SODELPA warns of drug dealer donations

SODELPA warns of drug dealer donations Former Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) general secretary Viliame Takayawa has warned that lifting the ban on political donations under the new electoral bills could open the door for drug dealers to bankroll political parties.

He raised the concern in SODELPA’s submission before the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights yesterday.

Mr Takayawa said the party accepted donations from former Fiji citizens, but drew the line at foreign companies and Governments.

“Especially with the drug dealers around who have much more money to spend, they might be sponsoring certain political parties to come and deal with some of the issues that are beneficial to drug dealers,” he said.

Three bills are before the Committee – the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Electoral (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Bill 2026, and the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) (Amendment) Bill 2026.

Together, they propose removing the existing cap on political donations and lifting the ban on donations from foreign citizens and former Fiji citizens. Under the proposed law, donations would only need to be declared to the Registrar of Political Parties within 60 days of polling day.

Declarations would then be published on the Registrar’s website.

SODELPA President Ratu Filimoni Soqeta led the party’s submission, alongside Gavoka Loki and Kasanita Taufa Qoro of the Women’s Forum SODELPA, and youngest candidate AnnMary Vikatoria Raduva. Despite the concern, Mr Takayawa confirmed SODELPA broadly supports the three bills.

Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya questioned whether the donation changes, paired with a $3 million party spending cap and $300,000 candidate limit, were “viable” given the foreign donor concern.

Mr Takayawa called the two-tier limit confusing, comparing it to “COI version two.”

“It doesn’t make any sense to talk about 300,000 and three million. All it’s going to do is create chaos.”