President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere.

President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, has told parliamentarians that he will support the work of the State to achieve true equality for all Fijians.

Speaking at the opening of the new session of parliament this morning, Ratu Wiliame said while he may be Fiji’s youngest president with limited public life, he has seen how past systems were not serving the interests of all.

“I will protect the flame of our young democracy from all who seek to extinguish it for personal or political purposes. I will use my leadership to support the highest possible functioning of the State and the Executive to realize the objectives of the Constitution. We have far too much left to achieve to let the sideshows dominate our national discourse.”

The President has called on all MPs to put aside old, petty politics and look further than short-term goals, striving to serve the best interest of all Fijians.

“We are not some far flung colony in the furthest reaches of a smoldering empire, nor are we some backwater port in a vast Pacific. Our nation is home to people who want stability, prosperity and who are wiser and more educated than ever before.”

Ratu Wiliame says Fijians should not have to exist in a perpetual state of political antagonism and politicians must move beyond perspectives of the past.

“The democracy created under our Fijian Constitution will wither with our complacency but comes alive with public participation, as does its values and principles. Thank you for your participation in the vital business of our democracy.”

He adds that politicians come and go, but public institutions that serve the people must not only endure, but also thrive in serving Fijians.