Former NFP leader hits out at NFP

Issue No: 919; 6 July 2001

 
A 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:
"Mr. Sharma is one of the few politicians in the land with the dubious honour not having done anything for FIJI despite his having been elevated to Leader of Opposition, Fiji's first Indian Deputy Prime Minister and a Cabinet Minister. I thoroughly deprecate the views that he has expressed at this NFP Meeting."

"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.

 

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