NFU wins sugar by-election

[Posted 5 May 2003,1500]

The National Farmers Union retained its Growers Council seat in the Drasa sector in a by-election on Saturday following the death of its former councillor, Shiu Dayal.

NFU candidate Pramod Kumar pulled 301 of the 524 votes polled while his opponent, Narendra Prasad of the Fiji Cane Growers Association took 222 votes.

The NFU continues to hold its majority in the Growers Council with 21 seats as opposed to 16 by the FCGA.

The by-election took place against a backdrop of objections by the NFU to the appointment of a Council employee, Bhima Sami, as returning officer instead of DO Lautoka as earlier gazetted. Council chief executive Jaganath Sami, former general secretary of the FCGA, made the last minute change, after a gazette notice had been issued by him  listing DO Lautoka as returning officer.

Bhima Sami is now accusing NFU voters of electoral fraud claiming a number of themhad submitted forged papers to be able to vote. But the NFU has dismissed the claims as an attempt by Sami to get his own back on the Union.

The NFU says Bhima Sami should look at his own integrity and claims Sami has a record of misappropriating funds.

He was forced to resign from the National Bank of Fiji following alleged embezzlement of funds. Even at the Growers Council, he was involved in a financial scam. The board suspended him for three weeks but Jaganath Sami reinstated him.  He is now repaying the money taken from his wages.

How can one believe somebody with such a consistent record of dishonesty?