National Federation Party provisional candidate for the 2022 polls Sashi Kiran says after December 14 “no one will worry about Mr Sayed-Khaiyum”.
She was responding to FijiFirst general secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s claim that she used her former position as Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development (FRIEND) CEO to further her political agenda.
He made the comment after submitting the FijiFirst party’s candidate nominations last Friday at the Fijian Elections Office. “Does Aiyaz really think that all these people’s money, all their kindness and hard work, was just for people who voted NFP?” Ms Kiran said.
“He claims that my former organisation, FRIEND, only donated COVID-relief rations to NFP supporters but I want him to know that when he tries to play politics with FRIEND, he not only insults me.
“He insults all of FRIEND’s workers and volunteers, all the people who gave FRIEND millions of dollars in money and goods to help people affected by the COVID outbreak while Aiyaz was nowhere to be seen, when he left Dr (James) Fong (Health Ministry permanent secretary) to do all the talking.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum’s comments were made in response to Ms Kiran’s claim that Government was responsible for the Asian subterranean termite infestation in the Western Division and Vanua Levu.
Ms Kiran claimed the termite infestation was an ongoing crisis for more than a decade and she further claimed Government failed to address the issue or provide and subsidise costs for those impacted. She also claimed many schools and businesses were impacted.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said Ms Kiran was using FRIEND Fiji as a vehicle for her own political advancements.
“A number of non-government organisations (NGO) in Fiji are in that position where they using the NGO facade to further a political agenda and that’s now manifested itself with Sashi Kiran being nominated,” he said.
He also said her NGO, FRIEND Fiji, did not give food rations to people in the rural areas who openly supported FijiFirst.
“We heard during the cyclone period she was going out and giving under the banner of FRIEND Fiji various rations to people who were told only if you support NFP or any other political parties but not FijiFirst will you get rations.
“We cannot have people who lead NGOs have that kind of attitude.
“She is simply trying to attract attention by trying to build a certain vote bank and this person as with her leader, what they are simply trying to do is picking issues devoid of facts.”
