SODELPA vs SODELPA: Faction takes party to court
ASODELPA group has filed a challenge in the High Court in Suva against the party’s conduct in its General Assembly in Savusavu in June. It was filed on behalf of SODELPA voters by certain SODELPA Party members led by the SODELPA Suva Constituency president Watisoni Nata.
Mr Nata says it has been done to strengthen the party’s accountability for its voters and supporters.
This follows certain alleged breaches by some executives of the Party whereby the Party Constitution has, in Mr Nata’s (and other supporting members) view, been potentially compromised.
In a statement, the Nata-led group has said that this court action was a demonstration to the people of this nation that SODELPA believes in good governance, accountability of its executives, and that the party’s members have the legal right to seek the Court’s intervention in circumstances such as this. “SODELPA is the kind of government needed, where we are able to hold our leaders to account for any breaches made to our party Constitution,” the statement said.
“We believe that it is crucial that to be able to lead credibly, we must follow rules and regulations
which includes our own and as such, we must not compromise at any stage, legislations that have been set down to protect the integrity of the party.
“Recent elections held at Savusavu and subsequent actions thereafter, have been alleged to have been done in breach of not only the SODELPA Constitution, but also the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013 and the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji.
“So as responsible members of the party who are also founding members, who with others cofunded the establishment of the party, we have decided to protect the party from any further possible breaches which could result in dire consequences for the party, and have decided to seek the courts’ intervention to set aside any breaches that may be established before it.
“This case has come about following the failure to address the contentious issues internally, and which was exhausted for two months following the AGM at Savusavu on June 28, 2019. The group has thus decided that it is in everyone’s interest to set a precedent for good governance within the party.
“This court action is set to ensure
that in 2022, SODELPA is the party that takes leadership, because it espouses strong leadership values that emphasis ethical and morally conscious values and principles” the statement said.