In condemning the statement, Draunidalo says the only vulagi, or visitors, to Fiji are tourists, and the word has a strong meaning that once divided Fiji some 30 years ago.

Former National Federation Party President Tupou Draunidalo has slammed the racial statements made on The People’s Alliance’s social media page.

PA provisional candidate Liliana Warid in her post described Indo-Fijians as “visitors” who “were not going back anytime soon” and she also claimed in the same statement that indigenous Fijians were being marginalized.

In condemning the statement, Draunidalo says the only vulagi, or visitors, to Fiji are tourists, and the word has a strong meaning that once divided Fiji some 30 years ago.

Tupou Draunidalo says disappointment is an understatement to describe how low some have become just to gain votes by dividing our people.

“I don’t know why there are some people in PAPI who still use these words, words have meaning and people who are provisional candidates-they are leaders already because they have been chosen out of the almost one million of us to be one of the 51 to represent their party. So as leaders if they know our history they shouldn’t be using those words.”

Draunidalo says a civilized person would never use such a term.

“We know who the vulagi is, tourists are the vulagi. Those who come here for a visit and we always put out the best for them because they are here temporarily and they go. You can’t call someone whose home is Fiji a Vulagi. That’s just like saying they are second class, third class, fourth class or waiting for another boat to go away somewhere. Where?”

The former MP says what’s more concerning is that her former party, the NFP, is silent about this divisive issue, especially as it has signed an MOU with Sitiveni Rabuka’s party.

Draunidalo claims Rabuka has control over the NFP.

“I read somewhere that they said something but that’s so weak and so late but that’s because they’re little second fiddle, they can’t do anything without their boss saying yes you can say that or you free to, they can’t, they just don’t have any leadership there, no courage of their convictions.”

Draunidalo has also slammed a member of The People’s Alliance, who she says, despite being a qualified lawyer is trying to justify racist comments by making it sound like other people don’t understand the itaukei language.

More than a week after Warid’s racist comments, The People’s Alliance Leader Sitiveni Rabuka finally issued an apology this morning to anyone that has been offended or insulted by Warid’s statement.

However, Rabuka and his party is yet to state what disciplinary action they will take against Warid and if it and the NFP agrees or not with Warid’s racist comments.