Suspended parties have until COB today to submit their list of source of funds or face de-registration

The suspended political parties have until the close of business today to submit their list of source of funds or face de-registration.

FijiFirst (in suspension) is the only party from the four suspended parties that has complied with section 23 of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013 however they are yet to comply with section 26 of the law.

FijiFirst (in suspension) has until 15th June to submit the record of accounts of its income, expenditure, assets and liabilities audited by an auditor certified by the Fiji Institute of Accountants.

The Fijian Elections Office says the four suspended political parties have liaised with the FEO in regards to compliance with sections 23 and 26 requirements of the Political Parties Act.

Acting Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa reiterates that according to section 23(4) of the Act, a party that fails to submit its Sources of Funds is liable to a penalty of $100 for each day the non-compliance continues and if it remains non-compliant after 30 days, the party must be deregistered.

The 30 days period ended yesterday, however, this can be given to the FEO today, as it falls on the next business day.

The rest are all working on complying with the requirements.

Section 23 deals with the submission of the sources of funds for the party.

Section 26(2) of the Act requires all parties to provide to the Registrar, within 3 months after the end of each financial year, the record of accounts of its income, expenditure, assets and liabilities audited by an auditor certified by the Fiji Institute of Accountants.

The FijiFirst Party, New Generation Party, We Unite Fiji Party and All People’s Party remain suspended.

Mataiciwa reiterates that the parties who have still not complied are suspended for thirty days and have sixty days to remedy the breach/contravention or face deregistration as a political party.

During the period of suspension, the suspended parties cannot operate, function, represent or hold itself out to be a political party.

She says all non-complying parties have been reminded that failure to submit will result in deregistration.

Mataiciwa also confirms that for the additional two parties that did not comply with section 23, SODELPA and the People’s Alliance submitted their list of source of funds last week.