Former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister for Finance Biman Prasad. [Photo: FILE]
Former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad says the decision to postpone the long-awaited municipal elections until after the next general election is a sensible move, given the global crisis and concerns surrounding ward boundaries and election readiness.
The National Federation Party leader says while some critics are trying to politicize the issue, people need to understand that Fiji is facing the impact of an escalating global crisis triggered by the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Professor Prasad says some people who are not even in Parliament are making “useless comments” about the Coalition Government’s budgets and financial management despite what he described as the economic destruction and debt left behind over the past 15 to 16 years.
He says the current crisis was not created by the Coalition Government but is part of a wider global situation affecting countries around the world.
Professor Prasad says the Prime Minister’s announcement to defer the municipal elections makes sense because Fiji has not held municipal polls since 2005, and there are still concerns regarding boundary demarcation and demographic changes in towns and cities.
He says political parties, including the NFP, had also raised concerns about the ward boundaries and voter distribution.
The former Deputy Prime Minister says spending another $15 to $18 million on municipal elections at this time would not be the best use of resources, especially with constitutional review discussions and a general election expected between June next year and February 2028.
“We can use some of that funding that was earmarked for this election to look after our people and where we need to target the support for the most vulnerable.”
He stresses that the issue is not about whether government has money for the election, but whether the country is fully prepared to conduct a proper municipal election while dealing with economic pressures and unresolved concerns.
Professor Prasad also dismissed claims by the Fiji Labour Party that the election was deferred because government lacked funding.
He says the previous budget had already anticipated some global economic pressures and was structured in a way that allowed government to redeploy funding where targeted support is needed most.
Professor Prasad says a lot of preparation work for the municipal elections has already been done over the past three years, and by the time the next government takes office after the general election, the Elections Office and relevant authorities would have addressed concerns surrounding ward boundaries and demarcation.
He says this would allow Fiji to eventually hold a properly structured and well-understood municipal election.
