23 May 2006

Fiji Labour Party MP says nothing is lost yet

9:36 am on 23 May 2006

A senior Fiji Labour Party MP, Krishna Datt, says there has been no change in the caucus decision to join in a multi-party cabinet.

Mr Datt made the comment on Radio Legend as Labour MPs named to join the prime minister, Laisenia Qarase's multi-party cabinet decided to boycott the swearing in of the new cabinet this morning.

The boycott stems from the Labour leader, Mahendra Chaudhry's anger that Mr Qarase has made changes to the cabinet allocations he had recommended.

Mr Datt says nothing is lost yet.

He says so far the leaders of the two parties have been working very well on the multi-party cabinet issue and he sees no reason why they should break up the consultations.

Mr Datt says consultations mean that people keep taking until their views converge and they have near consensus.

Mr Datt says he believes the leaders will carry on talking until there is a convergence of ideas.

Mr Qarase says he is open to further consultations but today's swearing in will go ahead with or without the presence of Labour MPs named to the cabinet.