1 Sep 2003

Fiji's Methodist church general secretary warns of lack of opposition

3:19 pm on 1 September 2003

The general secretary of Fiji's Methodist church is reiterating his call for the constitution to be amended because he says the multi-party cabinet clause is unworkable.

Jione Langi says including 14 Labour MPs in a multi-party cabinet just won't work because the government has quite a different manifesto.

And, Reverend Langi says he's opposed to Labour's inclusion because it would leave the country without an opposition.

"I think every government will work well if the opposition parties are strong to keep the government intact and watch the things they do. But without a strong opposition I don't think it will work well because there's no one there to check the government and what they do because everything that come will be approved because of the ruling of the government of the day."

If the Labour party agrees to join the government, that would leave just two MPs in opposition.

It is meeting today to discuss its response to the prime minister after he issued a list of the 14 Labour MPs he would find acceptable.

The Labour party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, has been left off it, with the prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, saying he cannot be trusted.