National Federation Party general secretary Seni Nabou speaking during a political parties panel discussion and public forum. Picture: JOVESA NAISUA/FT FILE
The National Federation Party (NFP) has criticised the Suva City Council for its role in the placement of the FijiFirst party campaign banner on the council’s public car park, which was declared unlawful by the Fijian Elections Office.
NFP says there was a “blatant contravention” of the Electoral Act by both parties.
NFP general secretary Seni Nabou said it was “laughable” for FijiFirst to call the breach an “unfortunate and an inadvertent error by the party’s media team”.
“FijiFirst is fooling no one except itself by making this ridiculous claim in its defence of its shameful conduct,” Ms Nabou said.
“The banner was authorised by Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in his capacity as general secretary of FijiFirst.
“It breached both the restriction disallowing political parties from using public buildings as a campaign platform.
“Do FijiFirst expect us to believe that the party’s so-called media team decided overnight to place what has been the largest banner in terms of size on the Suva City Council public building and use Sayed- Khaiyum’s authorisation without his knowledge and approval?”
Ms Nabou believed the decisions were neither made overnight nor was it an inadvertent error as taking approval, measurement, printing and placement of the banner was a major logistical exercise.
“Even if for argument’s sake one believes FijiFirst’s explanation, why did the (Suva) city council administration and executive management allow the ruling party to place the banner?
“Didn’t SCC know that public buildings must not be used as a campaign platform?”
She said these were issues that the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption must investigate.
“This is a matter that shouldn’t end with the removal of the banner,” she said, claiming that the “unelected Suva City Council” was also to blame.
• Questions sent to SCC and Fiji- First general secretary Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum remained unanswered when this edition went to press.
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Copyright © 2022 Fiji Times Limited. All Rights Reserved.