July 13, 2022
Bring it on: NFP
Fiji First general secretary and registered officer Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum should confine himself to diligently performing his responsibilities as the Attorney-General and Economy Minister instead of forever trying to manufacture lies and conspiracy theories to try and discredit the National Federation Party, said NFP General Secretary Seni Nabou.
Mrs Nabou made the comments while responding to a 12-page letter of complaint to the Supervisor of Elections by Sayed-Khaiyum against the NFP and the People’s Alliance.
She questioned whether the malicious claims are a prelude to further changes to laws in either the Electoral or the Political Parties Acts to impose more draconian requirements in respect of fundraising and campaign.
The NFP general secretary said Sayed-Khaiyum has manufactured evidence to claim the NFP has breached campaign and fundraising rules by making serious allegations against a party stalwart which were frivolous, malicious, vexatious and defamatory.
“The video that Sayed-Khaiyum refers to and claims breached campaign rules under the Electoral Act shows party stalwart Ahmed Bhamji speaking at a NFP meeting. The evidence he has submitted shows it was extracted from a 'Vote for Change' Facebook page”.
“Firstly, the NFP has never been associated with this Facebook page. All our social media pages have been submitted to the Supervisor of Elections and they are our official pages. We do not manufacture lies on fake pages created by known Fiji First supporters and personalities, which we have reported to police”.
“Secondly, the video showing Mr Bhamji talking about TELS is NOT at any recent meeting nor associated with any event in respect to campaign or otherwise for the 2022 general elections”.
“This is clearly extracted from a livestream of the last rally for the 2018 general elections on Saturday, 10th November, 2018, at Rishikul Primary School, which can be clearly found on the NFP Facebook page”.
“The image submitted by Sayed-Khaiyum has been deliberately edited to show only Mr Bhamji because the full image, which we have provided as evidence, proves beyond any doubt of when the statement was made. The front line-up clearly shows candidates contesting the 2018 elections”.
“Thirdly, Mr Bhamji didn’t breach any campaign rules because he addressed that meeting 2 years and 8 months before the Electoral Act was amended by Parliament in June 2021”.
“In fact during the 2018 elections, Sayed-Khaiyum even resorted to threats by warning those who attended a Fiji First meeting at Samabula Primary School on Sunday 21st October, 2018, that if people didn’t support a leader like Voreqe Bainimarama, they would be putting a dagger to their neck” - (reported by Fijivillage.com on 22nd October, 2018) https://www.fijivillage.com/.../If-you-dont-support-a...
“As Fiji’s chief legal officer and defacto PM, Sayed-Khaiyum’s reliance on manufactured evidence is political lunacy”.
“As for his claim that a birthday invitation by someone who is an aspiring candidate has breached publication authorisation rules, Sayed-Khaiyum should first understand the difference between a publication and an invitation”.
“The invitation that he submitted to the FEO as evidence was designed and photocopied by the aspiring candidate and distributed to his family members. It is different from the official invitation prepared at the party HQ and authorised by the general secretary”.
“In fact the evidence submitted shows different times with the birthday invitation at 7.00pm. Didn’t Sayed-Khaiyum see the difference?”
“His claims about overseas fundraising are ludicrous and based on assumptions. The NFP never conducted a joint fundraising drive with the People’s Alliance both locally and overseas”.
“This is how the Fiji First Party is going to try to win the election – not on issues, but by harassing and distracting opposition parties on irrelevant points of electoral law.
“Whatever it is, bring it on. We will not be trampled nor derailed from our vision to once again make Fiji a land of hope and opportunity, free from the dictatorship and thuggery of the two-man rule”.
Seni Nabou General Secretary
Enclosed: Full image of November 10, 2018 meeting, which was deliberately edited by Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
