Exercise your right to vote, says Ali

New SODELPA executives elected; Ratu Manoa beats Kepa for presidency

The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) appointed its new executive members during their special general meeting in Suva yesterday. The new party president is Ratu Manoa Roragaca from the Naitasiri constituency. He will be assisted by Filimone Soqeta (Burebasaga), Ro Avenito Kolikata (Kubuna) and MP Anare Jale. The new office holders will serve for a term of...

Radrodro: Party must appoint acting SG; ‘this weakness’ need to be addressed

The need to have an acting general secretary for the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) was raised during the party’s annual general meeting in Suva yesterday. SODELPA Member of Parliament Aseri Radrodro raised this to the new executives of the party to amend the constitution and have an acting general secretary. Mr Radrodro said if the general secretary...

Rokomokoti champions education

The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) provisional candidate Ana Rokomokoti says she would be sharing more thoughts on education as one of the important subjects going forward. In a statement posted on her Facebook page, Ms Rokomokoti said education was something she felt connected to. “My experience in the higher education system as a university...

Narube: ‘We are ready’

‘We have 51 candidates, our manifesto is ready and we are out there talking to the people.’ Unity Fiji party leader Savenaca Narube said this as he announced the party planned to lift the intensity of their 2022 General Election campaign in the coming weeks. “We have approved 51 candidates,” the former Reserve Bank of Fiji...

UK, U.S. trade officials discuss challenges posed by China

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met Britain’s new trade minister, Kemi Badenoch, on Thursday, and the two discussed addressing challenges posed by China, Tai’s office said. “She also highlighted the opportunity to continue working together across multiple platforms to address the shared challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China’s non-market economic...

Biden says U.S. and world security depend on Pacific security

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden told Pacific island leaders on Thursday that the security of the United States and the world depended on security in their region. Biden spoke at the State Department where the United States is hosting more than a dozen leaders and representatives of Pacific island countries as part of...

Coalitions ‘sign of fear’ – Tawaivuna: Party to stand alone

We will stand alone, we will not merge or form partnerships with any other political party, says All Peoples Party founder and leader Pastor Tuiloma Tawaivuna. “We will fight the battle alone because we know if we have Christ, we have everything,” he said. “Other political parties forming partnerships to me is a sign of...

One constituency model does not work – Rabuka

The one constituency model established by the Bainimarama Government does not work, says The People’s Alliance party leader and former prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka. At a news conference yesterday, he said the removal of local constituency-based voting by the Bainimarama administration had prevented fair representation and local engagement between parliamentarians and constituents. “Local constituencies were...

Nisha: Labour will fulfil its promises

A Government led by Mahendra Chaudhry will ensure good governance and will fulfil the promises it makes to the Fijian people. This, according to Shaireen Nisha, one of 40 provisional candidates to contest the 2022 General Election announced by the Fiji Labour Party in Nadi recently. “A Labour-led government would lift us out of our...

Unity Fiji leader urges Fijians to vote boldly

Unity Fiji leader Savenaca Narube is urging all Fijians to take the upcoming general election very seriously because “the future of our children and grandchildren rests on that vote you will make in the upcoming polls”. He said this in a video posted on the Unity Fiji official Facebook page where he also called on...

NZ foreign minister says superpowers must listen to needs of Pacific

By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand’s foreign minister said on Thursday that the United States and China should engage with the Pacific through the Pacific Islands Forum, and work to address the needs of the region. Nanaia Mahuta said at the New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade select committee hearing that she had...

A-G: Some restrictions to be placed on government when Writ of Elections is issued

Attorney-General and Minister Responsible for Elections and FijiFirst party general secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says when the Writ of Elections is issued, there will be some restrictions on Government. He said this in response to comments from National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad that the current administration should fold and a caretaker government should be...

Rabuka: PM and A-G have failed to create a happy nation

The People’s Alliance party leader Sitiveni Rabuka says it is the epitome of self-deception that Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum convince themselves they are doing marvels for the people – and all is well – while surrounding themselves with bodyguards. At a news conference yesterday, he questioned the need for the PM...

Violation of election laws: Ministers effectively campaigning while on official duty – Prof Biman

Government ministers are flouting the rules by effectively campaigning while on official duty, using government resources and manipulating State social media pages to their advantage, claims National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad. He said Fiji had gone into the pre-general election campaign period and “it was a shame that government ministers continue to go...

Saneem responds to Fiji Times article

Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem has hit out at The Fiji Times, claiming this newspaper published wrong data regarding the Rock the Vote Fiji Facebook page. At a media conference yesterday, he claimed the page had more than 640 posts and not 192 as stated in the article published in this newspaper on Tuesday. Mr...

