Heads may roll as NFP

sets new course

THE Opposition National Federation Party which has suf fered humiliating defeats in the recent municipal elections around the country and in a parliamentary by-election, has embarked on a campaign to attract support from its grass roots members and, particu larly, the Indians.

The party has begun a series of meetings around the country explaining its policies and also attacking the government’s policies and what the NFP sees as its failures.

The party is gearing itself for the next general election due next year. Since the birth of the Labour Party the NFP has been ruled out as an effective opposi tion and a party that cham pioned the cause of the work ers, the sugar cane farmers and the majority of the Indians.

Political pundits have blamed the leadership of Mr Koya.

They say his style was alienat ing the supporters and the disillusioned had no choice but to turn to the Labour Party.

There had been a mass res ignation of NFP parliamenta rians effectively rendering them independents since last Decem ber. Five NFP members left the party and now sit as indepen dents.

A task force was set up to examine the party’s poor performance and its failing im age. Their report was critical of Mr Koya’s performance and raised questions over some of his decisions and actions.

It said major party decisions had been made by the leader himself without the benefit of consultation with other mem bers. The party’s working com mittee has accepted a task force recommendation to set up a special committee to draw up a plan of action after talking to party supporters around the country about what course the party should take in the future to re-establish itself as a political force.

The working committee has appointed members of the spe cial committee who are the party president Mr Sharma, Mr Nand and Mr Patel, two mem bers of the House of Repre sentatives, and Senators Mum-

taz Ali and Harnan Singh.

Mr Koya, it is reported, has already informed the party that he will be prepared to step down if a replacement can be found.

The critical task force report said that the needs of the voters had changed over the past 15 years and the NFP had to adapt to these new demands. It had to win back the support it had lost to the newly-formed Labour Party.

In the last sitting of parlia ment in late February-early March, Mr Koya who was critii cised during December’s budget debate for being “too soft” and was even alleged to be in partnership with the ruling Alliance government, took the government side to task on almost every issue raised during the debate.

He questioned the govern ment’s actions on a number of issues and was especially harsh

on a government decision not to support an opposition mo tion to give financial relief to the country’s cane farmers.

Political pundits in Suva see his performance as another bid by the NFP, and particularly its leader, to impress on the electo rate that the NFP is still very much a force to be reckoned with and is the party that cares for the farmers and, especially, the workers. By our Suva correspondent.

Mr. Koya ... ready to make the supreme sacrifice for his party if a successor can be found.