Former member of the now de-registered FijiFirst Party, Viliame Naupoto, today addressed the Parliamentary chamber for the first time as a crossbench Member of Parliament.
While expressing his support for the 2024-25 National Budget, Naupoto explained that his current situation is the result of a decision he made in Parliament, which he does not regret, along with decisions made by others outside of Parliament.
Members of Parliament who neither belong to the Government nor the Opposition sit on the crossbench.
“Let me at the outset say, that the decisions made outside of this Parliament were theirs to make, which I respect, and the reasoning behind their decisions, I will not question.”
“I have accepted the situation I am in, and I will move on as a crossbench Member of Parliament for the remainder of this Parliament term.”
“I have made my choice also, and as the saying goes, ‘You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice.’ That, I understand very well.”
Despite recent events, he declared that he stands in the august house with a sense of freedom—freedom to exercise his own judgment, freedom to consult across the floor, and freedom to work with others, including those from different sides, to ensure that he serves the citizens well.
“Today is a new start for me.”
“Democracy is only partly about votes and Legislature, but democracy is mostly about human encounter and interaction.”
“It’s about arguing and debating, about compromise across different people, with different beliefs, different political affiliations, people who may be radically different from ourselves, but we learn to say, ‘OK, I may not fully understand where you are coming from, but I’m beginning to see you, and I show you respect, admiration, and reverence.’”
He added that the past politics of “us versus them” and “it’s my way or the highway,” which he notes still influences this Parliament, is a form of politics that sows seeds of anger and hatred. Such behavior, he emphasized, does not set a good example for the multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-religious society they serve.