SODELPA (In Suspension) Leadership In Limbo

If anyone wants to remove me as Party leader, they should go through the party constitution.

This is what suspended Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) party leader Sitiveni Rabuka said yesterday when he was responding to discussions that had sprung up at the Special Management Board Meeting. He said this after he refused to attend the meeting.

At the conclusion of the meeting board members resolved to advertise the position of party leader, which Mr Rabuka said he would re-apply for.

Attempts to remedy breaches between the two factions of the suspended SODELPA at its Special Management Board Meeting yesterday proved futile after Mr Rabuka refused to be part of the meeting.

The meeting that was held at the Grand Pacific Hotel aimed to address the issue around the appointment of the General Secretary of the suspended party and the lifting of its 60-day suspension.

Adi Litia Qionibaravi, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Salote Radrodro and Mosese Bulitavu were some members of the Kshatriya Hall faction that sat with Mr Rabuka outside the meeting venue after his refusal to attend the meeting.

Why Rabuka refused to attend the meeting

According to Mr Rabuka, he chose not to attend the meeting after the President of the suspended party Vijay Singh disallowed the involvement of his caucus representatives, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Jese Saukuru and Mosese Bulitavu, to be part of the meeting.

“Why should I attend the meeting when my caucus representatives were not allowed into the meeting?” Mr Rabuka said.

“We sought legal opinion and we have seen that the constitution clearly states that the management board includes me and the three that had not been allowed in; there’s no point in me attending the meeting without them.”

However, before the meeting began yesterday, Tanya Waqanika, a member of the task force committee of the suspended party, which includes the two vice-presidents Ratu Jone Lesuma and Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, had approached Mr Rabuka outside of the meeting venue. They clarified the exclusion of the three caucus representative from the meeting and requested Mr Rabuka’s participation.

Former SODELPA member Sitiveni Rabuka. Photo: Kelera Sovasiga

It is understood that Ms Duituturaga was shortlisted from the eight applicants that applied for the position.

Among those who had applied were Usaia Waqaitairewa and Pio Tabaiwalu.

The recruitment process and assessing of the applications were done by a company that the party in suspension had outsourced.

A 21 day notice will be issued for the suspended party’s next annual general meeting, which will be held in four months’

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