now been taken down.