An emotional Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum addresses parliament

Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum was in tears in parliament yesterday as he highlighted what his wife, Ela had to endure between 2014 and 2018.

While speaking in parliament, Sayed-Khaiyum said his wife is very special and a very humble person who avoids public settings like a plague. However he says Ela is a person of tenacity and resolve.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the past four years in particular in the lead up to the 2014 elections and this elections, personal and ethnic religious vilifications against him increased significantly.

He says Ela was part of the team that was monitoring social media.

An emotional Sayed-Khaiyum says Ela was personally and extremely upset by the comments but he did not want to acknowledge it at the time as he was focused on the general elections.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum with his wife Ela

He says she also continued to be a good daughter to her father and mother although her father, Viliame Gavoka is part of SODELPA.

Sayed-Khaiyum also says that the members of the opposition want to present a sanitized version of Fiji’s history.

Viliame Gavoka chats with his daughter Ela Sayed-Khaiyum while father of Aiyaz-Sayed Khaiyum, Abdul Sayed-Khaiyum stands by

The Acting Prime Minister also spoke about Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka returning to the very parliament which he took over in 1987.

While speaking about the hypocrisy demonstrated by the opposition Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum also quoted SODELPA MP Mitieli Bulanauca’s speech in 2000 at the Suva Foreshore.

Sayed-Khaiyum quoted Bulanauca’s comments from a documentary called Race For Rights produced by Larry Thomas.

An emotional Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in Parliament today