The National Federation Party has today lodged a formal complaint with FICAC about an alleged breach of the Electoral Act by the FijiFirst, and says Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum must step aside from his multiple ministerial positions to allow a full investigation by FICAC regarding the installation of the FijiFirst banner on the walls of the Suva City Council carpark.
NFP General Secretary, Seni Nabou says the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem may have given time to FijiFirst to remove the banner but an offence has been committed.
She says it must be investigated.
Nabou says after all, other opposition parties have had their offices raided by FICAC, so why would it be different for Fiji First.
She says Sayed-Khaiyum is the Minister responsible for elections, Minister for Economy and the Minister responsible for FICAC.
Nabou says he must step away from any official position.
She says Sayed-Khaiyum is the General Secretary and registered officer of the FijiFirst Party, and he authorised the installation of a huge, custom-designed banner on a public building and his party claims this was “inadvertent”.
Nabou asks how can that be true.
She says this was not just a case of somebody fixing a poster to a lamp post. Nabou says a huge amount of work went into designing this banner and arranging for it to be installed, even though this was a blatant breach of the Electoral Act.
She says if any other party had done this, prosecution would have followed immediately.
The NFP General Secretary says the FijiFirst knew that the Suva City Council carpark was not a designated public building for political advertisements.
Nabou says the Fijian Elections Office clearly told all political parties, on 4th August 2022, which public buildings had been designated as such.
We have sent questions to Sayed-Khaiyum.
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