5 Aug 2003

Fiji government claims Chaudhry holding up agreement on cabinet

4:19 am on 5 August 2003

A Fiji Government MP says the Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, and the Labour Party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, will never reach agreement on a multi party Cabinet.

Radio Fiji says Peniasi Silatolu made the comment in Parliament today.

He says the SDL and the Fiji Labour Party will never compromise because Mahendra Chaudhry is not being reasonable enough to accept the offer from Mr Qarase.

"and what I can see foresee, Mr Speaker sir, is that the multi party issue is becoming a racial issue, no longer a party issue....... honourable Mahendra Chaudry is only trying to compete with the honourable Prime Minister and nothing more... competing racially now....bringing up all different type of issues"

Peniasi Silatolu has hit out at the Labour Party for proposing a government of national unity when it is not stipulated under the 1997 Constitution.

He says they should go back to the constitution.