Opposition fails to oust Bainimarama

SUVA – The opposition in Fiji failed in an attempt to remove Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and appoint Ro Teimumu Kepa as the new government leader in a vote of no confidence in parliament on Friday.

In a heated debate that lasted for almost six hours, the 29 government MPs gave speeches showing their support to Bainimarama and labelling the opposition’s action an insult to the 202,459 Fijians who voted for the prime minister in the September 2014 polls.

While tabling the no confidence motion, opposition MP Semesa Karavaki said: “It has become very apparent and very clear now that this nation needs to be redeemed, it needs to be saved and the only way it can be changed is to change the prime minister.”

“This country does not need a strongman to lead. It needs somebody to heal the wounds that this country is suffering from,” he said. “The Prime Minister now is truly an enforcer and portrays himself as a strongman, but in fact is not a healer.”

Bainimarama said the motion had backfired on the Opposition.

“The intention of the motion was to bring about all those issues they have been harping about the last two years.

“But see what happened, it backfired on them and that’s why I was hoping they bring it because the motion will backfire on them and it did very badly.”

He said he wished this was election week, he would have got all the votes.

Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said Opposition should respect and uphold democracy, and understand that majority of the people voted for the prime minister.

- Fiji Times