Minister for Lands Filimone Vosarogo has firmly rejected calls from the Leader of the Opposition for the Prime Minister to step aside during the ongoing appeal period. Instead, he challenged the opposition leader to bring a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister on the floor of Parliament.
Vosarogo highlighted that the Opposition leader has misinterpreted the legal situation, stating that no appeal has been officially filed yet. He explained, “Even if the Prime Minister had indicated an intention, no appeal has been filed. It is within the appeal period, and as mentioned today in the media session, the Prime Minister is considering the advice he is being offered. So, there is no such thing as an appeal on foot at the time of his media release.”
Moreover, he emphasized that the Prime Minister is not facing any criminal charges, refuting any comparisons with former deputy prime ministers as a misunderstanding of the law. Vosarogo remarked, “Using the two former Deputy Prime Ministers as examples lacks simple understanding of the difference between criminal law and, in this case, public or administrative law. That understanding should be basic at Leader of Opposition level.”
The Minister asserted that the opposition leader has no authority to demand the Prime Minister’s resignation, stressing that the Prime Minister has full backing from the Cabinet and the People’s Alliance Party. “The Leader of Opposition should accept that, generally, he is in no position to call for the Prime Minister to step aside. The Prime Minister has the full backing of Cabinet. He also has the full backing of the People’s Alliance Party,” he stated.
According to Vosarogo, the legitimate way to challenge the Prime Minister’s leadership would be through parliamentary processes. He urged the opposition leader to move a motion of no confidence to test the support for the Prime Minister among Parliament members. “I challenge the Leader of Opposition to move that motion and see for himself the support that the Prime Minister has. He just needs to make sure that his own group vote with him,” he proclaimed.
Furthermore, he questioned the legitimacy of the Opposition’s position in Parliament, asserting that their presence is protected by law, despite the deregistration of the party under which they were elected. “We know that their tenancy in Parliament is preserved by default. The law actually preserves their tenure despite the party that brought them in now being deregistered,” he added.
He also critiqued the opposition leader’s electoral mandate, pointing out that he received just over 1,000 votes compared to the Prime Minister’s 77,748 votes. “The Leader of Opposition had just over 1,000 votes — to be precise, 1,221. Hardly would that have brought himself to Parliament, let alone bring others under the D’Hondt system. He is demanding that the Prime Minister, who polled 77,748 votes, step aside,” Vosarogo noted.
In a provocative conclusion, he questioned why the Opposition group should still hold parliamentary privileges. “Why should the Leader of Opposition’s group continue to enjoy the passage and privilege that the two former leaders of FijiFirst provided them? Can we call on you to step aside, with your group, from Parliament? I am sure you don’t have the confidence of your former leaders, party or no party,” he challenged.
This ongoing political discourse highlights the complexities and legal nuances within the country’s political system, while also emphasizing the importance of adhering to proper parliamentary procedures in addressing leadership challenges.