The Electoral Commission has confirmed that Members of Parliament from the former FijiFirst party must serve the remainder of their term either as independent MPs or as members of other political parties.
This comes after the Commission, in its meeting held last Thursday, deliberated on matters relating to independent MPs and their involvement in the formation of new political parties.
Commission Chair Justice Usaia Ratuvili says the Commission thoroughly considered the matter and has noted that there are no provisions in the Electoral (Registration of Voters) Act 2012, the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013, or the Electoral Act 2014 that explicitly restrict MPs from joining other political parties or proposed political parties.
Justice Ratuvili says such MPs may also be involved in the formation of a new political party, provided that they are members of only one political party at any given time, in accordance with the law.
