Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has confirmed that Manoa Kamikamica remains the deputy party leader of the People’s Alliance, despite stepping down from his Cabinet roles.
Kamikamica officially handed over his portfolio as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Communications to Prime Minister Rabuka Thursday at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The handover follows court proceedings initiated by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).
“The removal from Cabinet, as a Cabinet Minister and as Deputy Prime Minister, has nothing to do with the party,” Rabuka said.
“He’s still the deputy party leader as far as the party is concerned. As one of the founding members of the party, we will continue to be with him.”
Rabuka said the Government would wait for the court process to conclude before making any further decisions.
“We can only proceed once we are cleared. At the moment, he’s before the court, and we’ll wait until after that,” he said.
When asked about appointing an acting Deputy Prime Minister, Rabuka said there was no need. “No, no need to. I already have two Deputy Prime Ministers,” he said.
He also addressed the Government’s decision to apply for a judicial review rather than referring the matter to the Judicial Services Commission.
“Everyone before the court has the right to apply for a judicial review. It’s up to the court to grant or not,” Rabuka said.
If it’s government or those named in the review, we will have to justify and defend our positions in court.”
Rabuka confirmed that he is among those named in the judicial review and will appear in court when required.
Meanwhile, the People’s Alliance party is facing growing internal rifts as young supporters accuse the ruling party of abandoning them after the 2022 General Election.
Several former youth volunteers claim they were promised jobs in return for their hard work during the election campaign, but those promises never materialised.
Many say they have now turned to a new political path through a movement called the “Young Alliance.”
“Most of us worked tirelessly during the campaign, staying up late, helping with administrative work, counting votes, and visiting villages,” said a former youth member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“We believed in the party’s message and in the promises made to us.”
About 60 youths reportedly expected employment opportunities from current ministers but said they received little to no acknowledgement after the election.
“Before the election, we had a good relationship with the ministers, but now that they are in power, they’ve totally forgotten about us,” another former youth member said.
The absence of young people at the party’s Annual General Meeting last Saturday highlighted the growing frustration.
Party general secretary Sila Balawa maintained that the youth wing remained active and the party continued to encourage youth participation.
“This is their party. They can come in at any time, sit down with us over a cup of tea, and have discussions,” he said.
“Even at our 2023 youth AGM in Nadi, about 200 young people attended, showing the youth movement is still strong.”
He said information about the AGM had been shared through proper channels, but some executives and branches failed to pass it on to members.
“We have identified this and decided to revive the youth gatherings,” he said.
“The first meeting for youth in the Northern Division will be held in Bua this Friday, followed by other provinces.”
Despite the reassurances, the growing concern among some young members could threaten the People’s Alliance party’s grassroots support as Fiji heads towards the 2026 General Election.
