Social Democratic Liberal Party General Secretary, Emele Duituturaga. [File Photo]

The Social Democratic Liberal Party has revealed that it was leaked an email addressed to numerous party members, which led to some of them being banned from the management board meeting last Friday.

General secretary, Emele Duituturaga, says some of the individuals who were addressed in the email are financial and Board members of SODELPA.

The email was with regards to their alleged involvement in collecting signatures for the registration of a proposed political party.

Duituturaga adds Party President Ratu Epenisa Cakobau then wrote to the members implicated to recuse themselves from attending the Board Meeting and instead send their alternates.

She stresses the decision by Ratu Epenisa was to protect the Party adding that under the Political Parties Act 2013 it is an offence for a person to be a member or an office holder of more than one proposed or registered political party.

Duituturaga says it is the responsibility of the party executives to ensure that SODELPA is compliant with the Act and the decision taken was in the best interest of the Party.

The SODELPA General Secretary also clarifies that the decision was made internally, with no reference made to the Registrar of Political Parties.

Duituturaga says news reports suggesting that the Registrar was involved in the SODELPA decision was false and misleading.