Acting Prime Minister and Leader of the National Federation Party (NFP), Professor Biman Prasad, has issued a strong warning against rising political and social extremism, urging Fijians to unite for a secure, multiracial future.
Speaking at the NFP Annual Convention held at the Labasa Civic Centre today, Professor Prasad said extremist elements were attempting to undermine national unity through hate speech, religious intolerance and divisive politics.
“We know that there are extremists on all sides of politics who do not share our vision of a secure, multiracial and multireligious collective future,” he said.
He condemned recent attacks on places of worship and inflammatory content on social media, saying such acts are driven by “selfish interests” and not representative of the nation’s shared values.
“Every society has these people – people who, for their own selfish interests, do not share the collective vision of our people for a united and harmonious future,” he said.
Professor Prasad also criticised politicians he accused of sowing division for political gain, particularly those claiming that minority communities are being sidelined.
“We are already seeing politicians inside and outside of Parliament trying to divide our people, to suggest that minority communities are discriminated against, to suggest that the future of minority communities is insecure,” he said.
“This is a cheap and wicked way to try to gain votes.”
The NFP Leader emphasised that national security and progress depended on mutual respect and cooperation.
“Our collective future requires us to go forward together,” he said. “Our collective security requires us to practise respect – and it is when we practise it we can also demand it.”
Calling on Fijians to ignore extremists, Professor Prasad said it was the silent majority that embodied the true spirit of the nation.
“While extremists may get momentary attention, they cannot sustain it,” he said.
“We should never forget that we are blessed by the strong, often silent majority of our people – people of goodwill, who practise tolerance and generosity in their daily lives, who reject hateful and divisive views.”
He concluded by reaffirming NFP’s commitment to serving this majority.
“This is the strength of our country. This is the majority. And these are the people that we in NFP are dedicated to serve – and whose support we seek.”
The NFP Convention also featured speeches from senior party officials and community leaders, and focused on the party’s preparations for the next general election.
