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Issue No: 945; 16 July 2001
The maverick politician David Pickering has joined the National Federation Party because he wants a cabinet position. Pickering was the leader of the United Generals Party until late last year. He was also a member of Parliament. In 1999, he had moved a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry. The motion lost miserably. But Pickering's speech on the motion was full of racial rhetoric. Pickering told today's Fiji Sun that he opted for the NFP because there was no chance that he could become a cabinet member if he remained with his own party. "I want to hold a cabinet position when I am in Parliament", he stated. But, he said, there were only 3 seats for the generals and under the 1997 Constitution, they wont be able to be a part of the Government because they dont have the minimum requirement of 8 seats. The fact that the NFP has endorsed Pickering as one its
candidates who has openly stated that the only reason for him to join them is to
get a cabinet post, reflects the Party's desperation to get candidates for the
election. It is believed that out of the 71 constituencies, there were no
applicants for 40 constituencies. |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
