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NFP says government should focus on present challenges

May 20, 2019 4:54 pm

National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad [left and Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum

National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad says Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum and his government should focus on the challenges of the present and not bringing up issues of the past.

Prasad made these comments after the Attorney General said that the NFP leader missed a golden opportunity to talk about Girmit day in parliament last week as he kept talking about Dr Brij Lal and his wife who have been banned from coming to Fiji.

In a statement this afternoon Prasad claims it is becoming obvious that fewer and fewer people care about what Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum thinks, including the members of his own party.

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Prasad says he does not need advice from Sayed Khaiyum on how he should reflect on Girmit and its legacy.

He adds Lal is a descendant of Girmitiya, yet he is not allowed to return to the land of his birth.

Prasad further says that low paid workers in this country include descendants of Girmitiya, and claims that Sayed-Khaiyum is not doing anything about raising their wages.

Prasad adds that the whole point of Girmit, 140 years on, is that the descendants of Girmitiya are citizens of this country, together with the i-Taukei who have generously shared their land and everyone is entitled to the rights.

He alleges that the government has denied Fijians the right to a decent living for poor people, the right to dissent and to criticize the government, the right to organize and protest for workers’ rights and all the other rights.

He says Sayed-Khaiyum and his government should stop the cheap criticism and do the work they are paid to do.

We have contacted Sayed-Khaiyum on the matter and expect him to comment soon.