The SODELPA leadership has written to the Speaker of Parliament expressing their dissatisfaction with the manner Tui Cakau Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu was appointed as Opposition Leader.

The correspondence to the Speaker comes a day after SODELPA Party Office put out a press statement on Tuesday congratulating Ratu Naiqama on his new appointment.

A day later things have taken a drastic turn.

SODELPA is now seeking for fresh motions to be called by the Speaker for the appointment of a new Opposition Leader.

The letter, which is addressed to Ratu Epeli Nailatikau and signed by Party President Ratu Epenisa Cakobau and General Secretary Emele Duituturaga, begins with the disappointment at which SODELPA MPs disobeyed party instructions by not appointing Party Leader Viliame Gavoka as Parliamentary Leader.

On Tuesday morning a formal communication was sent to each MP advising them to appoint Mr Gavoka.

However, caucus members decided to vote for Ratu Naiqama as their preference, “disrespecting the Party directive.”

“The crucial issue that each Member of Parliament is expected to understand is that our SODELPA constitution under Section 16 clearly stipulates that the Party Leader is also the Parliamentary Leader,” the letter said.

“Whilst the Constitution does not mandate that the Parliamentary Leader be the Party Leader, the Party in its wisdom needs to be able to have semblance and eliminate confusion in the Party and to our voters, by having conflicting messages from two leaders, especially when the Party Leader is an existing Honourable Member of Parliament.”

The letter goes on to say that leading up to Tui Cakau’s appointment there were massive disruptions in the Party which was heightened by the unexpected resignation of former Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka.

“Along with the hype and scrutiny by our media, social media attacks on the leadership of the party has also been rife, and in similar fashion, a lot of our members of parliament have suffered the same pressure.”

The Speaker was also told that the five MPs who voted for Mr Gavoka were coerced to go with Ratu Naiqama’s name into parliament chambers.