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Stop using race and religion: Prime Minister

June 27, 2018 5:08 am

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says those spreading mischievous lies need to wake up and stop using other races and religion as a campaigning tool ahead of the election.

He adds the Government has proof that some political parties are using race and religion to divide the nation.

While opening the Ba Provincial Council Meeting this morning, the Prime Minister stated these lies are creating division amongst Fijians.

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The Prime Minister not mincing his words as he set the record straight on a number of issues which many have been speculating about.

“There is no chance whatsoever of a Chinese takeover in Fiji. We owe China only 10.6 per cent of our total national debt and they are not in the position to take over anything. There is no chance of a Muslim takeover in Fiji. Less than 5 per cent of Fijians are Muslim so they are not in a position to take over either. And Fijian Muslims – like every other citizen – are an integral part of our nation.”

Bainimarama also hit out at SODELPA for using the Fiji-China relationship for their political gain.

“Some of its politicians are going around the Vanua telling people that the government has sold Fiji to the Chinese. In fact, one of the SODELPA MPs has been passing around an ancient photograph of Australian aborigines in chains and saying that will soon be the fate of Fijians. We are actually being asked in government if it is true that we have sold Fiji to the Japanese, because I guess for some of these people, all Asians look the same. And yes, it would be a joke if it wasn’t so serious.”

Bainimarama told those present that majority of politicians nowadays are only looking after their interest.

“Depending on who they talk to, they even try and divide the Indo-Fijian community on the basis of whose ancestors came from North India or South India. But what a disgrace that a once great party that used to always promote unity – the party of nation builders like AD Patel, Siddiq Koya and James Madhavan – should have lost its way so badly by giving these people a platform. And to remain silent as this hatred is spread.”

He also claims Political Parties like SODELPA and the National Federation Party are not fit to run the country as they use religion and ethnicity for campaigning.

“The behaviour of some of our political opponents is no laughing matter. On the contrary, some of it is truly shocking and should be of great concern to right-minded people everywhere. Because as well as having no idea how to run a modern economy, no vision of Fiji’s place in the world, we have evidence that both SODELPA and the NFP are trying to sow division and exploit ethnicity and religion for their own purposes.”

The Prime Minister also highlighted that some politicians were even dividing the Indo-Fijian community by talking about the basis of their ancestors and whether they were from the North or the South of India.