NFP leader believes current govt will never implement recommendations of MOG on conduct of future elections

National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad believes the current Government will never implement the recommendations of the Multinational Observer Group on the conduct of future elections.

Professor Prasad says the party’s belief is based on the fact that scant regard was paid to the Multinational Observer Group Report as well as the Report of the Electoral Commission following the 2014 general elections.

Prasad says the reports were referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights but the committee did not report back to parliament for 28 months from then until 1st October 2018 when parliament was dissolved.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights

The NFP Leader claims that this report will face similar fate because the recommendations if implemented will prevent government from giving handouts and freebies once parliament is dissolved and the writs for elections are issued.

Prasad says it will also prevent deliberately orchestrated social media hate campaign that NFP fell victims to when fake news sites carrying legitimate logos of mainstream media were created and published malicious and frivolous claims that NFP was in a coalition with SODELPA and further that Sitiveni Rabuka would abolish Diwali as a public holiday. He says the sites were eventually removed but by then irreparable damage had been done.

The NFP Leader says Multinational Observer Group also noted with concern the manner in which Ministers campaigned and discharged their duties by opening buildings and handing out grants because there is no caretaker provision in the Electoral Act.

Prasad says the NFP will wait and see whether this report is referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights during the next sitting of parliament from April 1st to 5th and whether the Committee prioritises its scrutiny of this report and submissions that will be made to enable it to report back to parliament quickly instead of putting the report on the backburner.