How dare you say that peacekeeping is useless - Naupoto

Former FijiFirst MP and former RFMF Commander Viliame Naupoto has disagreed with Former FijiFirst and Opposition MP Shalen Kumar on his suggestion to do away with peacekeeping and divert the funds to the Police and says how dare people say that peacekeeping is useless.

While supporting the 2024/2025 National Budget, Naupoto says peacekeeping is never useless, because through Fiji’s participation in missions around the world, Fiji’s voice is heard and Fiji commands respect on the world stage.

He says some of the countries that say yes to Fiji’s requests for assistance do so because they respect the fact that a small country like Fiji is punching above its own weight when it comes to fulfilling its global citizen responsibilities.

The Independent MP says he is speaking in this Parliamentary chamber for the first time as a crossbench Member of Parliament and this situation has come about because of a decision that he made in this Parliament, and a decision he does not regret and the decisions that were made by others outside of this Parliament.

He says he has accepted the situation he is in, and he will move on as a crossbench Member of Parliament for the remainder of this Parliament term.

Naupoto adds he has made his choice and as the saying goes “You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice” which he understands very well.

The former FijiFirst MP says democracy is only partly about votes and legislature, but is mostly about human encounters and interaction.

Naupoto has also raised concerns on why there is no allocation for the Vatuwaqa Primary School repair despite the assurances from both the Ministers of Education that it was going to be repaired.

He is pleading with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to intervene and allow the repair of this school because it is in a tsunami-safe zone and is very convenient for the children in the informal settlement nearby.