New row flares over response to landmark SODELPA ruling
Anew row has flared over the response from defendants in a landmark court ruling on SODELPA.
The Civil High Court had ruled that the party’s annual general meeting in Savusavu last year was null and void making the election of officials invalid.
President Ro Filipe Tuisawau and general secretary Usaia Waqatairewa, elected at that AGM, have made statements that they are still in their positions. But the plaintiffs headed by Watisoni
Nata say the pair should respect the court’s decision.
They had taken the party and its officials to court over governance issues.
Mr Nata said: “We are quite disturbed by the press statements made by Ro Filipe Tuisawau relating to the effect of the judgement. “Usaia Waqatairewa, who was also a Defendant in the proceedings (in his capacity as the purported General Secretary of the Management Board of SODELPA), has also neglected, refused or outright ignored the orders of the Honourable Court.
“In its judgement, the Honourable
Court, amongst other orders, has declared that all subsequent actions, meetings, resolutions, decisions, directives and outcomes of the Management Board following the AGM of the 1st Defendant [SODELPA] held at Savusavu on 28th June, 2019, including the acceptance of the 4th Defendants retrospective resignation and the appointment of the 5th Defendant [Usaia Waqatairewa] as the General Secretary of the 1st Defendant are unlawful, invalid and ineffective.
“Despite the clear order of the Court, Usaia Waqatairewa has been circulating emails still describing and holding himself out as the General Secretary of SODELPA.
“The matter has been referred to our solicitors to consider whether their conduct is potentially contemptuous in light of the clear orders of the Honourable Court. “Our solicitors are also taking up this matter with the Defendant’s solicitor to ensure that good sense prevails.”