Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Saturday, 24 December 2022

pn948. Fiji: Division and One-upmanship, an unsteady government


While SODELPA has officially joined PA/NFP to form Fiji's next government, all is not well with the party—or the government. 

A first count of SODELPA's management team on which side to join, PA/NFP or Fiji First, had to be scrapped because several people voted who had no right to do so. A second count, the following day, saw 13 vote for PA/NFP and 12 vote for FijiFirst. The result could not have been closer.

On the basis of this vote the three SODELPA MPs were instructed to vote with PA/NFP.

But the votes for Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Prime Minister and Deputy PM in the 55-seat Parliament resulted in 28 for and 27 against. One MP had defected and voted against the way he had been instructed. The votes should have been 29:26, totalling 55.

With the small difference in party seats, if this pattern continues, all it would take is a couple of absentee MPs to topple the Government! 

 Bainimarama was elected Leader of the Opposition, unopposed.


-- ACW  

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