FijiFirst Party Teet

As D-day for the party nears, we examine its controversial constitution that appears to lack democratic principles.

To put that into perspective, for eight years, Fiji voted to Parliament a political party that did not uphold democracy within its party.

The party's constitution is engineered in such a way that power and decision making is concentrated in the hands of a few, which gave rise to the two-men rule syndrome.

Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu said he and the Opposition members were led to believe that they had the best party constitution.

"It was only lately, after the incident, then we come to realise that there are some flaws in the party constitution, which need to be addressed.

It's surprising and unfortunate," he said.

"We were running Government but there is inconsistency in our party constitution, which does not align with the national constitution."

Pressed on why there was no action taken when they were in leadership, Mr Seruiratu said: "We were so tied up with Government.

Things were running smoothly.

"Also, it's in the constitution about these meetings, but we hardly have any meetings.

I started reading the Constitution only when we were suspended last year."

Mr Seruiratu said there was hardly any open communication within the party.

"We really don't know what's happening in that party, but in the constitution, we are members of the party, but we are not part of the party."

FIJIFIRST AND ITS LEADERSHIP

The FijiFirst constitution states that the party is a national movement.

The decision-making bodies that make up the party are the Central Executive Committee and the Leadership Committee.

Being the founders of the party automatically qualifies Voreqe Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum as members of both committees.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was also the general secretary. Mr Bainimarama, because he was the Prime Minister and Parliamentary Leader, was a member of the committee.

The party's constitution states a reasonable quorum shall be two thirds of the total membership of the movement for the annual general meeting to convene.

However, the party's constitution also states that the party leadership can make "swift and bold decisions in the absence of complete information is a key asset.

We can do the necessary to make painful but correct decisions for the long term".

There is no provision in the constitution that allows general members of the party to appeal any decisions made against them, except for the Central Executive Committee members.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum and Mr Bainimarama masterminded what direction the party should take in ruling the country - again perceived as a dictatorship because of provisions

that bypass the lack of a quorum.

The FijiFirst crisis raises the ques- tion of whether the former Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, knew of the shortcomings in the party constitution but did nothing about it.

In hindsight, the Members of Parliament emoluments saga is a blessing in disguise.

Despite the public uproar, it has done two things.

First, former parliamentarian Josefa Dimuri said the emoluments saga evolved into a situation, which presented an opportunity for leaders to work together and amend the

2013 Constitution - an opportunity that may never come again.

Second, the issue exposed flawed provisions in the FijiFirst party constitution, which only worked when Mr Bainimarama and Mr Sayed-Khaiyum were at the helm.

Former Fiji ambassador and permanent secretary for Foreign Affairs, Robin Nair, said the FijiFirst crisis was inevitable "with a large core of the party unhappy with Mr Sayed-Khaiyum's control of the party and him not happy with Inia Seruiratu's leadership".

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum wanted to use the emoluments issue to wrest control of the party through a leadership change to Faiyaz Koya - who was the acting general secretary when he co-signed the termination letters of the 17 Fiji First Opposition.

MPs.

Mr Koya resigned from his position as an office bearer, but not from the party.

The party's constitution was a ticking bomb that finally exploded when Mr Sayed-Khaiyum shot himself in the foot for failing to reconstruct the party in his own image because it was flawed in law.

This manoeuvring has been going on for some time. Resigning from the party was the only option Mr Sayed-Khaiyum had.

It was his best option to save face, to look statesman's like in his fall from grace, by doing his kamikaze act.

ACADEMIC'S STANDPOINT

University of the South Pacific politics and international affairs senior lecturer, Dr Gordon Nanau, labels the FijiFirst saga as confusing and tricky.

Theoretically, FijiFirst no longer exists.

At face level, the termination of the 17 MPs from the party is legitimate because of Fiji's elec- toral system, designed by FijiFirst, where members are voted into parliament through their parties.

Mr Bainimarama's signature on the termination letter, while he is incarcerated, raises legal questions on the legitimacy of the letter.

Hence, the Speaker, in his capacity, sought legal advice resulting in the 17 remaining as independent Opposition MPs.

It's next to impossible to be an independent MP in Fiji because of how the electoral system is designed - single constituency, one man, one vote.

Mr Seruiratu said they would still uphold the principles of the FijiFirst party leadership and serve the people of Fiji.

Feedack: ivamere.nataro@fijisun.com.fj