Chaudhry not leaving the party

LAUTOKA – Veteran Fijian politician Mahendra Chaudhry remains leader of the Fiji Labour Party, quashing speculation of a change in leadership after the party’s annual delegates’ conference in Lautoka this week.

He confirmed that the issue had been discussed by the party, whose management urged him to continue leadership.

“This was discussed because I had put it to the conference to also look at leadership,” he said.

“I’ve led the party now for 25 years of its 30 years but this has largely been because of the coups.

“When we got into government in 1999, we were out within a year by a coup and of course if we had been allowed to continue, I probably would have left politics in 2009 after doing two terms.

“That was my original wish. And having become prime minister for the first term, I would have probably had a go at it again for a second term, but then the coup happened.

“And we can’t just leave everything and retire – it’s not the time to retire. It’s the time to get back to democracy.”

Chaudhry, 73, said party members decided it was not the time for change in leadership but for consolidation.

The delegates’ conference in Lautoka was attended by representatives from FLP branches around the country.