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| New Assistant Ministers pn270 |
The FijiFirst Government has got to be seen as a truly multi-ethnic party where the status of all is protected. (See my previous postings, pn20141, pn269, pn, pn245).
It is too easily portrayed by its detractors as an Indo-Fijian party, hostile to Taukei interests. True, more Indo-Fijians voted for FijiFirst and more Taukei for SODELPA, but a large number of Taukei also voted for FijiFirst.
Part of the problem is the Open List election system which allows voters to vote for their preferred candidate. With SODELPA, Rabuka was the preferred candidate but many other Taukei also got a sizeable number of votes. Not so, of course, for their "token" Indo-Fijian candidates who received hardly any votes. All of its successful 21 candidates are Taukei.
With FijiFirst the situation was very different. Most of its voters voted for Bainimarama, leaving too few to vote for other candidates, and many of these voted for Indo-Fijian candidates. The result is that all 21 successful SODELPA candidates are Taukei, compared with only 10 of FijiFirst's 27 successful candidates.
Had Fiji opted for a Closed List system where the parties decide the rank order of their candidates, FijiFirst would have had more Taukei MPs, a better geographical spread and probably a deeper pool of talents.
The reduced size of the House, from 71 MPs in and before 2006 to 51 in the 2014 Election, also reduced the size of the pool.
These circumstances, and the prominence of Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, have made it only too easy for SODELPA and those opposing FijiFirst to accuse it being pro-Indo-Fijian and anti-Taukei, with Bainimarama the mere puppet of Khaiyum.
The appointment of the two Assistant Ministers (see below) may not seem particularly newsworthy, except that they are both Taukei and both are appointed to ministries directly affecting Taukei.
The hope now is that Bainimarama will have more time to devote to Taukei. His most important portfolio, if he intends to win the next election, is Taukei Affairs. I hope, also, that he increases his presence on local radio, TV and the social media.
--ACW
Two new Assistant Ministers sworn in
Jan 28, 2019 04:57:00 PM
Two new Assistant Ministers were sworn in by His Excellency, the President Major General (Ret’d) Jioji Konusi Konrote at the State House in Suva today.
Newly appointed Assistant Minister for iTaukei Affairs Hon. Selai Adimaitoga and Assistant Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Youth and Sports Hon. Alipate Tuicolo Nagata took their Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Due Execution of Office.
The ceremony was attended by Cabinet Ministers and Assistant Ministers with various Permanent Secretaries and close relatives.
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