for Labour Party push

Fiji Politics

NFP squabbles open way for Labour Party push

The opposition National Federation Party of Fiji faces a deepening crisis of leadership in the wake of the unceremonious dumping in July of the deputy leader, Mrs Irene Jai Narayan.

Mrs Narayan is not only the sole woman member of the House of Representatives, but is one of the most effective and outspoken parliamentarians in the country. And, as for senior ity, she is the longest-serving member in the Opposition, having been returned to the House with thumping majorities successively in the past five general elections.

The decision to tip her out of the deputy leadership came from party leader, Siddiq Koya, who, himself is seen as very much the stormy petrel of NFP politics and a man not without considerable opposition to his rule.

There has been bad blood between Mrs Narayan and Mr Koya since 1977 when the NFP tore itself apart into two fac tions, each fielding its own set of candidates in the general election of April that year. Mrs Narayan was largely in strumental in throwing Mr Koya out from both the House and the party leadership in that epic battle.

The man then elected to lead the Opposition, Lautoka lawyer, Jai Ram Reddy, began a slow and painful healing process after the divisive elec tion to reunite the dismem bered party. In the end, how ever, Mr Reddy last year threw in his hand, and quit parlia ment, handing the leadership, virtually on a silver platter, back to Mr Koya.

Although Mr Koya inherited from Mr Reddy a united party, and was thus given a splendid second chance - a rarity in politics, even in Fiji Mr Koya obviously felt he had to settle some old scores.

His main target was Mrs Narayan. He first banned her from using the Opposition offices, but Mrs Narayan suc cessfully protested to the

Speaker, Mr Tomasi Vakatora, who ruled that all Opposition members,irrespective of the party to which they belonged, had a right to use the facilities of the Opposition offices.

Thus thwarted, Mr Koya de cided to reshuffle his shadow cabinet, using the general rearrangement to get rid of the persistently sharp thorn in his side. In a list of his new cabinet members that he sent to the Fiji press he announced, without any preamble or explanation, the appointment of one of the four ethnic Fijians in the party, trade unionist Koresi Matatolu, as his new deputy. Mrs Narayan was effectively axed, although he had offered her the educa tion portfolio, which she had promptly rejected, announcing forthwith her withdrawal of sup port for Mr Koya.

Earlier, another member of Mr Koya’s previous cabinet, university lecturer Dr Satendra Nandan, had also withdrawn his support for the party leader.

Mrs Narayan was followed by veteran Nadi politician, Hargo vind Lodhia, to whom Mr Koya had given the key finance port folio. Mr Lodhia, a very keen participant in NFP inner politics, described the make-up of the shadow cabinet as “farcical” and refused to have anything to do with it.

Mr Koya hurriedly called a meeting of his parliamentary

board to discuss the crises, but only half the members turned up. After some arm-twisting, he was able to summon 17 of the 23 board members to another meeting. Thus was he able to present a facade of unity, but there can be no denying the strong disillusionment and re sentment felt by many of his colleagues at the manner in which Mr Koya rid himself of Mrs Narayan.

Mr Matatolu, a capable and articulate member of the House, would have been an acceptable deputy under diffe rent circumstances.

But Mrs Narayan is by no means finished. She has a large personal following (something that Mr Koya cannot claim for himself), and his shabby treat ment of her has won her much‘public sympathy, particu larly among women voters.

After her dismissal, Mrs Narayan’s performance both in and outside parliament has be come even more telling. In the July session of the House she was clearly the star performer.

The continual bickering and in-fighting in the NFP, and the poor performance of Mr Koya in his leadership role, have disenchanted many party followers. The NFP is in a state of disarray and decadence and unless it cleans its house, it is doomed to die.

The formation by the trades unions of the Fiji Labour Party offers both NFP and Alliance party followers a new, and quite different, choice. If Labour adopts a pragmatic, moderate and realistic platform it could woo not only NFP, but also Alliance, voters in droves to its ranks.

Labour’s main weakness is the lack of a nationally recog nisable leader. The Alliance is dominated by the protean fi gure of the prime minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

As for the NFP, it has re duced itself to the level of a Walt Disney cartoon good for comic relief. Vijendra Kumar in Suva.

Irene Jai Narayan ... dumped as deputy, but an outstanding performer. Fiji Times photo.