Former FijiFirst party MP Premila Kumar announced that she and several other Opposition MPs plan to appeal against the decision made by the Registrar of Political Parties, Ana Mataiciwa, to deregister their party.
When questioned about fellow appellants, Ms. Kumar refrained from providing any details. Meanwhile, former FijiFirst colleague and Opposition Leader, Inia Seruiratu, revealed that he has informed Speaker Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu of his decision to remain an independent MP, emphasizing that his colleagues are now “free to make their own choices.”
Earlier this week, former FijiFirst acting general secretary Faiyaz Koya stated he would not be involved in the appeal. Efforts to obtain a comment from the former party general secretary, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, have been unsuccessful.
On July 1, Ana Mataiciwa announced FijiFirst’s deregistration, citing the party’s failure to amend its constitution. The required amendment involved the inclusion of guidelines for resolving internal disputes, which Mataiciwa stated was a violation of the Political Parties Act, 2013.
MPs wishing to appeal the Fijian Elections Office’s decision have until Monday, July 15, to do so, when the appeal period ends.