[File Photo]

The FijiFirst has described the upcoming General Election as a ‘watershed.’

Party General Secretary, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this election will be a turning point as the old way of thinking is fighting with the new way of thinking.

He says the thinking that FijiFirst represents includes, economic empowerment for everybody, protecting the iTaukei land yet having economic empowerment, and empowering those in the lower margins of society.

Sayed-Khaiyum was responding to queries raised regarding the comments made by Social Democratic Liberal Party MP Mosese Bulitavu on how Fijian voters were misled in the 2014 and 2018 General Elections.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. 

He had stated that SODELPA had crafted their campaign message around 17 matters to get votes in their favour during the last two elections.

The 17 sensitized issues include the suspension of the GCC Regulation of 2007, Native Land Trust Decree no2 of 2009, Land Use Decree no36 of 2010, and iTaukei Affairs (Amendment) Decree no22 of 2012, amongst a few others.

“We’ve heard that one of the new political parties is saying that if you vote for FijiFirst you’ll lose all your land, you’ll become disfranchise, you’ll lose reservation, such misinformation. We’ve never had such a strong provision in the constitution, any constitution. The 1970 Constitution, 1990 Constitution, the 1997 Constitution did not have it, protection of indigenous land as we have in the 2013 constitution.

Sayed-Khaiyum has reminded all eligible voters that the 2022 General Election is important.

“That’s why they (political parties) are so desperate in doing all of these things. You know why? Because this is going to be a watershed election. They know that when they lose, God willing they will lose, the old style of politics will no longer have any more currency.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji needs visionary and accountable leaders.

He adds that political parties and candidates cannot make false promises to win votes.

A watershed election is an election which represents a major shift away from the current political situation.