43 venues for West voter registration tomorrow

A team from the Fijian Elections Office will be operating 43 registration venues in the Western Division from Friday and into the weekend. Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem said there would be 80 teams with about 187 staff on the ground. He said these voter registration teams would be providing services including updating voter card...

U.S. VP Harris to push against China’s Taiwan policy in Japan speech

By Trevor Hunnicutt TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to take aim at China’s actions toward Taiwan during a speech on Wednesday to American sailors serving in Japan. Harris’ trip to Asia comes days after Chinese officials were roiled by U.S. President Joe Biden’s explicit pledge to defend the Chinese-claimed island....

‘SODELPA will invest $224m in agriculture’

If voted into power, a Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) government will invest $224 million into agriculture, almost four times the $64m invested by the current administration. Speaking at the launch of the SODELPA manifesto last Friday, party leader Viliame Gavoka said the FijiFirst Government budget for agriculture was $64m whereas SODELPA would allocate $224m....

Zelenskiy denounces Russian-staged votes; says there will be good news from the front

(Reuters) – President Volodynyr Zelenskiy issued a fresh denunciation on Tuesday of Russian-staged votes in occupied parts of Ukraine approving proposals to become part of Russia, saying they were a “farce” and could never be described as legitimate referendums. “This farce in the occupied territories cannot even be called an imitation of a referendum,” Zelenskiy...

Lynda: Do the math – Stop wasting taxpayers’ money making vexatious claims, party tells Saneem

Do the math. That was the word from People’s Alliance deputy leader Lynda Tabuya, saying that the Rock the Vote Fiji Facebook page promoted Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem and the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) more than herself or her party. Ms Tabuya said 192 posts from Rock the Vote were on Mr Saneem and...

Australia flags privacy overhaul after huge cyber attack on Optus

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia plans to toughen privacy rules to force companies to notify banks faster when they experience cyber attacks, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday, after hackers targeted the country’s second-largest telecoms firm. Optus, owned by Singapore Telecoms Ltd, said last week that home addresses, drivers’ licences and passport numbers of up...

Vision for a liberal nation

Ratu Esava Nabuta believes engaging in politics is one of the greatest acts of public service anyone can do. And that is the reason he put up his hand to be a provisional candidate for the National Federation Party (NFP) to contest the 2022 General Election. Ratu Esava said people should vote for him and...

Vakatora withdraws from party

The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) provisional candidate Tomasi Vakatora has withdrawn from the party because of health issues. This, according to party leader Viliame Gavoka. While addressing the media at a news conference last week, Mr Gavoka said they had a replacement in place of Mr Vakatora. “Lasarusa Turaga who is part of Suva...

Gavoka on free education, TELS

The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) party believes removing the burden of student loans and providing free education up to first degree level is key to Fiji’s socioeconomic development. Party leader Viliame Gavoka outlined this while launching SODELPA’s manifesto last Friday in Suva. He said addressing education, health and indigenous issues were priority areas for...

Italy’s parliamentary seats – YouTrend projection

ROME (Reuters) – A coalition of right-wing parties was projected to have won Italy’s parliamentary election. There is not yet a definitive breakdown of parliamentary seats. The following is a projection by YouTrend of the distribution of seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate based on instant polls. Definitive results are expected...

Media encouraged to effectively report on key provisions of Electoral Act

The Fijian Elections Office (FEO) encourages the media to continue to effectively report on key provisions of the Electoral Act as well as the principles within the electoral framework to ensure that the 2022 General Election is a free and fair election. Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem said this in statement highlighting that the FEO...

Japan bans chemical weapons-related goods to Russia, concerned by nuke threats

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan has decided to ban exports of chemical weapons-related goods to Russia in an additional sanction against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, and is “deeply concerned” about the possible use of nuclear weapons, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday. Japan also added 21 Russian organisations such as science labs...

S.Korea’s Yoon says ‘untrue’ media reports damage alliance amid hot mic controversy

By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Monday “untrue” media reports over his remarks threatened to damage relations with the United States after he was caught cursing on a hot mic during his visit to New York last week. A series of gaffes and controversies overshadowed Yoon’s first major...

Australia plans privacy rule changes after Optus cyber attack

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia plans changes to its privacy rules so that banks can be alerted faster following cyber attacks at companies, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday, after hackers targeted Australia’s second-largest telecommunications firm. Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, last week revealed databases containing home addresses, drivers licences and passport numbers of...

Politics

2nd October