Bulitavu asks why Seruiratu is kept out of the FijiFirst Leadership Committee

FijiFirst MP, Mosese Bulitavu is now asking whether the party is breaching it’s very own party constitution and why is the Leader of the Opposition and Parliamentary Leader of FijiFirst, Inia Seruiratu since taking office on 27th March, 2023, been kept out of the FijiFirst Leadership Committee and not appointed as a Foundation member.

The Central Executive Committee is made up of the party President Ratu Joji Satakala, Vice President Selai Adimaitoga, Acting General Secretary Faiyaz Koya, Treasurer Hem Chand, party leader and founder Voreqe Bainimarama, former General Secretary and founder Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and founder Salesh Kumar.

In an official post on his facebook page, Bulitavu is asking why didn't the Leader of the Opposition, Seruiratu being the rightful Parliamentary Leader who the FijiFirst Constitution says should be the head of the Leadership Committee, take part in the selection of the new Party President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer and the appointment of the acting General Secretary.

Bulitavu says only a FijiFirst Leadership Committee meeting chaired by the Parliamentary Leader can issue a lawful party directive to MPs.

He says Section 5.3 (c)(ii) of the FijiFirst Party Constitution stipulates that "if FijiFirst is in the main opposition party in Parliament, the Parliamentary Leader shall be the Leader of the Opposition."

Bulitavu says in addition, section 5.3 (b)(iii) of the FijiFirst Constitution says that the Parliamentary Leader is the head of the Leadership Committee and in section 5.3 (b)(iv) the Leadership Committee determines the composition of the Central Executive Committee which includes the President, Vice Presidents, the General Secretary and the Treasurer. Any member of the Leadership Committee is a Foundation member.

The 16 FijiFirst Party Members of Parliament who voted for salary and benefit increases for the President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Assistant Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Whips, Leader of Opposition and Members of Parliament, are still awaiting the decision of the party’s Central Executive Committee.

fijivillage News has been told by some within the party that the Central Executive Committee was expected to meet in the west yesterday.

We have been told only Bainimarama will not be in the meeting as he is in prison.

The 16 FijiFirst MPs have not been told to give any explanations and they have been only made aware of the FijiFirst Party President Ratu Joji Satakala’s comments on the party’s official facebook page where he said on Sunday that the party will be taking action against the 16, including Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu, who went against the party directive.

He says these members were Mosese Bulitavu, Sanjay Kirpal, Semi Koroilavesau, Shalen Kumar, Virendra Lal, loane Naivalurua, Sachida Nand, Vijay Nath, Viliame Naupoto, Ratu Josaia Niudamu, Penioni Ravunawa, Taito Rokomatu, Inia Seruiratu, Alipate Tuicolo, Naisa Tuinaceva and Jone Usamate.

Ratu Joji said all FijiFirst supporters and Fijian citizens are informed that all FijiFirst Members of Parliament were directed specifically by the Acting General Secretary, Faiyaz Koya in a caucus meeting on Friday morning and in writing after lunch on the same day to vote against or abstain from voting on the salary and benefit increase.

He says the Central Executive Committee of FijiFirst will now take steps as provided for in the FijiFirst Constitution to address this issue.

According to Section 63 of the Fijian Constitution, the seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the member votes or abstains from voting in Parliament contrary to any direction issued by the political party for which he or she was a candidate at the time he or she was elected to Parliament, without obtaining the prior permission of the political party; or if the Member of Parliament is expelled from the political party for which he or she was a candidate at the time he or she was elected to Parliament and the expulsion was in accordance with the rules of the political party relating to party discipline.

fijivillage News is also trying to get Koya and Sayed-Khaiyum.