Events that pushed SODELPA Over the cliff in a free fall

A Chronology and Facts

Moving Forward

Registrar of Political Parties Mohammed Saneem last night received the submission from Adi Litia Qionibaravi about their meeting at Kshatriya Hall.

He is unlikely to validate it because they did not have a vice president to preside in the meeting.

Earlier in the day he recognised the group that met at Holiday Inn Suva.

His decision is likely to weaken the nationalist base for the group and also support for SLR in his bid for party leadership to 2022 since he chose to attend that meeting and put his stamp of approval on it.

This is the same team of Tui Cakau Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu at the helm as president, with Adi Litia as GS.

The core of this group’s supporters are based in the North, in the Cakaudrove-Bua-Macuata bloc, and they are in the minority.

For some reason they have held sway in the party which has been singing their song.

The Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi Ro Teimumu Kepa, then party leader was forced to step down through changes that were made to the party constitution in 2016.

She was severely criticised in the controversial Gaunavinaka Report prior to that.

No one has come forward to claim responsibility for that report. Ro Teimumu was an obstacle in their political agenda so she had to go.

The bloc is well represented in terms of support in the MB and WC.

What they didn’t count on was the lawsuit which resulted in a new acting president, VS so they have lost their grip in power and at the first opportunity, became uncooperative, racist, sexist, hostile and disruptive to the WC meetings as well as insubordinate towards VS as acting president.

VS and Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya have been especially targeted because the former People’s Democratic Party officials are now playing prominent roles in the party.

There is evidence that prior to the rival MB meetings, the bitter campaign that raged in some areas of the electorate sounded like it was anti-Indo Fijian and anti-women

But this is not the view of the majority of the party or its members as evidenced by the strong show of support from the women and youth and the legal quorum at the Holiday Inn MB meeting on Saturday.

The meeting recognised VS’s authority and the new appointments.

It is also not the view of some of the highest chiefs in the country who also attended the Holiday Inn meeting; they included Ro Teimumu, the commonly regarded Vunivalu and Bau high chief Ratu Epenisa Seru Cakobau, as well as the Roko Sau, who has traditional rights to speak on behalf of the Tui Lau and Tui Nayau.

Mr Saneem yesterday recognised and endorsed the meeting at the Holiday Inn. This will significantly weaken Mr Rabuka’s nationalist power base and provide the way forward for the group to clean up the party of factionalism.

Glossary:

Fijian Teachers Association (FTA), general secretary (GS), Vijay Singh (VS), Management Board (MB), Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka (SLR),

Working Committee (WC).