Fiji's Oppostion leader: Fijian govt has a lot to learn from India's democracy

Suva, Nov 18: Biman Prasad, the Indian-origin leader of the opposition National Federation Party (NFP) in Fiji has denied any rift within the Opposition Caucus over its decision to attend a special parliament session for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) has decided to boycott the sitting.

"We respect their decision. We are two different parties although we make up the opposition. We will go in," Prasad said. "The Fijian government has a lot to learn from India's democracy," Fiji Live quoted Prasadas saying.

"We welcome the state visit by the Indian prime minister," Prasad said.

"The government has a lot to learn from India's democracy and Modi has rightfully described parliament as 'a temple of democracy'."

The NFP leader said Modi's visit would provide a perfect opportunity to the Fijian government to showcase parliamentary democracy and inclusiveness.

He will be the second Indian prime minister to visit Fiji after the late Indira Gandhi, who came here in 1981.

Ethnic Indians comprise 37 percent of Fiji's population of nearly 900,000.

Most of them are descendants of indentured labourers who were brought in by British rulers from India between 1879 and 1916 to work in the country's sugarcane plantations.

IANS