The People’s Alliance Party has issued a strong condemnation against the spread of fake news, particularly when it pertains to the safety and wellbeing of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and other national leaders. Recently, a Facebook post has circulated on social media falsely claiming that the Prime Minister was injured in a stone-throwing incident outside his office. The party asserts that this claim is entirely untrue and constitutes an act of misinformation.
PAP General Secretary Sila Balawa emphasized that at no point during the day was Prime Minister Rabuka struck by a stone or involved in any such incident as suggested by the misleading post. He described the allegations as completely fabricated and called for caution among the public regarding the consumption and dissemination of information.
“We are deeply concerned by the deliberate spread of false information that has the potential to cause unnecessary alarm, confusion, and public anxiety,” Balawa stated. He highlighted that with the upcoming election year in Fiji, there is a likely increase in politically motivated fabrications aimed at misleading the public.
The Party encourages citizens to rely solely on verified and official sources for news in order to maintain trust and stability within the community. They urged people to refrain from sharing unverified reports that only serve to disrupt public confidence.
As misinformation continues to challenge the trust in political discourse, it is crucial for the community to engage responsibly with information, ensuring that only credible content is shared to foster a more informed society.