With focus on 2022 poll, taskforce set to tackle Fiji party problems

Ongoing disputes within Fiji's main opposition party are expected to be addressed by a working committee.

The Social Democratic Liberal Party Board met in Suva last week and agreed to look into conflicts between the factions which split the party earlier this year.

The crisis led to SODELPA being suspended by the Elections Office in May.

The ban was lifted a month later but the factions continue.

SODELPA was found in breach of the Political Parties Act when it held its AGM in Savusavu last year.

The election of executives at that meeting was challenged in court by a faction, and they won.

There were allegations of irregularities in the election of party office holders at the Savusavu meeting.

A senior party executive claims talks for an official split were initiated by certain members following the suspension.

General secretary Emele Duituturaga said the working committee is expected to draw lessons from the suspension.

"The board will appoint an arbitrator, an independent person to look into that and report back to the board," she said.

"There will be an independent review and those who have been aggrieved will have fair justice."

Duituturaga said the committee's findings will also serve as a learning strategy for SODELPA to prevent a future crisis in the party.

"The review is not an investigation or disciplinary action but more putting it forward because the constituencies were meeting," she said.

"We are trying to get right down to where the people are, what people are talking about. And when people are talking about our internal problems, we need to look at ourselves as well."

With a focus on the 2022 General Election, the party will also appoint its new leaders at the November AGM.

New Zealand-based Fijian academic Steven Ratuva said SODELPA needs to "re-image" and reform itself to gain the confidence and trust of voters.

"Some of them (voters) had shifted from the Fiji First in the last election and they hoped that SODELPA would provide them with the kind of hope they were looking for," he said.

"And what's happening now may have sent the wrong message to them in terms of putting their faith in the party."

The political sociologist at the University of Canterbury says the future of SODELPA, which scooped almost 40 percent of votes in the 2018 polls, hinges on how genuine, deep and sustainable the party conflict resolution process is.

"After the last election, SODELPA was doing very well in terms of bridging that gap from the 2014 election - from the huge Fiji First majority and they were able to reduce it significantly," Ratuva said.

"If that trend had continued, we would have seen a change of government in the next election.

"With this crisis, questions can be asked whether that momentum is still there or whether it has been overshadowed by what has happened.

"If they want to have a chance of winning then they'll have to quickly put their house together and then raise the stakes, energise their strategies and move ahead quickly."

Party leader Sitiveni Rabuka agreed SODELPA needs to resolve its internal issues.

Rabuka said he's optimistic the working committee will do just that.

"They will find out why did we get into that trap, the result of that will be in the future how to avoid these," he said.

"So it's not someone being smacked on the wrist or anything but it's to be better prepared in the future."

Meanwhile, the race for the top job at SODELPA is heading into a five-way contest.

Rabuka is expected to face his toughest challenge for the party leadership with four senior members Viliame Gavoka, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Aseri Radrodro and Pio Tabaiwalu also in the running.

Election of party leader, deputy and other executive positions are expected to be finalised at the November AGM.