Fiji PM to form Political Party

PRIME Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama will form a political party before September 30, 2014.

This was revealed during the fifth Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) congress at the Sheraton Fiji Resort yesterday.

"When will I launch the new party? When I am ready because right now I am concentrating not on my own political fortunes but on the fortunes of the Fijian people," he said while addressing participants and stakeholders at the event.

"Before September 30, 2014, I will subject myself to the nation's will under the provision of the document we unveiled yesterday (Thursday).

"I will form a political party and my party will submit itself to the collective will of the 540,000 or so Fijians who have already registered for the elections."

Frank Bainimarama . Getty /ABC Photo

He said they would fight a battle of ideas with their opponents, who were offered a briefing on the Constitution on Thursday but did not show up.

Commodore Bainimarama said the contest would be free and fair.

"And we will stand on our record and on the many reforms we still plan for Fiji," he said.

"We aren't just promising better basic services to ordinary people like previous governments, we are delivering them.

"Better access to education, health, housing, transport, electricity, water, telecommunications, government services, legal aid, better roads and better sporting facilities."

He said they received 1093 written submissions and countless verbal suggestions on what the new constitution should represent including specific requests for provisions that guaranteed and strengthened the protection of iTaukei, Rotuman and Banaban land.

Fiji Times