SDL failing Indigenous Fijians

[posted 28 Sept 2004, 13:30]

16 August 2004

Media Release

 SDL is failing Indigenous Fijians - Labour

Fiji Labour Party has expressed serious concern over recent revelation that indigenous Fijian population in the squatter settlement has dramatically increased.  The ADB report revealed that in the Central Division alone, Fijian Households has now increased to 5295 compared to 3377 Indian households.

Responding to the Asian Development Report, FLP parliamentary leader, Mahendra Chaudhry said that the economic and social status of indigenous Fijians has suffered serious decline since the May 2000 coup.

Mr. Chaudhry said it has been over 4 years since Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase launched the ‘blueprint’ but the indigenous community is fast slipping into the escalating poverty cycle. The SDL government has failed to bring any progress to the lives of ordinary Fijians primarily because of its gross incompetence.

The notion of landless Fijians is preposterously ironic given the fact that approximately 90 percent of the land in Fiji is owned by Fijians.The government is failing to respond effectively to the needs of the rural people. Its obsession with racial based affirmative action programmes to impress the rural voters is failing as the people can see how ineffective the government is in addressing the basic service needs of the people.

The government’s blueprint has failed miserably. The deplorable conditions of these squatters are an apparent indication that the affirmative action provides zilch benefits to the ordinary Fijians.  The FLP supports affirmative action programmes but it has to be properly designed based on needs. This is clearly not happening and is hurting the indigenous community.