7 May 2014

No privileges for Fiji regime party, says Prasad

1:45 pm on 7 May 2014

A former Labour Party senator who wants to be a part of the proposed Fiji First party headed by Rear Admiral Frank Bainimarama says the regime backed party won't get any special treatment.

Bijai Prasad, who had a falling out with the Labour party in 2007, has been named in the party line-up as a vice president.

Mr Prasad says the 2006 coup was necessary and the regime has implemented policies which encourage greater racial equality.

This week Rear Admiral Bainimarama lodged an application to register his proposed party and Mr Prasad says they will be subject to the same strict criteria other parties had to go through.

"That's applied across the board, even when we went for registration yesterday I had to declare all my personal assets, my marital status, so it's for everybody, not for a selected few."

Bijai Prasad rejects calls that Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum should resign as Minister for Elections now he's been appointed as secretary general of the proposed party.

He says everything Mr Sayed-Khaiyum has done is open to scrutiny and doesn't believe there's any risk of election rigging or foul play.