Opposition parliamentarian Mosese Bulitavu described President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere’s Parliament opening address as a “death notice with a lot of pain and suffering”.
Speaking in Parliament, the former Social Democratic Liberal Party turned FijiFirst MP, said from the President’s speech he deduced the people’s coalition Government would not be able to deliver services like how the FijiFirst government had done.
“His Excellency, however, revealed a worrying statement that critical capital expenditure on infrastructure such as roads, ports, hospitals, water, sewerage and direct spending into key areas such as education, health and social welfare payments will be limited,” Mr Bulitavu said.
“This clearly shows that the coalition Government will not deliver the pace of service delivery that the FijiFirst government made a priority as part of the underlying values of democracy in the 2013 Constitution and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals target’s that is all part of its 5-20year National Development Plan (NDP).”
Speaking on the 2013 Constitution, Mr Bulitavu said he noted the coalition Government’s intention to amend the 2013 Constitution but claimed it had a more balanced approach to indigenous issues in view of stability and removing discriminatory policies.
“All the communities that are now Fijian are recognised in the preamble.
“Their land is protected and cannot be permanently alienated like the Momi and Denarau case.
“Section 30 of the 2013 Constitution now enables 80 per cent of the fair share of royalties from minerals to be paid to landowners — something that even the SVT government and the SDL governments could not implement, despite it being a provision of the 1997 Constitution.”
