A split in Sodelpa sees it suspended from Fiji's parliament

Fiji's main opposition party has been suspended from parliament as a bitter feud within Sodelpa threatens to blow it apart.

The party - with 21 seats in parliament - has crumpled into two factions, and two separate AGMs appointed two separate executives last weekend.

It all started last year, when a meeting in Savusavu made Ro Filipe Tuisawau and Adi Litia Qionibaravi president and vice-president.

That was challenged in court by several wings of the party, who argued the process was botched and undemocratic. The court sided with the challengers.

Then, yesterday, in a 37 minute speech, registrar of political parties Mohammed Saneem said the constitution had been violated by the party, and all appointees have been declared null and void.

To rub salt in the wound, he suspended the party for 60 days.

In parliament, that left half the chamber empty.

At a time of economic crisis in a pandemic, only the government benches, and the three seats of the National Federation Party, filled.

Our reporter Christine Rovoi has been following the feud, and took us through Mohammed Saneem's ruling.