Opposition MP Premila Kumar has strongly criticised Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s recent ministerial appointments, calling them a misuse of public funds aimed at consolidating political power ahead of a proposed constitutional amendment.
In a statement, Mrs Kumar accused the Prime Minister of using taxpayer money to reward defectors and secure the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to pass the constitutional changes.
“It is deeply concerning that the Prime Minister has chosen to reward Members of Parliament with ministerial positions, using public funds to buy loyalty and secure support for his constitutional agenda,” she said.
She questioned the timing of the appointments, noting that if the positions were intended to strengthen government performance, they would have been made when the MPs initially crossed the floor.
“This is nothing more than the Prime Minister’s desperate attempt to secure power before the Bill is tabled.”
Fiji now has 22 Ministers and 15 Assistant Ministers, leaving only three government backbenchers, a situation Kumar described as “ridiculous” and a sign of weak governance.
She also pointed out that former Assistant Minister Alipate Tuicolo was overlooked, suggesting that the appointments were not based on merit but loyalty.
“While ordinary Fijians struggle with the cost of living, unemployment, and rising poverty, this government is busy creating more ministerial posts to reward defectors.”
Mrs Kumar compared the situation to tactics used in other developing nations, including Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and parts of Africa, where executive expansion is often linked to power retention strategies.
“In Fiji’s case, this amounts to a misuse of public funds for political gain. It is an abuse of power that undermines democracy and makes a mockery of the system.”
Kumar concluded by saying that in other democracies, such actions would trigger a public outcry or a parliamentary inquiry, but in Fiji, public office was being treated “like a bargaining chip.”
