Party submission presented but SDL says no

More than a week after the SDL party made its submission to the Constitution Commission, party president Solomoni Naivalu is now saying that it was not a SDL party submission.

However, Fijivillage confirmed that senior SDL party officials had made the submission on the first day of consultations at the Suva Civic Centre.

According to our recordings of the submissions which are also recorded by the commission staff, the officials said on the record while presenting their submission that it was being made on behalf of the SDL party.

This was done in the presence of SDL president Solomoni Naivalu.
   
Copies of the submissions presented were then given to Fijivillage and the commission staff.

Fijivillage has now established that the same submission was made in Nasinu and it stopped after the contents of the submission were highlighted publicly.

Now SDL has released a statement saying it is not their submission and they will make their presentation in September or October.

According to a statement released by Mesake Koroi, party president Naivalu said he was only present during the consultations to observe how Professor Yash Ghai conducts the public submissions.

SDL also said that it is a multiracial party.

However, the party said it is motivated by the ideals and principles of Christianity but at the same time is not oblivious to the religious beliefs of other ethnic communities in Fiji.

 
Story by: Vijay Narayan