‘I did not walk out’
Grace on SODELPA’s special AGM
SOCIAL Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) provisional candidate Faith Grace says she did not “walk out” of the party’s special annual general meeting last Saturday.
She claimed The Fiji Times and another media organisation had wrongly reported she stormed out of the AGM.
She claimed she left the meeting because she had to pack for a trip to Lautoka that evening.
“We had only one agenda item and that was to introduce and endorse our provisional candidates,” she said.
“So that was it and when the announcements were done I had left to finish packing up my flyers because I was leaving to come down to Lautoka straight after the meeting.
“So I don’t know where they thought I was walking out – there was no such walk out or anything.
“I was interviewed by the media and they asked if I had a problem with Mr Radrodro being a deputy party leader and I said I did not.
“My support is for my party and I am loyal to my party.
“If anybody wants to apply for the position, there is an elimination process.
“I don’t mind who the acting deputy party leader is as long as they go through the processes to confirm him to the role.”
However, she said she believed there should be two deputies.
“I had said during the interview last week that in my own personal opinion we should have two deputy party leaders – one male and a female.
“It is fair since the other parties have women as their deputy party leader and we have yet to discuss properly on this as a party as we are busy campaigning for elections.”
When quizzed about Ms Grace’s comments, party leader Villiame Gavoka said he would no longer reply to any queries from this newspaper.
“We have been dealing with you (The Fiji Times) in good faith, but whatever we say to you has been reported in ways that are harmful to SODELPA,” he said.