PM Bainimarama Allegedly Assaulted NFP President, Pio Tikoduadu. UPDATED.

Pio Tikoduadua (L), PM (R). pn475

UPDATED Sunday 11 August. The incident was well covered in the Fiji media.  My summary is that the Speaker refused to comment on the incident when asked to do so by MP Pio Tikoduadua, saying he can only comment on what he sees or hears. The Attorney-General, speaking in defence of PM Bainimarama, said the MP had made personal remarks about the PM, telling him he should get his own house in order before criticising others. There is some doubt whether "house" referred to Bainimarama's family or the parliamentary House. My reading is the latter was clearly intended, but Bainimarama may not have taken it this way.  This, however, is a poor excuse for a physical attack by a prime miniser on another member of parliament. As the matter is now with the police, further comment would seem improper, unless there are new developments.  My thanks to those who sent me copied pages from The Fiji Times. -- ACW

AUTHORISED BY: - Pio Tikoduadua President   Friday, August 9, 2019

NFP President assaulted by Prime Minister

Friday August 9, 2019 will go down in the history of our nation as a shameful day when the Prime Minister of our nation, surrounded by his bodyguards,   twice assaulted a honourable Member of Parliament.  The incident happened around 11.40am when I was walking out of Parliament after moving and  replying to my Motion caling for a Special Parliamentary Committee to be established to look at the national problem of drugs in Fiji.



I had walked outside parliament when I heard the Prime Minister’s voice and he called out to me in i-taukei language “Pio, come here”.  I turned around walked back to him where he was within the precints of Parliament near his oficial vehicle surounded by his bodyguards. He started swearing at me in i-taukei language – swore at my mother and my father, and assaulted me. In the process he broke my pair of eye glasses. He then again warned me in i-taukei language “Qarauna tiko”  or Watch Out.

I then started walking up the parliamentary steps to go back into the House and report this to the Honourable Speaker. For the second time, the Prime Minister came up to me and assaulted me.  This is of course an act of downright cowardice and an act of thuggery. This act of violence was also witnessed by Honourable Qereqeretabua and members of our staff . And worse – the PM’s bodyguards stod around him and did nothing to hold him back. 

I regard this as the most shameful and dispicable act to have been carried out by  any Prime Minister in our independent history.  

An assault on any member of this house is an assault on our voters an assault on the sanctity of parliament and consequentially an assault on democracy. I am a member of the parliament of Fiji. I am a proud son of Fiji and I would not in earnest think of assaulting a member of this house—no matter how bad our disagreements.

After this, I will be going into the Totogo Police station to lodge an official police report. I will also be tendering a letter to the Speaker of the house of parliament to look into this very grave and serious matter. Violence in any form cannot be allowed to be perpetuated or condoned. I was assaulted in the presence of Hon. Qereqeretabua our youth members and members of the parliamentary staff. 

This day of shame brought upon democracy in Fiji by the Leader of the nation must become a thing of the past.