The nine Independent Members of Parliament who have pledged their support to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka have not made any demands for positions within the Cabinet.
They met with Prime Minister Rabuka on Sunday afternoon.
Mosese Bulitavu, one of the nine MPs, stated that they approached the Prime Minister “with clean hands, no demands, just straightforwardly declaring our support for the Government.”
“As an Opposition member, several Independent MPs approached me with the intention of supporting this Government. We decided to be independent members supporting him,” Bulitavu said.
“We are crossbenchers. We form a third block in Parliament. There is the Government, the Opposition, and now the Opposition members supporting the PM,” he added.
“Regarding joining another political party, the rules are not clear at this time. We may need a court interpretation on that since it’s not specified in the Constitution. For now, we will remain as the third block.”
Prime Minister Rabuka mentioned that if the nine MPs are excluded from Opposition Caucus meetings, a separate facility would be provided for them.
Meanwhile, Independent MP Aliki Bia, who also pledged support for the Prime Minister, mentioned that if given the opportunity to assist the Government in governing Fiji, they would do so.
Prime Minister Rabuka has assured that the nine Independent MPs’ support does not threaten the coalition government in any way.
He confirmed that the nine MPs would continue to engage in parliamentary debates and processes, advocating for what they believe is in the best interest of the people.
Rabuka stated that there were no demands or agreements between him and the Independent MPs. He also mentioned the possibility of reviewing the 2013 Constitution.
“The coalition remains as strong as it has always been,” Rabuka said.
“The leaders of the National Federation Party (NFP) and the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) have welcomed the idea.”
Social Democratic Liberal Party leader Aseri Radrodro expressed support for the Independent MPs’ initiative and confidence in the strength of the coalition.
National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad shared similar sentiments.