[File Photo]

The lawyer for Social Democratic Liberal Party has filed a summon to strike out a legal application by businessmen and party donor Joni Rayawa.

The businessman filed a civil action against SODELPA and it’s now outgoing General Secretary, Emele Duituraga, and Party president Ratu Epenisa Cakobau.

Rayawa in his originating summons is seeking a declaration that the Special General Meeting of SODELPA on July 2019 and many other meetings afterwards breached the party’s constitution.

He claimed it was chaired by the general secretary and not by the President or any Vice President.

He also seeks a declaration that the election of Ratu Epenisa Cakobau as the president on July 2020 was invalid as he seeks for an order that the office held by Ratu Epenisa be vacated with immediate effect.

SODELPA’s lawyer, Romanu Vananalagi, filed the summons to have the matter struck out because the lawsuit disclosed no reasonable cause of action.

He argued that Rayawa’s affidavit was inadmissible to the court.

He also told the court Rayawa was absent at the meeting in question and obtained documents from a third party.

Rayawa’s lawyer claimed that the Party and its two members breached some laws which were why the originating summons was filed against them.