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Issue No: 746; 10 May 2001
The Deputy Prime Minister in the People's Coalition Government, Adi Kuini Speed says that the regime's Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase represents greed, corruption, racism and lawlessness. Speed was responding to the launching of a new political party by Qarase. The party, Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL), was launched at the Holiday Inn yesterday by Qarase and members of his regime. The formation of the party was done using taxpayers money. Launching it, Qarase stated that the party would work towards unifying all races of people in Fiji and maintaining ethnic Fijian supremacy in the country. He also stated that they were talking to ethnic Indian political parties. There are two ethnic Indian political parties - the National Federation Party, and a little known party formed by defectors from the NFP, operating in Labasa. Earlier it was reported that NFP and Qarase were working together politically. But the NFP condemned such reports. Responding to the launch, Adi Kuini Speed stated that the SDL "represents everything which has been wrong with our past - greed, corruption, racism and lawlessness". She said: "Mr's Qarase's party is a party for people who take indigenous people for purely selfish reasons". Qarase is backed by some of the country's largest businessmen,
mostly of ethnic Indian origin. Qarase was the past Managing Director of the
Fiji Development Bank. In that position, he had cultivated a string of highly
corrupt and crony relationship with many ethnic Indian businessmen. Some of
these businessmen reportedly funded the terrorists to depose the elected
government. The same businessmen are reportedly supporting Qarase's political
ambitions. |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
