Social Democratic Liberal Party Member of Parliament Adi Litia Qionibaravi will continue as the party general secretary until the Management Board meeting this month.

This was stated by caretaker leader Sitiveni Rabuka in a statement yesterday afternoon. The SODELPA working committee, after meeting on Wednesday, resolved to suspend Adi Litia. However, formalities are expected to be followed.

This resolution will now be put forward to the Management Board.

“In view of this decision, the working committee resolved that Adi Litia will remain the general secretary and due process will be undertaken as required under the SODELPA constitution,” Mr Rabuka said.

The management board will also discuss the recommendation of Pio Tabaiwalu for the general secretary role.

The working committee was chaired by acting party president Vijay Singh, via Zoom from Australia. The working committee is an off-shoot of the 44-member Management Board of SODELPA. The resolutions are discussed and voted upon by the board.

“I understand that Mr Singh has written an email to Adi Litia,” Mr Rabuka said.

“We have also asked Adi Litia to co-operate and when they get to the Management Board, we will at least have a progress report on how we are handling the grievances from the various factions of the party.”

Following the resolutions being made public on Wednesday evening, Adi Litia took to social media to say the working committee did not have the authority to take any disciplinary actions.

She said that she only found out about her suspension as the general secretary through unconfirmed media reports on Wednesday night.

“As general secretary of SODELPA, I convened the meeting of the working committee held on Wednesday at the party office. Towards the end of the meeting, a complainant from SODELPA USA president was tabled and I was asked to leave the room. I was not asked to return to the meeting and was surprised to learn it had ended,” Adi Litia said.

She said that she was not accorded natural justice by Mr Singh and the working committee when they purportedly decided to suspend her.

To this, Mr Rabuka said it was an oversight on the part of the working committee not to call back Adi Litia to inform her of the resolutions they had unanimously agreed on.

Adi Litia’s post as vice president was made null and void following a High Court ruling that members elected at the annual general meeting in Yaroi Village, Savusavu in 2019 was not in line with the SODELPA constitution. The ruling meant Ro Filipe Tuisawau was no longer president.

Adi Litia, however, was reverted back as the general secretary, the post she held before the AGM.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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