SODELPA, PA on radar
for 30 days with immediate effect for contravening Section 26(2) of the Political Parties Act 2013.
Ms Mataiciwa stated that Section 26(2) of the Act, required all parties to provide to the Registrar, within three months after the end of each financial year, the record of accounts of its income, expenditure, asset and liabilities audited by an auditor certified by the Fiji Institute of Accountants.
Ms Mataiciwa said all political parties were given a one-month extension to submit all accounts and other disclosures by April 29, 2023.
“However, until today, the four named suspended parties have not complied with these requirements,” she said.
She further stated that the parties were suspended for 30 days and have 60 days to remedy the breach/contravention or face deregistration as a Political Party.
“During the period of suspension, the suspended parties cannot operate, function, represent or hold themselves out to be a political party.
“All non-complying parties have been reminded that failure to submit will result in deregistration.”
Political Parties Respond
The People’s Alliance deputy party leader, Manoa Kamikamica, said the party would submit their list of donors soon.
“We have complied with what was required; after 90 days, you are required to submit your audited account and the list of the sources of funds, so that was done,” Mr Kamikamica said. “When we submitted, from my understanding, we also submitted the source of funds list but I think the supervisor was not satisfied with the list.”
“So, we are going to submit that list pretty soon, in the next couple of days.”
SODELPA
SODELPA vice-president Anare Jale said they would submit the documents required by FEO by tomorrow.
“We are putting together the information and we told them (FEO) that we would submit it,” he said.
“We had gone through some difficulties in our party and all the information was not put together so we went through that difficulty but we were able to find our way through and managed to get everything done.
“We will see that all the requirements are met.”
Suspended FijiFirst
FijiFirst general-secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, when contacted yesterday, said the party would issue a statement on their suspension soon.
“We are looking closely at it and we are looking at the law at the moment, and we will be addressing it accordingly.”
Suspended We Unite Fiji
Suspended We Unite Fiji party member, Milly Naituyaga, confirmed she had received an email about the suspension and they would meet to rectify the issue and ensure that their suspension was lifted.
Suspended New Generation Party
Its president, Wane Veiba, said the reshuffling of party executives led to the lack of knowledge on what was expected of the party to produce.
“So, I could say it was a lack of knowledge on our part on what we had to submit and the requirements but otherwise we admit that we may have been ignorant as a party in that sense. “Actually, we are already working on that, we had worked on it last week and I am surprised that the letter came in today. It’s a recovery period for us, but now that we are back online. We will be fully compliant with what is required by the FEO from now onwards.
The party’s acting leader, Varinava Tiko, had resigned and all responsibility was on the president.
Suspended All People’s Party
Suspended All Peoples Party (APP) leader, Pastor Tuiloma Tawaivuna, said he would call a party meeting tomorrow, with its general secretary and treasurer to address the matter and ensure the suspension is lifted.