The People’s Alliance has today delivered a letter of complaint to the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem documenting alleged massive vote buying practices of the FijiFirst Government.
Deputy Leader of The People’s Alliance, Manoa Kamikamica says millions of taxpayer funds, money that each of us pay as taxes, are allegedly being used to bankroll the FijiFirst Party’s electoral campaign under the veneer of normal government business.
Kamikamica says they submitted a dossier of evidence that supports their official complaint against the FijiFirst Party for alleged blatant and gross breach of various sections of the Electoral Act of 2014, as well as Section 22 (3) of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act.
The Deputy Leader says their dossier of evidence includes a sample of 50 news articles, media releases and videos that extensively document the alleged blatant disregard for electoral rules displayed in the actions of government ministers who travel up and down the countryside donating items that have either been purchased using donor funds and/or taxpayer funds.
Kamikamica says in one instance, Fijians living in a particular community were told to prepare things like drums of kerosene and bales of cloth as a token of appreciation to the Minister, as if money used by these MPs are their own.
The People’s Alliance says it believes that in a deliberate and pre-determined plan, the FijiFirst Government has allegedly orchestrated this massive distribution of money, gifts and material goods across the country, since the start of the campaign period in April this year.
Kamikamica says these are in clear violation of Sections 113 on the Prohibitions on Use of State Resources to Campaign, Section 114 on Prohibition on Vote Buying, Section 116 (1) (a) and (b) on Campaign Rules, Section 140 on Bribery, and Section 141 on Undue Influence.
The People’s Alliance Deputy Leader says if you also look at the handouts or freebies being handed out, they deliberately targeted key voter demographics, the women who make up a substantial number of registered voters and youth who make up 45 percent.
Kamikamica says the FijiFirst Government cannot continue to hide behind the excuse of conducting ministerial duty because it chooses to not follow the convention of having a caretaker government which if it did, would provide them the freedom to go out and campaign.
He says as soon as the campaign period was announced, the FijiFirst Government should have called for a caretaker Government.
Kamikamica says its now October and we still do not know when elections will take place.
He asks is the FijiFirst government worried that voters are now seeing this government for what it is, and the word on the street is that they will be voted out in this election.
Kamikamica also asks is that why the Minister for Everything continues to conduct press conferences that targets The People’s Alliance and hardly any other opposition party.
The Deputy Leader says we should not have political opportunists taking advantage of public trust and abusing it for their own re-election.
Kamikamica also called on the voters of this country to please recheck your voter card, check those in your family, those who are 18 years and over, and make sure these are updated and ready.
We have sent questions to Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem.
The Deputy Leader of The People’s Alliance, Manoa Kamikamica has urged the Attorney General, Minister for Justice, Elections and Anti-Corruption, and General Secretary of the FijiFirst, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to do the right thing and resign from at least 2 of the 3 positions he holds.
Kamikamica says that is good governance and will avoid massive conflicts of interest that arise.
He goes on to say if Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum cannot decide, they urge the Prime Minister to make the call, otherwise it will confirm what Fiji is seeing, that the Attorney General is in control and a vote for Voreqe Bainimarama at the 2022 elections is a vote for Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum by default.
Kamikamica also says 10 days ago, The People’s Alliance brought to people’s attention their concerns about the manner in which a 19 page complaint by the FijiFirst Party against the People’s Alliance has been handled without following due process.
He says the Secretary General of the FijiFirst, Sayed-Khaiyum issued a complaint via a press conference on the 20th of September.
Kamikamica says on the 21st of September, the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem referred various individuals and implicated political parties to FICAC for the matters that were established to have been already probably breached under the Electoral Act and the Political Parties Act without providing the provisional candidates the opportunity to respond as part of due process.
Kamikamica says the People’s Alliance was officially informed about one component of the actual complaint by the FijiFirst on the 20th of September and has responded to the Supervisor last Friday confirming unequivocally that both The Rock The Vote and the COVID Maternity Fund are not projects of The People’s Alliance.
He also says Sajal Narayan has been questioned by FICAC but did not receive a letter from the Supervisor of Elections.
Kamikamica asks where is due process.
He says when Sayed-Khaiyum gave that press conference on 20th September, he appeared to be asking for the full force of the law to apply and gave the impression that in his view the law had been violated.
Kamikamica says in their response to the complaint that Sayed-Khaiyum had announced to the media on 20th September, The People’s Alliance had asked three questions which remain unanswered to this day. He says they had asked has the position of people named by the Fiji First General Secretary Sayed-Khaiyum in his press conference been compromised, was Sayed-Khaiyum acting as prosecutor, judge and jury, and what role was he speaking in.
We have sent questions to Sayed-Khaiyum and Saneem.
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