SODELPA Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka says the party’s Working Committee has discussed and voted by majority, on a resolution to be tabled to the Management Board next Saturday on the position of the party’s General Secretary.
Rabuka says Adi Litia Qionibaravi will remain the General Secretary and due process will be undertaken by the Management Board, in accordance with the SODELPA constitution.
The committee agreed that this resolution will be tabled at the next Management Board.
Rabuka also says the committee resolved to recommend to the Management Board the name of Vijay Singh as Acting Party President. He says the committee will also recommend the names of Ratu Jone Seniloli and Gina Pareti-Rawalai to the Board to appoint as acting Vice Presidents until the next Annual General Assembly where the vacant positions will be filled.
Rabuka says there are three Party Vice President positions, and Vijay Singh’s two year term expires at the end of June 2020, as he was first elected at the AGM held in Lautoka in June 2018.
In addition, Rabuka says the committee recommended that the Management Board consider the former Treasurer, Ruci Karuru to act in the position of SODELPA National Treasurer.
Rabuka urges the SODELPA family, including financial members, voters and supporters to remain calm and allow due process to take its course.
He says they will get through these challenges, if they talk about them and commit to move forward in achieving their primary objective of changing government by winning elections in 2022.
Meanwhile party insiders had earlier confirmed that Pio Tabaiwalu was appointed as Acting General Secretary for SODELPA and Vijay Singh chaired the committee meeting via Zoom after he was appointed Acting President.
I was not afforded natural justice by Vijay Singh and SODELPA’s Working Committee – Adi Litia Qionibaravi
SODELPA General Secretary, Adi Litia Qionibaravi says shes wishes to state categorically that the party’s Constitution gives only the Management Board the authority over disciplinary matters.
Adi Litia said in a statement that she was not afforded natural justice by Vijay Singh and SODELPA’s Working Committee when they purportedly decided to suspend her.
She says she was not informed as to the substance of the complaint, neither was she given opportunity to respond to the complaint before the decision was made.
Adi Litia says she started the working committee meeting omn Wednesday however towards the end of the meeting, a complaint from SODELPA USA President was tabled and Adi Litia was asked to leave the room. She says she was not asked to return to the meeting and was surprised to learn it had ended.
Adi Litia also says she has not been officially informed by Vijay Singh in writing, email or by telephone of the decision of the Working Committee.
She also stresses that the Party Constitution makes it very clear that disciplinary matters are the responsibility of the Management Board alone, and not the Working Committee.
Adi Litia says her primary concern is to ensure the party continues to operate, and to meet the requirements set by the Supervisor of Elections, and the expectations of members, to have a functional party office, as they prepare for the 2022 elections.
Complaints have been filed against Adi Litia however she says the claims are unfounded
SODELPA General Secretary, Adi Litia Qionibaravi says while SODELPA may have paid for a vehicle on a certain date, the money donated from overseas arrives a bit later and “reimburses” the amount paid by the party.
Adi Litia says all the items queried to her, have been properly receipted and accounted for.
Adi Litia says in 2018, she and Sitiveni Rabuka travelled to the USA. She says she explained to members the purchase of two vehicles in 2017 from their donations.
The party’s General Secretary says as for donations made in 2018, these have been audited and the audited report has been tabled with the Elections Office.
Adi Litia says unfortunately the USA SODELPA have not held their annual meeting in 2019 and 2020, to afford the party an opportunity to explain their 2018 donations that helped with the 2018 election campaign, to them.
She says in any case, all payment vouchers, invoices and receipts for the funds requested by USA SODELPA have been scanned and prepared to be sent to this Chapter.
Adi Litia says complaints relating to the management of SODELPA finances are unfounded and based on misinformation, and misunderstanding of accounting procedures.
She says as General Secretary of SODELPA, she has always been mindful of the fundraising challenges of political parties given the fundraising restrictions in the Political Parties Decree.
Adi Litia says she is also preparing for the proper constitutional forum, the Management Board meeting to respond to the queries, and she is waiting to hear from Vijay Singh.
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