Pacific

Call on Fiji for leadership change in Fiji Labour Party

11:05 am on 2 July 2003

There has been a call for a change in the leadership of the Fiji Labour Party if the Supreme Court rules that Labour should be included in a multi-party cabinet.

The Daily Post reports that the call has been made by the former president of the Mahendra Chaudhry-led National Farmers Union and staunch supporter of the Labour Party, Param Sivam.

Mr Sivam says the inclusion of Mr Chaudhry in a multi-party cabinet will do no good for the country because it could lead to another coup.

Mr Sivam says working with the Qarase government would be impossible for Mr Chaudhry but he would make a good opposition leader.

He says the most honourable thing for Mr Chaudhry would be to step down as Labour leader before the Supreme Court judgement is made public.

Mr Sivam is the second Labour Party supporter to call for Mr Chaudhry's removal after a former Labour MP and party official, John Ali, made a similar call.