The SODELPA machinery will soon start preparations to select their Leader and Deputy Leader, and there are indications coming through from some senior party figures in the constituency councils that SODELPA parliamentarian, Aseri Radrodro should be given the leader’s position.
Radrodro who has won the parliamentary seat for SODELPA in the 2014 and 2018 general elections, has applied for the leader’s position.
The constituency council members backing him say that the party needs a young leader to take them forward.
However Radrodro is expected to face a tough challenge in the leadership race as Casual Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka has also applied for the position.
Rabuka has already stated that he wants to lead SODELPA to victory in the 2022 general elections. But some party insiders are saying that Rabuka was given the chance and did not deliver the win for the party in the 2018 general elections. They are also saying that there has been a lot of division in the party under Rabuka’s leadership.
SODELPA MPs, Viliame Gavoka and Ro Filipe Tuisawau, and former General Secretary, Pio Tabaiwalu have also applied for the position.
[General Secretary, Pio Tabaiwalu, SODELPA MPs, Viliame Gavoka and Ro Filipe Tuisawau]
Former Leader, Ro Teimumu Kepa has confirmed that she is not going for the leader’s position as she will not contest the next general elections.
Aseri Radrodro has also applied for the Deputy Leader’s post.
The others who have applied for the position are Lynda Tabuya, Niko Nawaikula, Mosese Bulitavu, Pio Tabaiwalu and Filimoni Vosarogo.
Some within the party say they are concerned over the public comments by Tabuya that she has the financial backing to take up the Deputy Leader’s post. They say the financial backing is not the main criteria for selection.
They also say Vosarogo should not be considered as he was in the party for one month before the 2014 general elections and went on to form the OneFiji party which did not win any seats. They say Vosarogo has also not proven himself and has never been elected into parliament. These party insiders say Vosarogo also did not have any physical presence in the party.
They say the vision and mission of SODELPA has not changed from 2014 to 2018, and why is Vosarogo trying to come back after leaving the party.
An interview panel is expected to be appointed to conduct the interview and report back to the party’s management board.
The management board is expected to recommend the names for Leader and Deputy Leader to the party’s AGM by November 28th this year.
