PM and AG must reveal their incomes first - Chaudhry

Fiji Labour Party Leader and National Farmers Union General Secretary, Mahendra Chaudhry is maintaining his call to the Prime Minister and Attorney General for them to reveal their income and assets first before asking party executives to do the same.

Chaudhry is not revealing whether he will resign from the NFU General Secretary’s post to comply with the Registration of Political Parties Decree which states that a unionist cannot be a party executive.

He said as far as he is concerned, the decree is not approved by an elected government.

Chaudhry who is part of the new group known as the United Front for a Democratic Fiji calls for the Prime Minister and Attorney General to declare their assets and liabilities, and not to wait for a time when they form a party.

Mahendra Chaudhry said Rajendra Chaudhry has also offered to legally challenge the Political Parties Decree. 

However, the FLP leader said Rajendra is not a spokesperson for the party.

He said the decision will be made by the United Front for a Democratic Fiji which includes the FLP, SDL, the National Federation Party, the United People’s Party and Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions.

Meanwhile, the government states that the salaries of all cabinet ministers are paid and processed by the Ministry of Finance and not by any private entity as claimed by the United Front for a Democratic Fiji.

On the disclosure of assets and liabilities, Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the Prime Minister and the Attorney General are not officials of a political party however if they become officials of a political party, they will also have to comply with the provisions of the Decree. 

He said by trying to personalise the issues, these politicians are again demonstrating their vulnerability as non-transparent officials of political parties. 

The Attorney General said the government has already made a commitment to put in place new laws regarding freedom of information and Code of Conduct for public office holders, which will include declaration of assets and liabilities. 

Story by: Vijay Narayan