FEO refers People’s Alliance Deputy Party Leaders Tabuya and Lobendahn to FICAC

The Fijian Elections Office has referred the People’s Alliance Deputy Party Leaders Lynda Tabuya and Dan Lobendahn to FICAC for probable breaches of Sections 114, Section 116(3)(h) and Section 140 of the Electoral Act.

Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem said these complaints arise from responses received from Lynda Tabuya and the People’s Alliance in relation to Rock The Vote Fiji.

In concluding it’s enquires into Rock The Vote Fiji, the FEO finds that the organization was purely created with the purpose of undermining and circumventing the provisions of the Electoral Act which prohibited the giving of gifts and bribery by political parties and their representatives.

The FEO says it was found that over the course of its existence, Rock The Vote Fiji has been controlled by Lynda Tabuya who is the Deputy Party Leader of the People’s Alliance and has been engaged in numerous activities giving out gifts and merchandise.

It says after the enquiries into the organization began, it pulled down its Facebook page and deleted critical posts that were evidence of such actions.

The FEO says during the course of the enquiry it was further noted that the People’s Alliance and Tabuya embarked on a media campaign to disrupt the enquiries. Saneem says the FEO has noted from Tabuya’s response that she is the creator, funder and facilitator of Rock The Vote Fiji.

He says Tabuya has also informed the FEO that she is the person that has funded all the activities of Rock The Vote Fiji.

Saneem says as earlier highlighted by the FEO, it was noted that Rock The Vote Fiji had engaged in activities that were direct campaign for individuals from People’s Alliance and Tabuya has confirmed that by virtue of her funding and creating the organization.

The Supervisor says it is undisputable based on the evidence that the FEO has received particularly in responses from Tabuya that Rock The Vote Fiji did not only serve the purpose of encouraging people to register but also was a platform to provide gifts, prizes, sponsorships, merchandise and holding of sporting events.

Saneem says under the Electoral Act, such actions are prohibited during the campaign period.

The FEO also notes that there were various agencies, institutions, businesses and clubs that were engaged by Rock The Vote Fiji for the provision of various sporting activities and awards and prizes.

Saneem says they wish to reiterate that companies and businesses are not allowed to donate to political parties and candidates in the general election and there are severe penalties for any businesses that engage in such conduct. He says for the purposes of hiring the bus, the Young Alliance had paid for a bus to be provided through Sunset Buses for provision of bus services in the western division.

Saneem says in this case, it was noted that the People’s Alliance failed to acknowledge that the Young Alliance was in fact part of its own Constitution and misled the public when it made repeated statements distancing itself from Rock The Vote Fiji without much success.

He says this puts to rest any claims made by the People’s Alliance that it was not involved with Rock The Vote Fiji but in fact proves that Rock The Vote Fiji was facilitated by members of the People’s Alliance particularly from the Young Alliance.

The FEO encourages all political parties when dealing with complaints to provide succinct information that is not misleading and that does not misconstrue the actual facts in any investigation or inquiry that the FEO is conducting.