Qarase Needs To Be Realistic – PM Bainimarama
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said today (11/1) that it is good to hear Laisenia Qarase has finally chosen to change
his stance and that of his party on the proposed People's Charter for Change and Progress (PCCP).
PM Bainimarama was responding to a Radio Fiji news report yesterday (10/1) which highlighted that the SDL Party has
hinted that it could change its stance on the Proposed People's Charter for Change and Progress if the Interim
Government accepts its proposal on the document.
PM Bainimarama called on Qarase and his SDL supporters to come and join the Charter process with an "open mind and clean
heart if he (Qarase) really loves this country and its people."
"Qarase should not come with pre –conditions as this is not the proper way to propagate resolutions in moving the
country forward.
" Frankly for Qarase, there is hardly any other choice if he wants a quick return to parliamentary democracy."
PM Bainimarama said Qarase needs to be pragmatic or realistic of the real situation in this country. One in which he had
been the principal architect of social disintegration and economic woes that has beset the country during the last six
years.
On Qarase's proposals, PM Bainimarama said "I would rather that these be part of what the SDL Party should bring to the
National Council of Building a Better Fiji (NCBBF) rather than to me since in this process of trying to move this
country forward all stakeholders must meet on an equal footing in the proposed council.
"This is my message to all other political parties as we prepare to launch the Charter process through the formal
convening of the NCBBF scheduled for Wednesday (16/11)."
PM Bainimarama said that it is now over one year since the Military takeover and for Qarase to continue and harp about
the legality or illegality of the Charter is both narrow minded and portrays the highest degree of negativism which he
and his party have always showed.
"We have to be all positive minded in order to move this country forward and the Charter is the way to go."
PM Bainimarama said his arguments of having elections under the 1997 Constitution or the Peoples Charter is clear. The
Constitution is still intact and the Charter is a pre-requisite to the election process.
"In a nutshell, I would ask him to quickly change his stance and join the spirit within which the charter is being put
together for the betterment of this country." PM Bainimarama said.
ENDS