Fiji's former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has questioned the government's priorities with survivors who lost their homes during Cyclone Winston are left still struggling to rebuild their houses and lives.
On a visit to the provinces of Ra and Ba last week, he said in a release that he had seen for himself that people have just had to soldier on in the interim, and that the 15 month rehabilitation delay post cyclone was unreasonable.
He also said that the toll on the lives and livelihoods of people had been huge and that the Fiji First government's priorities are to enrich itself and gallivant all over the world, yet people are still living in tents and children are studying in tents or the hot sun and rain.
He said there was a cement shortage and a lack of carpenters, and was accusing the government of abdicating its responsibility to hardware companies.
The Social Democratic Liberal Party Leader also said a SODELPA Government would re-establish the PM's Cyclone and Housing Rehabilitation Unit, and the Government Supplies Department to co-ordinate and ensure natural disaster rehabilitation is completed efficiently after disasters.
The leader of Fiji's opposition SODELPA party, Sitiveni Rabuka. Photo: AFP