Party Leadership Under Siege With Writs, Complaints and Cash Woes
The SODELPA leadership has been bombarded with a series of attempts to destabilise the party.
The latest attack is nine letters containing demands and complaints.
The siege has been exacerbated by financial woes after some MPs in the conservative right wing proRatu Naiqama Lalabalavu group stopped paying their levy to the party. The levy has been part of SODELPA’s lifeblood.
The cash woes have sent the administration scrambling to pay the party’s staff wages at the party headquarters.
The right wingers’ attack on the party mirrors a military strategy where the enemy is surrounded and supply lines are cut.
It is designed to force the enemy to submission and surrender.
But the right wingers will not see any white flags.
The moderates are fighting back with a plan that was launched on Thursday by party president Ratu Epenisa Cakobau and party leader Viliame Gavoka.
Commenting yesterday on the destabilisation plan, Mr Gavoka said: “It’s no secret that the change in leadership has not gone down well with a very vocal minority.” Mr Gavoka defeated the right wingers’ candidate, then incumbent Sitiveni Rabuka and Opposition leader by one point for party leader. Stung by the loss, Mr Rabuka subsequently resigned from Parliament and SODELPA to form a new party.
Mr Gavoka said: “But the party is bigger than anyone else and shall prevail.
“We are in elections mode and shall not be distracted by trivialities. We are steadfast and the party is more than up to the challenge.”
Nine letters
SODELPA has been slapped with nine letters of complaints and demands. One of the prominent ones is calling on the party to institute disciplinary action against Ratu Epenisa, general secretary Emele Duitutruraga and MP Aseri Radrodro. The complainants claim that Ratu Epenisa had no authority and was therefore guilty of abuse of office when he wrote to the Speaker, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, asking him to annul Ratu Naiqama’s election as Opposition leader and called for a fresh vote in Parliament. Mr Radrodro allegedly delivered the letter to Ratu Epeli and Ms Duituturaga helped in the drafting of the letter.
Another letter to the party queried the use of the parliamentary grant of $315,000 claiming that it was not being used for its intended purpose. The money is given to the party to be used in the Opposition Office in Parliament.
All kinds of issues were raised in the other letters including a query on the party’s Facebook account. It is understood that the content of all the letters will be dealt with by the Management Board in its next meeting.
Cash problem
SODELPA has run into a cash problem after some MPs aligned with Ratu Naiqama stopped paying their dues to party coffers.
It is not clear how many have ceased payment, but they have caused cash flow problems to such an extent that the party is struggling to pay its staff at headquarters.
To make matters worse some of the rebel MPs had asked for a refund of their contributions to meet financial obligations.
MPs had signed a pledge committing them to each pay a minimum annual levy of $5200 from their $50,000 annual salary to go to the party’s administrative cost. The pledge is part of the party constitution.
It is understood that those who had stopped paying levy are among the 15 MPs who had voted for Ratu Naiqama as Opposition leader in caucus – in direct defiance to a directive from party president Ratu Epenisa. He had told caucus in a letter that the 21 MPs should back party leader Viliame Gavoka because that’s the logical and right thing to do.
The rebel right wing MPs, had stopped their levy payment since the election of Mr Gavoka, a moderate.
It was a show of contempt for the moderates-aligned leadership of Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, general secretary Emele Duituturaga and Mr Gavoka.
If all 15 pro-Ratu Naiqama MPs stopped giving their levies it would amount to more than $100,000 a year.
Because they control the Opposition Office they have access to the annual parliamentary grant of $315,000.
Mr Gavoka said: “It’s mandatory for parliamentarians to contribute to the party’s offers to the tune of $5200 per year or $200 per fortnightly pay over 26 pay days. Some pay more.
“But with COVID-19 we have been mindful of the difficulties and have allowed the team to contribute what they can afford.
“We should remember that the parliamentarians have taken a 20 per cent pay cut. Of late we have all agreed to resume contributions albeit at a reduced level.”
He said things were tough all around, hence the reduction to the contributions.
Mr Gavoka said: “It was not related to any development in leadership within the party.”
He said some cost cutting measures were put in place, but they were temporary.
“There is also the determination to ‘right size’ the party and put it on elections mode in 2021.”
Disciplinary Action
The open defiance against the party leadership tantamounts to insubordination and warrants disciplinary action.
But the question is whether the leadership and the Management Board have the moral courage to hold the rebels accountable through disciplinary proceedings. While the rebels control the Opposition Office, the party leadership controls headquarters. They are set for a showdown in the next Management Board meeting.