FijiFirst party general secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says they have warned party provisional candidates that there are “financial consequences” if they don’t make it to Parliament.
He said this as he announced the party’s first batch of 20 proposed candidates for the 2022 General Election – which included former commissioner of police Iowane Naivalurua, former commander of the Fiji Military Forces Viliame Naupoto, and former Land Transport Authority chief executive officer Naisa Tuinaceva.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the party had been very upfront with people because some had sacrificed “good jobs” to contest the elections under the FijiFirst banner.
He said civil servants were required to resign if they wanted to contest the general elections.
“As you have seen, there are four people in this 20 that were public officials,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
“We have three teachers and one who was working in Parliament.
“So they had to resign. “Not everybody makes it to Parliament and we have to warn them about that because we are very responsible.
“We have seen in the past people who left good jobs who stood for elections but did not make into Parliament.
“So we have to explain to them that you may have some financial consequences and we have to prepare them.
“If they have to leave their jobs, if they don’t make into Parliament, what will happen to you, because we want to ensure people have good financial backing in the event they don’t make it to Parliament.
“We had a couple of candidates who we thought were very good.
“We accepted them but they have withdrawn because they had mortgages to pay if they don’t make into Parliament,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
FIJIFIRST’S LIST OF PROVISIONAL CANDIDATES
- Meleti Raimuria
- Viliame Naupoto
- Watisoni Raikadroka
- Asesela Cokanacagi
- Ratu Josaia Niudamu
- Iowane Naivalurua
- Penioni Ravunawa
- Shalen Kumar
- Penijamini Vukivou
- Jacob Abraham
- Naisa Tuinaceva
- Ifereimi Waisale
- Mohammed Rafi q
- Aliki Bia
- Elaine Veena Chandra
- Zarina Begum
- Vereniki Sauturaga
- Peniyasi Rowaidranu
- Hem Chand
- Rinesh Sharma
