Inclusion of six ‘an attempt at rebranding’

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Professor Steven Ratuva.Picture: JONACANI LALAKOBAU

A PROMINENT political commentator has labelled the recent inclusion of six new Government ministers and assistant ministers as an attempt at “rebranding”.

Professor Steven Ratuva, who is also the director of the University of Canterbury’s Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, told The Fiji Times that the move was probably meant to give a surge of new energy and stability to the embattled government.

“It seems that the Coalition is in firefighting mode after continuous media revelations of scandals, clientelism, crime, drugs, patronage, tension, differences, culture of entitlement and fraudulent behaviour by some politicians,” he said.

However, he questioned whether the move would work or whether it meant the Coalition partners would feel threatened.

“In the bigger picture, it could also provide the platform to consolidate PA’s position in the coming general election, perhaps without the help of the current Coalition partners.

“It would be a much bigger crisis if the PM decides to remove the Coalition arrangement, now that he has the numbers, because there’s still a Coalition agreement in place.”

Should this happen, Prof Ratuva said it might worsen instability, which was not good for investment, tourism and citizens sense of security.

He also said the recent string of occurrences involving DPP Christopher Pryde and the Corrections Commissioner had unravelled a number of things and might have “embarrassed” the Government.

“The main lesson here is to ensure that high level decision-making is based on proper constitutionality and best available legal advice, which are devoid of political ambition and feeling of entitlement.

“There has to be legal consistency across the state system, based on sound understanding of relevant laws and constitutional provisions.”