Vijay Singh new Acting President for SODELPA

Former People’s Democratic Party President and Vice President of SODELPA, Vijay Singh is the new Acting President of SODELPA.

SODELPA’s Working Committee met today and decided to appoint Singh as the party’s Acting President.

Vijay Singh had gone on medical treatment to Australia and is still there due to the border restrictions. He chaired the meeting via Zoom.

Adi Litia Qionibaravi is also no longer the General Secretary of SODELPA.

She has been replaced by Pio Tabaiwalu as the Acting General Secretary. The party’s management board will now meet next Saturday.

Preparations are underway for SODELPA to hold it’s General Assembly in June.

Fijivillage is currently trying to speak to SODELPA Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka.

The Working Committee is made up of Acting President Vijay Singh, SODELPA Leader Sitiveni Rabuka, youth representative Jope Koroisavou, women’s representative Tanya Waqanika, Tevita Tabalailai and Vani Dunn.

Rabuka had earlier confirmed that he will be calling the Party’s Management Board urgently to fill the positions of SODELPA President and Vice President casually, before the May 27th 2020 deadline set by the Supervisor of Elections.

Rabuka says every effort will be made to call the Management Board meeting urgently to appoint an Acting President, and he is pursuing all avenues to broker and mediate a settlement between the parties within SODELPA.

He says this will allow SODELPA to continue its operation until the planned Annual General Meeting in June in line with the requirements of the Registrar of Political Parties.

Rabuka says he has been informed that three of the defendants, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Adi Litia Qionibaravi and Usaia Waqatairewa have exercised their individual right to appeal against the judgement of the High Court, to the Court of Appeal.

He also says he is sad that those affected by the ruling wish to appeal, but he respects their right to do so at their own cost, leaving out the Party to utilize its meager financial resources for preparing the Party for the elections.

Rabuka says the Party will continue to operate normally and prepare for the Annual General Meeting as required by their Constitution to be held by the end of June.

Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Adi Litia Qionibaravi and Usaia Peter Waqatairewa have personally filed through their solicitors, their appeal in the Fiji Court of Appeal against the High Court judgement pronounced on 23rd April 2020 by the Suva High Court.

[ Usaia Waqatairewa, Adi Litia Qionibaravi and Ro Filipe Tuisawau ]

They believe the appeal will assist with Fijian jurisprudence and clarify the SODELPA Constitution, in terms of practice and application.

High Court Judge Justice Vishwa Datt Sharma had declared that the AGM of SODELPA in June last year in Savusavu breached the party’s constitution and the 2013 constitution and the election of Ro Filipe Tuisawau as SODELPA President and Adi Litia Qionibaravi as the Vice President at the AGM were invalid.

Justice Sharma has also declared the decisions, resolutions and outcomes of the AGM of SODELPA in June 2019 are invalid.

The High Court Judge has also declared that all subsequent actions, meetings, resolutions, decisions, outcomes and directives of the management board following the AGM of SODELPA including the acceptance of Adi Litia Qionibaravi’s retrospective resignation and the appointment of Usaia Waqatairewa as the General Secretary of SODELPA are unlawful, invalid and ineffective.

He also says it is a matter for the financial members of SODELPA to elect or remove office bearers of SODELPA and further it is not a matter for the court to do so.

SODELPA’s Suva Constituency President Watisoni Nata, SODELPA’s Youth Wing President, Jope Koroisavou, the party’s Vice President of the Women’s Forum, Doctor Mere Samisoni, the party’s Secretary of the Women’s Forum, Emele Duituturaga, SODELPA Women’s Wing Lami President, Kesaia Makita and the party’s Lami Youth executive, Asenaca Ravulo had taken legal action against the party executives.

The legal action was filed against Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Anare Jale, Adi Litia Qionibaravi and Usaia Waqatairewa.