PM must lead: Aziz

April 6, 2013
By MAIKA BOLATIKI

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) wants the Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, to lead the country after the 2014 General Election.

Speaking to Fiji Sun yesterday, the RFMF’s chief of staff, Brigadier-General Mohammed Aziz said: “We will give him our support to keep his leadership.”

He was responding to political comments that have started as the nation prepares for the elections in 2014.

Brigadier-General Aziz said the Prime Minister had started a new political path for the nation, which was totally different from what the nation had experienced from past governments.

He said after the takeover in 2006, the Bainimarama-led Government had to attend to some sad issues from the past.

Promises, he said, had been made by politicians as a way to win quick votes, but it was rather sad that these votes were never translated into meaningful change.

The RFMF’s chief of staff said another issue which the Government had worked on was land.

“Land is usually a controversial issue and past governments used it as a political tool to gain votes from the landowners.”

However, he said very little was done compared to what’s being done by the current Government.

The Prime Minister had introduced land reforms and with these reforms more land was made available on new favourable terms and conditions.

Land reform is a priority for the development of the resource-based sector which will be mutually beneficial for both the landlords and tenants.

Brigadier-General Aziz says one of the objectives of the reforms now in place is to eradicate abuse and corruption.

The way forward for Fiji, he says, is for the Government to hear people’s concerns and act positively.

Now, he said, past politicians were ganging up and making criticisms against the Government.

“However, they have not ever put forward to members of the public their way forward for the nation.”

He said the RFMF would work with the Prime Minister to see that he retains leadership after the 2014 elections.

He urged members of the public to join the military in supporting the Prime Minister in his bid to lead the nation in 2014.

The new political direction the nation is now experiencing, according to the RFMF’s chief of staff, can only be carried forward by the Prime Minister and his Government.