*We strongly argue that to have allowed Sitiveni Rabuka to contest the Parliamentary Leader's position is in breach of the Party's Constitution on the basis of which the previous holder, Ro Teimumu Kepa, was required to step down in view of the Party’s loss in the 2014 elections
 Rabuka |  |  Gavoka |
 Radrodro |  |  Tuisawau |
* The same rule should have been applied to Sitiveni Rabuka for failing to secure victory in the 2018 elections. There is no point in arguing:
'Isa, We came so close to winning the 2018 election"
* All the current leader candidates do not inspire sufficient confidence that they have, what it takes, to lead the party to victory and go on to form a strong and robust Government after 2022
* We strongly feel that the Management Board’s decision to postpone the review of the Party Constitution and proceed first with the selection of the Parliamentary Leader and a Deputy was ill-conceived, and is like placing the CART BEFORE THE HORSE
* For example, before Rabuka was allowed to contest the Parliamentary Leader's position again, the Party should have first amended the Constitution to enable his candidature to be considered
*It is also generally accepted by the members that the Party’s Constitution as amended by the former Secretary-General (SG) could be described as shoddy workmanship
*This was highlighted by the Supervisor of Elections when he complained about the numerous amendments that the former SG kept sending him so that both he and the former SG had difficulty identifying which of the amendments was the officially approved version
* But worse, it was obvious that the amendments were driven by personal agendas because suddenly the post of Parliamentary Leader (which was then held by Ro Kepa) became virtually redundant as the Parliamentary Leader's duties and functions were taken over by the President (formerly the Tui Cakau) who previously only had a ceremonial role to play in party
*Thus when Rabuka took up the post of Party Leader, he was almost and is still redundant in that role because the President and the SG are the two who are actually running the party
*So why did the Party rush into filling the Parliamentary Leader's position when the Party’s Management Board is yet to redefine the role or functions of the Party Leader?
*In effect, the Party Leader presently is a toothless tiger and the SG has more power than the Parliamentary Leader. Take, for example, if the Parliamentary Leader wants to create a post, he or she has to jump hoops - apply through the SG who will then submit the Parliamentary Leader's request with her recommendation to the President or the Management Board
*We would have strongly recommended that the selection and appointment of the Parliamentary Leader and Deputy be deferred until the review of the Party's Constitution was completed, and that the post of Parliamentary Leader and that of the SG be combined or held conjointly as is the practice with other political parties, and the President’s post remained ceremonial as in the FLP, FFP and NFP
*We undertsand the new leader will be announced at the Party's general meeting on Saturday.
*What IF the Selection Panel says the position of Parliamentary Leader should be re-advertised, for they were not satisfied with any of the contenders for the top job? They failed at the last hurdle - INTERVIEW
From Fijileaks Archive, 2 September 2015
