Labour Leader backs Vayeshnoi

[posted 20 June 2006, 1500]

Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry described the entire episode of Vayeshnoi’s comments as a healthy sign of democracy at work.

“I believe Mr. Vayeshnoi was just practising his democratic right of expression. I respect him for the position he has taken,” Mr. Chaudhry told the Media.

But the issued opened up a whole can of worms regarding the workings of the multi-party Cabinet. Chaudhry said the subject of the multi-party Cabinet was one of the main items to be discussed at the FLP National Council meeting in Nadi on Saturday.

He has, however, rejected any suggestion that the Korolevu Declaration which had been drawn up in 1998 between the SVT, NFP and Labour to provide guidelines for the workings of a multi-party Cabinet be used in the present case.

After the 2001 general elections, Laisenia Qarase and the SDL had categorically rejected the Declaration as a guideline because they had not been a signatory to it.

“As far as I am concerned, SDL killed the Korolevu Declaration. They cannot now go back and try to re-invoke it,” Chaudhry said.