Jyoti Pratibha
Suva, October 28, 2018
People who believe in segregating Fijians along racial lines cannot profess to be Christians, Fiji’s Prime Minister and FijiFirst Party Leader Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama has said.
Speaking at the ‘FijiFirst Fun Day’ held on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at the Valelevu Ground in Nasinu, he questioned the Christian values of those who were campaigning against a secular state.
“Every day when they (Opposition parties) say their daily prayers, they end their prayers with ‘In Jesus’ Name, Amen.’ It was from their lips and not their hearts,” he said.
True Secularism
Mr Bainimarama said that if Fiji was to progress, there was no place for racism in the country. He said secular state did not take away anyone’s right to practise their religion.
Mr Bainimarama said he could not figure out why SODELPA wanted the 1997 Constitution to be reinstated, because “it is a racist Constitution.”
He said that that under the previous Constitution, when people went to cast their vote, they were segregated people based on their race.
“One of the foundations of FijiFirst Party is to eliminate racism. Some do not know what is in the Constitution, so when the Adi and the Ratu come and talk to you, you think this is right, this is the truth, but it is not,” he said.
Great Council of Chiefs
Referring to the Great Council of Chiefs (which SODELPA Leader Sitiveni Rabuka has vowed to revive if his Party forms the next government), Mr Bainimarama asked “What is the GCC going to do for us?
“I am an iTaukei, we are conversing in iTaukei, and it does not mean that (just because) I took away the GCC, I am against the iTaukei.”
He said SODELPA wanted to bring back the GCC to play politics for them.
Voting for progress
Mr Bainimarama said that Fiji needed to vote for progress and the votes they cast on November 14 would decide which direction the country was headed.
He said that political parties who were going to increase the public service retirement age to 60 would only stop young graduates from securing jobs in the civil service for additional five years.
Indian Newslink has published the above Report and pictures under a Special Arrangement with Fiji Sun.
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Bainimarama with supporter Timoci Mataitoga and his daughter Jacqueline Mataitoga at the ‘Family Fun Day,’ on October 27, 2018. (Photo for Fiji Sun by Ronald Kumar)
