Twenty-one new candidates have made it to parliament after successfully contesting the 2018 General Election.

Of these, eleven are from the FijiFirst Party, nine from SODELPA and one from the National Federation Party.

FijiFirst candidate Premila Kumar who is among the ten women in parliament has been a strong advocate for Consumer Rights for a number of years.
Kumar says she’s happy to be voted in.

“Elated and I feel finally the people of Fiji wanted to see me in parliament and they voted me in.”

Cane farmer Selai Adimaitoga believes if she can serve the growers then she can do the same for the whole nation.

“I was pushed by the growers to stand in the 2014 General Election but I told them that I was not ready. When I came out from being the president of the Rarawai/Penang Cane Producers – then I believe it is the same criteria and I learnt so much from there and it just made me strong.”

Dairy farmer, Vijendra Prakash says he has been trying to enter parliament for some time now.

“I am very excited to be in parliament for the first time – which I had knocked twice in 1999 and 2011 when I stood for Election but I couldn’t make it – but this time I am in the right party and I made it.”

A strong youth advocate Alipate Nagata who raked in a massive 6, 876 votes as a first time says he has been working behind the scenes in his community for some time now.

“I believe – because I don’t have fans, I have families and friends and that is very important. We need to have loyal friends and loyal family members who will support you.”

FijiFirst got 227, 241 votes, 50.02 percent of the total votes cast in the General Election.