Without a caretaker government, anything this government gives to anyone close to the election must be regarded as vote buying, says Unity Fiji party leader Savenaca Narube.
He was responding to a statement by Minister for Youth and Sports Parveen Kumar last week, while handing over government-funded assistance to youths in Ba, that government assistance to youth was not vote buying and that was already budgeted.
Mr Narube said irrespective of whether it was budgeted or not, the assistance should be regarded as vote buying.
“The Minister for Youth and Sports is being hypocritical in saying that the Government can do this because the money was budgeted and Opposition parties cannot do the same thing even though it was also planned,” the former Reserve Bank of Fiji governor said.
“This is exactly the reason why caretaker governments are put in place.
“I remind the minister that the imposed 2013 Constitution demands a free and fair election.
“The climate around the elections is an important determinant of a free and fair election.
“The playing field is not even, with the Government staying in power and buying votes throughout the campaign while the Opposition parties are taken to court. for doing exactly the same thing.
“This is an injustice.”
