‘This will rejuvenate the party’: Fiji Prime Minister Rabuka on the split in the People’s Alliance

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has brushed aside concerns about a split in his ruling People’s Alliance Party.

“I don’t see this as a stumbling block,” Rabuka told reporters in New Zealand at a public event in Auckland’s Mangere over the weekend.

Last Wednesday, he confirmed that “some members” of his party were planning to break away and form a new political party.

Since then, several senior members of his party and cabinet have come out in support of him, including his deputy Manoa Kamikamika, Lands Minister Filimoni Vosarogo, Sugar Minister Charan Jit Singh.

Kamikimika said in a statement on Thursday that those who were planning to form their own party should “resign immediately”, adding that they “disrespect the tens of thousands of Fijians who voted because they believed in the Prime Minister and the People’s vision Alliance.”

However, the Prime Minister said there were “health benefits” to raising concerns and listening.

“I think it will rejuvenate the party,” Rabuka told reporters at a Fiji Day event on Saturday.

“This will give the party new energy. It’s about halfway through the government’s first term, and it’s a time when people are wondering, “Are they doing what they say they’re going to do?”

The announcement is the latest in a series of scandals following ministerial reshuffles, the appointment of a new prosecutor general and a turn of events at the anti-corruption agency.

A Fijian political commentator said trust in the Fijian government has been undermined.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury, Emeritus Professor of the Pacific Region, Stephen Ratuva, spoke about this. RNZ Pacific Since Rabuka’s three-party coalition came to power, there have been many high-profile scandals.

“It did little to create a good image for Rabuka,” he said.

“The government was under a lot of stress, a lot of pressure, especially being a coalition government.”

But he said the announcement was not surprising as Fiji’s politics had always been volatile and had many divisions within parties.

“After the collapse of the FijiFirst party, there are many, if you like, free politicians around, and some of them may support Rabuka, some may not.

“It’s quite a dynamic area and I think we’ll see how it plays out in the next election.”

Rabuka concluded his two-day official visit to New Zealand with a public event in Mangere to celebrate the country’s 54th anniversary of independence.

On Friday he met privately with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon in Auckland, where Luxon invited him to dinner and then ended his visit with a busy social event.

The two prime ministers discussed key areas of cooperation including regional security, economic ties and climate change under the Fiji-New Zealand Duawat partnership.

Although New Zealand and Fiji stuck together through “difficult times”, relations broke down after Sitiveni Rabuka’s coup in 1987.

“Bridges are being repaired, rebuilt, and we are now moving very well into the future. United,” Rabuka said. RNZ Pacific.

Rabuka left New Zealand for Samoa for the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

The Pacific island nation was expelled from the grouping in 2006 following a military coup.

Rabuka said Fiji was in a very fortunate position because it had been expelled from the Commonwealth and was now back in the “club”.

He hopes everyone will heed this lesson: “Behave or leave”… PACNEWS/RNZ PACIFIC