Radrodro and Ro Kiniviliame hope incident will be viewed as an individual matter and not a Party or province matter

Two SODELPA members of Parliament – Aseri Radrodro and Ro Kiniviliame Kiliraki – are hopeful the Party will investigate allegations against its Women’ Wing national president, Litia Rawiriwiri.

The MPs also stated they were aware that the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) and the Supervisor of Elections were now involved, and they respected the process but were asking that the matter not be used as a political matter but as the work of an individual.

If needed, it is proven to be true it cannot be read as having been done through the authority of the Party or that of the Province.

In a joint statement yesterday, the two said: “The people of Naitasiri have long been accommodating of all people from all races and all walks of life in the province and so as people from their province serving in our Parliament, we detest in the strongest terms any suggestions that force people to vote for a political party against their free will.”

The two MPs are from the Naitasiri Province.

Their comments come following allegations that Mrs Rawiriwiri had informed Indo-Fijian women living on land belonging to her husband, Ratu Paula Rawiriwiri, that they would be evicted if they did not vote for SODELPA.

“We are saddened that our proud province and our people have to come under such unwarranted attention,” the statement said.

“And our people and our Chiefs have long accommodated people from all races to live on our lands. So we ask that people do not generalise and have fear that they will be victimised because of their political affiliation.”

On the allegations surfacing from Kalabu, the two MPs stated that they have also communicated to the Party their concerns and were hopeful that they would institute their own internal investigations into the matter and take appropriate actions accordingly.

They also stated that they would look at ways to also discuss the matter with the people of Kalabu, some of whom have already brought their own disappointment over the matter to them.

“People will attest that we have between us stated consistently in Parliament that our province is not only multiracial but we are also for peace and harmony. We have certain indigenous concerns which we believe is our right to highlight on behalf of our people but that does not mean that we use those issues to be racial,” the MPs said. Edited by Naisa Koroi

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