Oppression creating groundswell of oppostion

NAURU – Prospective candidates for this year’s election in Nauru are selling food to fund their campaigns after the government hiked nomination fees.

This comes as 18 candidates have filed an application in the Supreme Court to stop what they say is a cynical attempt by the government to hold on to power.

Mathew Batsiua, a suspended opposition MP, told Radio New Zealand’s Dateline Pacific there’s no rationale for the increase – from US$143 to $1436 – and he says most of the 18 applicants are new candidates who want to make a fresh contribution to Nauru politics.

“It seems to be just a deterrent, to us the government is increasing fees to deter potential candidates from challenging – so that’s very undemocratic,” Batsiu said.

“So we’ve taken a stance against that, and moved this legal challenge now. But at the same time there seems to be renewed determination to fight this unfairness.

“For example out of the 18 respective candidates who are challenging, only four of us are current MPs, the rest are new candidates. So that’s just a snapshot of the determination of the people in Nauru to fight this unfairness.”

DATELINE PACIFIC: Have you and the other applicants canvassed different options if the application doesn’t succeed? Will there be some sort of fundraising efforts, to try and support some of these people in Nauru society that would like to run as a new MP?

“There’s already some crowdfunding activities occurring right now. New candidates are also fundraising by selling food, selling stuff just to raise funds in preparation for the elections, just in case the challenge doesn’t succeed.

“We’re focusing on winning the legal challenge, because we think there are some precedents in the regions that our courts must look at and refer to, so we are confident that our challenge will be successful.”

DATELINE PACIFIC: Do you think people will see through this effort as a cynical one from the government? Do you think they’ll want to punish the government at the ballot box?

“I think there is a ground swell of momentum against the government. I think the government has got its work cut out. There is a growing movement and there’s new candidates that are openly opposing the government.

“The government should be very nervous,” Batsiua said.

- Dateline Pacific