The National Federation Party yesterday announced its first batch of provisional candidates for the next general elections that include former acting permanent secretary for Education Basundra Kumar, former Fiji College of General Practitioners president Dr John Fatiaki, and former Cabinet minister George Shiu Raj.
Party leader Professor Biman Prasad said they would be announcing the next batch of candidates in two weeks’ time.
He said they had a reserve list as the response towards the party’s expression of interest for candidacy was overwhelming.
Prof Prasad said the outcome of the 2022 polls will put an end to the “two-man rule that has besieged our nation for over 15 years”.
He said the NFP would restore equality, dignity and justice for all our people. Prof Prasad claimed that in the 2018 election, the party released 10 important policies and 16 months before the elections it attracted all sorts of malicious attacks from the Government.
“These were especially our plans to reduce the cost of living by zero-rating or making VAT-free basic food and essential items and implementing a phased-in living minimum wage of $5 an hour.
“We were accused of trying to bankrupt the nation and being anti-business.”
He claimed four years later the FijiFirst Government implemented the party’s list of VAT-free food and essential items, “minus medication”, and announced the raising of minimum wage rate to $4.01 an hour by January next year.
“But this has come too late because the cost of living has escalated in the face of prices spiralling out of control. So, more decisive measures are needed. But this Government cannot provide anything more apart from a $1 or Saqamoli per day for six months — totalling only $180 for six months.”
