[File Photo]

The Fijian Elections Office has issued the People’s Alliance with a notice to remove a Facebook post, which has been classed as election misinformation.

The FEO received a complaint from Jerry Kalo regarding a recent video published by PAP in which a person named Ratu Vuniani Navuniuci purporting to be the Tui Nadi and the video attempts to portray him publishing some information in the capacity of being Tui Nadi.

The video forms part of the campaign of the PA and purports to make statements in support of the PA with the intent to influence the outcome of the 2022 General Election.

According to the FEO, the statement by Ratu Vuniani Navuniuci is an attempt to influence the outcome of the election in relation to some campaign issues that are currently in the campaign.

The FEO has been notified of a Court Order dated 13th September 2019 in which the Court has said in paragraph;

[46] By way of relief, the applicant seeks an order of certiorari to remove the impugned decisions of the first and the second respondents on the ground of illegality among other grounds. I am of the view that it would be appropriate that there should be a stay of the proceedings. I accordingly, acting under R3 (8)(a), direct the granting of leave must operate as a stay of the proceedings to which the application relates until the determination of the application for judicial review.

The FEO also has received a letter written by FA & Company to the PA dated 2nd August 2022, wherein the legal practice has succinctly clarified that the Tui Nadi title has not yet been decided and is a matter before the court and therefore it is improper for Ratu Vuniani Navuniuci to continue to use the Tui Nadi title and make videos that are published by the PA.

The FEO notes that the video has been shared widely and as such under section 144A (2) of the Electoral Act 2014, the FEO has given the People’s Alliance notice to correct the title of the video and clarify the exact legal position of Ratu Vuniani Navuniuci which must comply with the court order made by the court or remove the video and immediately issue a correction highlighting that the video was made improperly by the person who was not holding the title of Tui Nadi.

In the video, Ratu Vuniani Navuniuci claims that the Denarau land deal was done in a correct manner and this story was first published by the Fiji Times.

This was on the back of FijiFirst leader Voreqe Bainimarama telling a rally in Rakiraki that the Denarau land deal had taken away the rights of the traditional landowners and this was done by the Rabuka-led government.