FLP, UFP and FA call on the Chair of the Constitutional Offices Commission to investigate allegations against Saneem and Chandra

Fiji Labour Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, Unity Fiji Leader, Savenaca Narube and Freedom Alliance Leader, Jagath Karunaratne are calling on the Chairman of the Constitutional Offices Commission, Voreqe Bainimarama to look into allegations relating to a certain appointment made at the Fijian Elections Office and allowances allegedly paid to the former Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Suresh Chandra.

However the Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem says there is absolutely no evidence of the defamatory allegations in relation to the allowances, the normal FEO recruitment process was followed for the appointment being questioned and the recruitment selection committee included a member from outside FEO.

Chaudhry, Narube and Karunaratne want an investigation to prove whether the allowances paid were for actual commission sittings.

They also allege that the recruitment was made in November 2019 without advertising the post as required under the recruitment rules of the Fijian Elections Office.

Chaudhry says the Constitutional Offices Commission has not even come back to them with a response from the first time when they wrote to them on the 18th of November 2021.

Saneem stresses the allowances paid to the Electoral Commission is audited by the Office of the Auditor General annually.

He also says for the appointment, the position was advertised on the 7th and 14th of September 2019 on facebook and Fiji Sun.

Saneem says the shortlisted applicants were required to write a paper on ‘creating a facilitative environment to encourage young people to become active participants in electoral activities, as well as, instilling principles of ethical participation in the political process’.

Saneem says after the papers were graded, they were required to do a presentation of not more than 15 minutes before the selection panel.

He says following this exercise, offers were made to the highest ranked candidate.

Meanwhile Mahendra Chaudhry says they have now written to the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Auditor General and the Supervisor of Elections regarding the allegations as they have received no response from the Chair of the Constitutional Office Commission.

We have sent questions to the Prime Minister and Chair of the Commission, Voreqe Bainimarama and the Acting Solicitor General and Secretary of the Commission, Preetika Prasad.