Page 17 - IB MAR 2017

2018 Election
‘ ... we must not forget the people whose lives were torn

lost most of their possessions. Many of them are still living

in leaky tents while they wait for assistance ...

- Ro Teimumu Kepa
coup and consolidated this in a 2014
election – has only a 44 per cent ap-
apart By Winston. Their homes were blown down ... they ‘
proval rating, down from 82 per cent
last year.
Rabuka has an 11 per cent approval
rating as preferred prime minister while
around 36 per cent remain undecided.
If Kepa has her way, Bainimarama’s
approval rating will fall further on the
back of complaints about the slow re-
sponse of authorities to Tropical Cyclone
Winston relief efforts.
“The response of the Fiji First govern-
ment to relief efforts has been unprec-
edented in its failure to meet the needs
of our people,” Kepa said.
“After a year we still cannot get the
exact numbers of how many people live
in tents and need permanent shelter or
even records of where the millions of
dollars in foreign and local assistance
has been spent.” Fiji Opposition
Leader Ro Teimumu
Kepa said Opposition SODELPA mem- Kepa (top) has left
bers of Parliament – who gave 10 per Sitiveni Rabuka to
cent of their salaries last year to relief contest the 2018
General Election
efforts – had not been told how the against Voreqe
money was spent. Bainimarama
And she was critical of a prayer gath- (below), who is
leading the opinion
ering in the capital, Suva, last month to polls in Fiji.
mark 12 months since the cyclone.
“Of course, we must pray earnestly Photos: Invictus
and deeply for the souls of those who
died, and also support through prayer
their grieving relatives and friends,”
she said.
“Their grief is our grief.
“But we must not forget the people
whose lives were torn apart by Winston.
Their homes were blown down; they lost
most of their possessions. Many of them
are still living in leaky tents while they
wait for assistance they so desperately
need. Children too are victims, many of
them still studying under canvas.”
Kepa said prayer alone was not
enough and people must unite in a
joint determination to speed up the
relief effort.
“We must pray that help will come
soon. Let us not forget as well what
they have endured during this extended
period of rain, storm, and floods.”

q Invictus News and Features Service

Islands Business, March 2017 17