Politics

Nawaikula believes process to elect the president was unfair

July 27, 2020 5:59 am

Niko Nawaikula

While the SODELPA executives are hailing the outcome of Saturday’s meeting, one of its MP Niko Nawaikula believes the process to elect the president was unfair.

Nawaikula says he raised his concerns when the Special General Meeting got underway because he believed those in control did not take the procedures and processes of the Party fairly.

He claims one faction of the Party were against Tui Cakau Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu’s re-appointment as the president.

Article continues after advertisement

“As you know, first we had to decide on the president. I raised a bit of issue there, because I felt that those who were in control, did not take the procedure and process fairly. It was you know, they were from one side of the faction, it was all against Ratu Naiqama”.

Nawaikula went on to say that amid the squabbles among party members the Tui Cakau was nominated as one of the vice president’s and he did not want to lose the opportunity and rushed to support this motion.

“But the critical point for me was when despite all that unfairness that were made against him, the Turaga na Tui Cakau was strong enough, not strong enough, but very courageous to say, look, you know, support the Kubuna. But for me as an individual, you know, as soon as I saw that competition, when there were noise, you clearly represented, I stood up and made a plea to everybody that look, you know, I have been fighting hard for indigenous rights”.

He says while he respects the appointment of Ratu Epenisa as their president, he will continue to make his concerns heard in the Party.

“Well, the point that I want to stress is that a lot more has to be done. There’s a lot of animosity. There’s a lot of, you know, these differences, unnecessary differences. But from the word go I read raised this is a democratic process. We need to fight our views on whoever we want or not whatever we’ve done within the rules of democratic process, using votes, human emotions”.

He also highlighted that the Party needs to re-look at its Constitution.

“I know that going forward, we will have to make further amendments to the Constitution. I would like that. I would like to see that the management has to be reduced that properly represented. The youth and the women in the room. It has to be. It has to come down drastically for them.”

He says they are now looking forward to the Annual General Meeting in November, which will see the appointment of a Party Leader.