Opposition parties welcome Fiji Court of Appeal decision

The two opposition parties have welcomed the Fiji Court of Appeal decision on the candidate objection period and the Supervisor of Elections to follow the directions and decisions of the Electoral Commission under the Constitution and the Electoral Decree.

SODELPA Leader Sitiveni Rabuka says that he welcomes the judgment of the full bench of the Court of Appeal in this matter.

He says it clarifies the authority of the Commission and the position of the Supervisor.

However Rabuka says he is concerned that the Supervisor made submissions earlier this year to the Parliamentary Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights, that he be allowed by law not to follow directives of the Commission.

Rabuka is calling on the Electoral Commission to review the performance of the Supervisor of Elections and make appropriate decisions on his appointment.

SODELPA also wants the Prime Minister to review the continuing situation where the Attorney General and Minister for Economy is also Minister for Elections, as well as being General Secretary of the ruling FijiFirst Party.

Meanwhile the President of the National Federation Party, Tupou Draunidalo says that the judgment by the Appeals Court confirmed that the Supervisor must comply with all decisions and directions given to him concerning the performance of his functions.

Draunidalo also emphasised her earlier call to the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, to remove FijiFirst General Secretary, the Attorney‑General Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum, as Minister for Elections.

Draunidalo says the Prime Minister should retake the responsibility of elections and ensure that the responsibility is for merely administrative purposes like that of all previous Prime Ministers.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had stressed in an earlier interview that in all previous elections, the past Prime Ministers have been responsible for the Elections Office.

He had questioned why the parties are now complaining about this issue.

Sayed-Khaiyum has also stressed in earlier interviews that there is no interference in the Elections Office.