Bainimarama being courted for leadership of Fiji’s National Youth Party

Posted at 00:10 on 25 March, 2013 UTC

Fiji’s budding National Youth Party has asked the Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama to be its leader and fight the 2014 election.

Commodore Bainimarama announced on Friday he would stand and win, and he said he did not yet have a party.

A spokesman for the group, Nayagodamu Korovou, says the group is new to the political arena and needs an established leader.

He says the current government has done much to combat corruption and develop Fiji and the group wants to work with it.

Mr Korovou says the group wrote to the Prime Minister some time ago but it has yet to receive a reply.

“If he wants to come into our party and be part of this new move for Fiji to develop our youth, and we know that he also believes in that, we open our doors and we welcome him to come and also join this party.”

Mr Korovou says the group is hoping to apply for registration this week and has more than 4,000 members signed up so far.

5,000 are required under the Political Parties Decree.