I will lead FijiFirst into 2018 Election with my right hand, the AG, by my side - PM

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says he stands ready to serve, and ready to take Fiji into the future.

While responding to President Jioji Konrote’s speech during the new parliament session, Bainimarama made it clear that he will lead FijiFirst into the elections next year and his right hand, Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum will be by his side.

He says the FijiFirst will continue to focus on a united Fiji for all.

Bainimarama says the FijiFirst will never make policies just to favour a certain race or religion.

Bainimarama also says the opposition cannot govern and it is evident how they are running their affairs at the moment.

Bainimarama also says that he has taken up the Conference of Parties Presidency for every person on earth.

He says he has taken up this responsibility because no corner of the planet will be spared the fury of climate change, and climate‑vulnerable people the world over are crying out for help.

He says if we are to avoid events like Cyclone Winston, and Hurricane Harvey and Irma, then we need to jolt the industrialised world into action to reduce carbon emissions and spare us from the worst effects of climate change.

Bainimarama says given the extreme threat we face, we should not make Fiji’s Presidency a political issue.

He says this is not a fight for any one party or any one community, it is a fight for Fiji, the Pacific and every nation on earth.

The Prime Minister also confirms that later this month, Fiji will hold a weekend of prayer for the COP Presidency through the churches, mosques and temples, and he hopes to see as many people in attendance as possible.

He will also travel to Montreal, Canada tomorrow to attend a Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Action and meet with the Canadian leadership to rally support for COP23.

Bainimarama will then go on to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he will attend the UN Climate Week and meet some of the world’s most influential leaders of business, states and cities to discuss opportunities in clean economic growth, and attend a Leader’s Dialogue on Climate Action.