Suspended NFP MPs told to contact Solicitor General directly

As the first parliament sitting for 2016 gets underway this morning, the suspended National Federation Party is trying to get some answers on the Speaker’s decision before deciding on further steps.

Speaker of Parliament Dr Jiko Luveni has advised the MPs of the suspended NFP to contact the Solicitor General directly if they want more details on the legal advice of their suspension.

This follows a joint letter from Biman Prasad, Tupou Draunidalo and Prem Singh to Dr Luveni requesting an explanation on the legal reasoning of their suspension.

Dr Luveni says the advice given to her by the Solicitor General was in confidence.

The three MPs say that Dr Jiko Luveni’s position was not consistent with the advice they had received from their lawyers Munro Leys.

It further says that Dr Luveni had set out three propositions in her letter but she has not explained the legal reasoning that supports them.

They are asking Dr Luveni to forward them a copy of the legal advice that she received.

Doctor Luveni says the suspension of the registration of a political party has the effect of suspending that political party and all its members from Parliament.

She says this means that any such suspended political party and all its members cannot participate in Parliament or in any of the committees of Parliament.

Doctor Luveni also confirms that the political party or any of its members cannot be entitled to any pay from Parliament for the duration of the suspension.

The party was suspended for 30 days last Monday for contravening the Political Parties Decree.

The Registrar of Political Parties Mohammed Saneem says the suspended NFP's accounts were not audited by an accountant certified by the Fiji Institute of Accountants as required under the decree.

Section 19 (4) of the decree states that a political party that has been suspended shall not be entitled to any of the rights and privileges specified under the decree.

Saneem says the NFP has 60 days to remedy the breach or face deregistration as a political party.

During this period of suspension, the NFP cannot operate, function, represent or hold itself out to be a political party.