Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has issued an apology to the nation, explaining that his office’s actions resulted in some Opposition MPs not receiving invitations to State functions.
His comments came in response to Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu, who criticized the government in Parliament for the exclusion of Opposition members from the traditional welcome ceremony for Indian President Droupadi Murmu earlier this week. Seruiratu noted that this incident marked the third occasion where the Opposition was not invited to high-profile international events in Fiji.
Rabuka clarified that the Opposition did not boycott the ceremony, emphasizing that their absence was a government oversight. He admitted he was unaware of the situation and stressed that such an incident “should not have happened.”
“I owe them (Opposition MPs), I owe the nation, an apology,” Rabuka stated. He labeled the mistake as a significant error made by the protocol department within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he oversees.
Rabuka pointed out that someone had inadvertently continued a previous government’s practice of excluding Opposition MPs from attending State functions. He assured that this will not be repeated in the future, asserting that all legislators and Members of Parliament should be present at State occasions.