SODELPA THANKSGIVING SERVICE Rabuka: Won’t accept result until answers
The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) will not accept the result of the 2018 General Election until queries it has on the electoral process are answered satisfactorily. This was the comment by party leader Sitiveni Rabuka at SODELPA’s thanksgiving service at the Nawanawa Methodist Church, Nadera, after he attended the Writ Ceremony at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, yesterday. National Federation Party (NFP) Leader Biman Prasad did not attend the Writ of Elections event. Mr Rabuka said so far SODELPA had done very well, but not as well enough as he had expected. “We have always been confident that we will form the Government, but as it stands, we have won and FijiFirst has lost,” Mr Rabuka said.
“So far National Federation Party has won one seat more and we have six seats more and they have lost how many?
“We have made inroads into the voting population and about 30,000 did not come to vote and were not capable of voting because of last-minute changes and where they were supposed to vote. “We had four years to prepare for this and there is no excuse for an electoral office to have that many voters turning up at the wrong polling station.” Mr Rabuka said in the meantime SODELPA would organise as a party and wait for an outcome to its queries.
“In the meantime, we will organise and the worst-case situation is no change and best case is enough change to be a part of government,” he said. “We’re co-operating in our lead up with NFP, but I do not know what they will decide whether they will opt for a government of national unity with FijiFirst or coalition with us in opposition.” Mr Rabuka said the position of party leader for SODELPA would be the prerogative of the management board.
“They will have to advertise and they go through the selection process, but the normal procedure that is going to happen is for me to go and formally say that we have lost the election and I have not been able to achieve what would have earned me an extended term, so it is up to them now.” He said the person to take up the role of Leader of Opposition would be decided according to the SODELPA constitution.