NFP says Tikoduadua shares party values

Transcript

BIMAN PRASAD: We did have conversations which in my view was very, very common and that was about achieving genuine democracy for Fiji and taking Fiji away from dictatorial rule and providing an inclusive parliament, an inclusive government and an inclusive Fiji so I think we shared those values then and the fact that he's now joined NFP shows that he still believes in those principles.

SALLY ROUND:  The NFP has taken a very principled stance about coups and coup-makers, why are you welcoming someone who was supportive originally of the regime that came to power via a coup?

BP: The point is that the NFP remains the only party in Fiji which took a very principled stand and opposed the 1997 coup, we opposed the 2000 coup and we opposed the 2006 coup. NFP has never supported a coup, will never support a coup but will welcome people who share the principles and long-held values of democracy, freedom, justice, human rights for all, free media, free press and that is what our position is and Mr Tikoduadua was in Australia when the coup happened. He remained a civil servant and he only got into government after being elected in 2014. So some of those who may be talking about this must look at themselves and there are some who have forgotten that they and their associates have been supporters of coups and coup governments in the past.

SR: He said he wasn't there at the time of the coup nevertheless he was there when the constitution was abrogated, very senior there, he was the head civil servant of the prime minister's office right through the constitutional process.

BP: Yes that is true and Mr Tikoduadua admits that but I know that when we were talking in the roundtable he had some very, very progressive views and I know his unhappiness at the trashing of the, or the discarding of the Ghai constitution which was going to become a consensus constitution so as far as we are concerned the principles held by the NFP are shared by him and that is the reason why he's joined NFP and we don't have any issues with that. Our fight is to bring back genuine democracy in this country and that is where our stand is and that is what we will do going forward into the election in 2018.