Nakaile villagers in Tailevu sprang a surprise on FijiFirst party leader Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama when he arrived at their village last night for a political meeting.
The men turned on the music while some women grabbed Mr Bainimarama for a dance in the old style “taralala”.
It was a prelude to a talanoa session in a packed to capacity village community hall. People who could not get in stood outside and listened.
The hall was symbolically decorated with sugarcane plants. There is a legend that in the old days some of the men from Mr Bainimarama’s village Kiuva, Bau, Tailevu spied on Nakaile women.
They were caught and beaten with sugarcane plants. When the people from the two villages met for a function Nakaile villagers would take sugarcane plants with them.
The festive mood highlighted the special traditional ties between the two villages. They know how to have fun when they meet on special occasions. This was a special event. The villagers had invited Mr Bainimarama to come and speak to them. In the 2014 General Election Mr Bainimarama picked up only a couple of votes from the village. Most of the votes went to SODELPA candidates. Mr Bainimarama brushed that aside and accepted the villagers’ invitation.
He seized the opportunity to correct many of the lies spread by some Opposition politicians.
Land
The Constitution protected iTaukei land, Mr Bainimarama said. No iTaukei land will be sold or alienated. When Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu (SODELPA president) was Minister for Lands in the Qarase SDL Government, Denarau and Momi lands were converted from iTaukei (native) land to Crown (State) land to freehold land.
Attorney-General
Mr Bainimarama told villagers not to look at Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum as a Muslim or Indo-Fijian in response to a question.
He said he fully trusted the A-G who was responsible for ensuring that all national developments met the legal requirements. He said the A-G was passionate about working for the interests of all Fijians.
Great Council of Chiefs
He said the Great Council of Chiefs was scrapped because it was highly politicised.
Chiefs were used by politicians to satisfy their political agenda. He said it was better for chiefs to lead from their provinces.
Edited by Caroline Ratucadra
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