Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has expressed his regret to the nation after acknowledging that his office’s actions resulted in certain Opposition MPs not being invited to State functions.
His comments came in response to Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu, who highlighted in Parliament that the Opposition was not invited to the traditional welcome ceremony for Indian President Droupadi Murmu earlier this week. Seruiratu pointed out that this was the third instance where the Opposition had been excluded from such significant international visits to Fiji.
Rabuka clarified that the Opposition members did not intentionally boycott the event, attributing their absence to a mistake on the part of the Government. He stated that he was unaware of the situation and emphasized that it “should not have happened.”
“I owe them (Opposition MPs), I owe the nation, an apology,” Rabuka remarked, noting that the error originated from the protocol department within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he oversees.
He indicated that someone had mistakenly followed the previous government’s policy that restricted Opposition MPs from attending State functions. Rabuka assured that this issue would not occur again, affirming that all legislators of the State, including Members of Parliament, should be present at State occasions.