Nine former FijiFirst MPs who have expressed their support for Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will continue to serve and represent their constituents.
In an interview, Prime Minister Rabuka emphasized that these MPs should continue to advocate for their beliefs in the interest of the people who elected them. “Yes, I did have a meeting with the nine MPs on Sunday,” Rabuka confirmed. “It was very humbling. They were strong supporters of the party that has now been de-registered. It’s very important for them to continue to represent the people, not necessarily the party but the people who voted for them.”
Rabuka encouraged the MPs to participate in parliamentary debates and promote their beliefs while liaising with relevant ministers. He clarified that there was no formal agreement between him and the MPs; they simply expressed their support for him as Prime Minister and will continue to sit as Independents in the Opposition benches.
The Prime Minister also mentioned discussing with the Speaker of the House, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, about providing the MPs with a separate facility. “We are hoping that if they are not included in the Opposition caucus meetings, they should have a separate facility for themselves, and I will talk to the Honourable Speaker about it.”
Rabuka added that the other two coalition parties supported the idea and assured that none of the Coalition Cabinet ministers felt threatened by this development.