THE Opposition has accused Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka of political theatre and blame-shifting after he suggested he may resign if an appeal over the unlawful dismissal of former FICAC commissioner Barbara Malimali fails.
In a statement, Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu said the Prime Minister’s remarks were “nothing more than a calculated attempt to generate sympathy for the very chaos he has personally created”.
“This is not statesmanship, it is a display of disingenuous emotion and crocodile tears calculated to invite sympathy rather than accept responsibility,” he said.
Mr Seruiratu said the PM knew that Parliament was likely to be dissolved before any appeal was heard, describing the suggestion of resignation as a “hollow gesture”.
“The people of Fiji should not be treated as an audience in a circus show, everything that has gone wrong in this matter begins and ends with the Prime Minister.”
He urged Mr Rabuka to step aside while the appeal process was underway, citing precedents set by Hon Prof Biman Prasad and Hon Manoa Kamikamica. The criticism extended beyond the Prime Minister, with Opposition MP Premila Kumar also taking aim at an earlier statement issued by then former acting prime Minister Filimoni Vosarogo, questioning why the Solicitor General — a person implicated in the Commission of Inquiry was involved in examining its legal implications.
“Any process dealing with the consequences of the Commission of Inquiry must be clearly independent and free from conflicts of interest,” Ms Kumar said.
Mr Vosarogo had earlier clarified while serving as acting prime minister that his request to the Solicitor-General was for a legal opinion, not a review of Commission of Inquiry files handled by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Addressing the media after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya said the PM would get advice from Solicitor-General Ropate Green following the High Court ruling.
“The Solicitor General attended Cabinet today to update Cabinet on the decision as well as possible ways forward.
“On the briefing by the Solicitor General, the Hon Prime Minister has asked to be given a few days to consider possibilities of a way forward,” she said, adding that an appeal remained open to the PM.
Meanwhile, Ms Tabuya said Cabinet had also expressed full support for Mr Rabuka and would not accept his resignation.
