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Issue No: 750; 11 May 2001
Pro-terrorist regime's Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase is misguided in thinking that his new political party can achieve unity in Fiji. This is the verdict of the Fiji Sun. Qarase formed a new political party catering for ethnic Fijian extremists two days ago saying that Fiji needed a new party to take Fiji out of the problems. No one believed Qarase. Today, the Fiji Sun states: "What can we say? We've heard it before and we've heard it again." "Laisenia Qarase's new party will not get us out of the political rut we're in." "The policies being advocated by his party are nothing new really. While they feel that multi-racialism is the only way forward, they feel special provisions such as affirmative action must be put in place for the country's indigenous communities." "What's new? Affirmative action has been in place since the 1970s. What has it achieved but produced a group of dependent people who think it is their God-given right to easily access everything that life in Fiji has to offer?" "After all, if they lose political power, they conduct violent protests. If they get low marks in exams, they will get a scholarship." "To start a new business, they have schemes that favour them." "There are many other things in place to help them in their shortcomings." "And to top it all off, they now have a choice on which a political party they can court to please their whims." "What type of multi-racial policy is Mr Qarase and his group of experts advocating when they intend to introduce it by providing affirmative action for Fijians and Rotumans only." "Affirmative action is known as positive discrimination. Any form of discrimination to favour one particular ethnic or racial group is definitely anti multi-racialism, in our dictionary!" "Affirmative action to reduce inequalities that exist in Fiji must be made accessible to all Fiji communities." "For poverty and inequality cuts through ethnicity and racial groups." "Mr Qarase and his new party have only compound our problems further and not provided a better alternative, as they say." "They, like the other political parties in Fiji today will by their policies, be only successful in ensuring that race becomes a fact of life, not a way of life in Fiji." "That is not the answer to our problems. Let's rise above the race card and let us encourage hard work, diligence and honesty." "We are a young nation yet. We can be saved from our
misguided concept of what we must be." |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
