Dictatorship in guise of democracy

SUVA – Fiji’s opposition leader, Ro Teimumu Kepa, has strongly criticised the country’s leadership, saying Fiji is now a “dictatorship in the guise of democracy”.

She made the comment in a message for Fiji Day which today marks 45 years of independence under the official theme Togetherness in Harmony for a Prosperous Fiji.

Ro Teimumu says two men – the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Finance and Attorney General – control the levers of power and “what they say goes”, adding that the minister of finance runs the government and the cabinet while the prime minister increasingly spends his time on expensive overseas trips.

She adds that in the latest assault on democracy, the Fiji First government has decided to cut back by more than 50 per cent on the number of parliamentary sittings next year.

Ro Teimumu has also called on Fiji to improve the environment, adding that adopting a climate change policy is not just about grandstanding internationally and spouting lengthy speeches.