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Issue No: 919; 6 July 2001A former National Federation Party leader, Noor Dean, has hit out at NFP's current leader Harish Sharma for his comments against democracy at the Party's AGM on Sunday. Sharma had told the party members that the people must get rid of Mahendra Chaudhry. His call has been interpreted as giving a signal to the terrorists to physically harm and eliminated Chaudhry. Dean, a former Lord Mayor of Suva City, and a key NFP member
and Deputy Speaker in the NFP-FLP Coalition Government in 1987, stated that
Sharma is a complete idiot. He said: "As a former Leader of the NFP I am totally ashamed at the rhetoric of a political "has-been". What [Chaudhry] has done in one year, NFP or Alliance or any other party has never been able to touch in all the years they have been in politics." "Harish [Sharma] and the likes of him must be brought to account for their having closed their eyes, ears, mouth and brains during the sordid events of the hostage taking and terrorists drama when George Speight struck us in the name of 'indigenous Fijian rights' and called Indians 'They smell different'. Should he not remember that?" Sharma's bitter attack at his party's annual meeting upset
many NFP members. Many were also upset by Sharma not responding to the baseless
criticism of Fiji's ethnic Indian leaders by Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi at the Party's
meeting. One professional who attended the meeting said he felt so sick that he
decided to leave the meeting and the Party. "The Party must have some
courage to stand up and be counted. Its leaders displayed totally subservience.
Its a disgrace that they allowed all the criticisms without responding
appropriately", he stated. |
People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |