Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has reappointed the new SODELPA Leader, Aseri Radrodro to his previous post as Minister for Education.
Newly elected SODELPA Leader, Aseri Radrodro will be reinstated as the Minister for Education today.
This has been confirmed by Prime Minister and Minister for Civil Service, Sitiveni Rabuka.
Radrodro will be sworn in today by President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere.
Rabuka says Radrodro was given three months to step down and it ended on Monday 22nd April.
Radrodro was dismissed earlier this year from his ministerial role as the Minister for Education by the Prime Minister for insubordination and disobedience to his directive.
Radrodro later presented a matanigasau or a traditional apology to Rabuka and while the Prime Minister accepted his apology he said he still disagreed with the request for his reinstatement as the Minister for Education.
The SODELPA leader will be sworn in at 10am today at the State House.
Aseri Radrodro has been endorsed as the new leader of SODELPA and former leader and Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka remains as the Minister for Education.
Radrodro's endorsement was done at the Party's Annual General Meeting that was held at the Suva Civic Centre.
He will lead SODELPA to the 2026 General Elections.
Radrodro says today is a very important day for SODELPA as they have elected their new leaders.
He says in terms of the work ahead of him, he will have to prepare the party for the 2026 General Elections.
Radrodro says he will concentrate on the formation of the party's manifesto, financing and the candidates for the 2026 elections.
He says he would like to reiterate that he is happy to be a back-bencher
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka says Radrodro is an old hand in politics and he knows the terrain.
He says with the support of everyone, SODELPA really looks good in the 2026 General Elections.
Gavoka says there is no change to the Education Ministry portfolio.
The SODELPA Management Board will decide on the next step in their meeting after Deputy Prime Minister and SODELPA MP, Viliame Gavoka responded to their directive to relinquish his Education Ministry portfolio by today.
General Secretary, Viliame Takayawa says the meeting will be held after the party’s AGM this Saturday.
Speaking to fijivillage News, Gavoka says he has highlighted the fact in his letter that it is the Prime Minister’s prerogative to decide on cabinet appointments and Gavoka cannot be responsible for relinquishing a portfolio and appointing a minister.
Gavoka also says there are some real issues within SODELPA and signs of desperation.
The management board had stated in a letter to Gavoka to comply with their directive by today and failure to comply will invoke the disciplinary procedures, which may include actions up to and including suspension or expulsion of Gavoka from the party roles.
The letter from the SODELPA Management Board to Gavoka states that the board deliberated on the matter and directs Gavoka to relinquish the position of Minister of Education and facilitate the reinstatement of Aseri Radrodro to this role.
The board says according to the coalition agreement, SODELPA holds the portfolios of Education, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.
The SODELPA letter states that the directive by the party’s management board to reinstate Radrodro to the Minister of Education is in alignment with maintaining the proportionate allocation of portfolios as agreed upon in the coalition commitments.
They say Gavoka’s immediate cooperation with this directive is required.
The SODELPA Management Board has stated in a letter to Deputy Prime Minister and SODELPA MP, Viliame Gavoka to comply with their directive by today and failure to comply will invoke the disciplinary procedures, which may include actions up to and including suspension or expulsion of Gavoka from the party roles.
The letter from the SODELPA Management Board to Gavoka states that the board deliberated on the matter and directs Gavoka to relinquish the position of Minister of Education and facilitate the reinstatement of Aseri Radrodro to this role.
The board says according to the coalition agreement, SODELPA holds the portfolios of Education, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.
The SODELPA letter states that the directive by the party’s management board to reinstate Radrodro to the Minister of Education is in alignment with maintaining the proportionate allocation of portfolios as agreed upon in the coalition commitments.
They say Gavoka’s immediate cooperation with this directive is required.
Newly appointed SODELPA Leader and MP Aseri Radrodro says he is a party man and he will respect the decisions of the Management Board.
While responding to questions by the media today if he wants to be reinstated as the Minister for Education, Radrodro says there has been a lot of talk about this and he has stated before that he is a party man.
He says he had accepted the position of a backbencher, so he hopes to resolve this very quickly and move on to serving the people.
When questioned by fijivillage News what will happen to Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka if he does not relinquish his Education Ministry portfolio today, Radrodro says the management board will decide on this and he has directed all questions to the Party Secretariat.
He says they are raising this issue as a party.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka has made it clear that Viliame Gavoka will remain as the Education Minister, and this is his call as the Prime Minister.
Although the SODELPA Management Board has given an ultimatum to Gavoka to relinquish the Education Ministry portfolio by today and allow incoming SODELPA Leader, Aseri Radrodro to take up the ministerial post, Rabuka maintains Gavoka will remain as Education Minister. Rabuka also says the removal of Aseri Radrodro as Education Minister was in exercise of the constitutional prerogative of the Prime Minister.
He stresses that the SODELPA Management Board does not have a say.
Gavoka says he has been impressing on SODELPA not to do something that makes them look desperate.
He says it looks bad for the party as he was quite surprised to get the directive from the party’s management board.
He says the position of the Cabinet is the sole prerogative of the Prime Minister and that is the type of system of government we have embraced in our parliamentary democracy.
Gavoka says the management board cannot be dictating terms to the Prime Minister.
Deputy Prime Minister, Viliame Gavoka has been given an ultimatum by the SODELPA Management Board to relinquish his Education Ministry portfolio by tomorrow to allow incoming party leader and SODELPA MP, Aseri Radrodro to take up the ministerial post again.
SODELPA General Secretary, Viliame Takayawa confirms that Gavoka has been handed the letter from the management board to comply with the directive.
He only said that if Gavoka does not do this, they will move forward.
Takayawa says SODELPA wants one minister for one portfolio, and Gavoka has to comply based on what the management board wants as part of the coalition agreement.
He adds that based on their assessment, Radrodro did not breach anything when he was dismissed as Minister for Education.
Takayawa says the appointment of Radrodro as SODELPA Leader was unanimous and they have also agreed to appoint Ofa Swann as the party’s Deputy Leader. Gavoka did not apply for the party leader’s position.
Radrodro who now assumes leadership, is expected to get a think tank together and start plans for the 2026 general elections.
Takayawa says the management board has resolved that Gavoka is to relinquish the Education portfolio back to Radrodro, and focus on his Tourism portfolio due to the sluggish tourism forecast. The party leadership appointments are approved and will be announced at SODELPA’s AGM at 10am Saturday at Suva Civic Centre.
While Gavoka still holds the SODELPA parliamentary leadership, Takayawa says they have asked the 3 SODELPA MPs to collectively agree on the parliamentary leader and inform the party after Radrodro’s appointment as SODELPA Leader.
Gavoka had a meeting with Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, Deputy Prime Minister, Manoa Kamikamica and Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Biman Prasad yesterday afternoon.
Rabuka has maintained to fijivillage News that he decides on ministerial appointments, and Gavoka will continue as Education Minister.
When questioned by fijivillage News on who he will support as SODELPA parliamentary leader, SODELPA MP and Minister for iTaukei Affairs, Ifereimi Vasu says he cannot inform us as they need to sit down and discuss it.
Gavoka has not made any comments.
The SODELPA Management Board has now asked SODELPA’s Parliamentary Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Viliame Gavoka to relinquish his Education Ministry portfolio and allow incoming SODELPA Leader and MP, Aseri Radrodro to take back the ministerial position.
This means the coalition government is in a limbo again after the party’s management board elected and appointed Aseri Radrodro as SODELPA Leader who will also lead the party to the 2026 general elections.
SODELPA General Secretary, Viliame Takayawa confirms the appointment of Radrodro was unanimous and they have also agreed to appoint Ofa Swann as the party’s Deputy Leader. Gavoka did not apply for the party leader’s position.
Radrodro who now assumes leadership, is expected to get a think tank together and start plans for the 2026 general elections.
Takayawa says the management board has resolved that Gavoka is to relinquish the Education portfolio back to Radrodro, and focus on his Tourism portfolio due to the sluggish tourism forecast.
The party leadership appointments are approved and will be announced at SODELPA’s AGM at 10am Saturday at Suva Civic Centre.
While Gavoka still holds the SODELPA parliamentary leadership, Takayawa says they have asked the 3 SODELPA MPs to collectively agree on the parliamentary leader and inform the party after Radrodro’s appointment as SODELPA Leader. Gavoka is currently having a meeting with Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka and Deputy Prime Minister, Manoa Kamikamica.
We are currently trying to speak to Rabuka and Gavoka.
When questioned by fijivillage News on who he will support as SODELPA parliamentary leader, SODELPA MP and Minister for iTaukei Affairs, Ifereimi Vasu says he cannot inform us as they need to sit down and discuss it.
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