Leader of Opposition Position Clarified

The parliamentary position Leader of Opposition is not The clarification was made by Secretary General Viniana Namosialua.

She said: “There is no Leader of Opposition right now, like all other suspended SODELPA members, Mr Rabuka is of vacant. not accorded the privileges of the position of the LOP (Leader of Parliament) and MPs as members.”

“LOP’s seat is not vacant. In this suspension period, MPs seats, including the LOPs, are not vacant, the privileges given to those positions cease though.” On Tuesday, SODELPA MPs were suspended from Parliament for 60-days after the Registrar of Political Parties Mohammed Saneem found that they had not complied with the Political Parties Act and the High Court judgment. Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said the suspended MPs would not be allowed to attend Standing Committee meetings and were not entitled to any renumeration or allowances from Parliament for the duration of the suspension.