9 Jul 2020

Rabuka no longer leader as Fiji's Sodelpa tries to move forward

3:39 pm on 9 July 2020
Fiji's SODELPA leader, Sitiveni Rabuka.

Fiji's SODELPA leader, Sitiveni Rabuka. Photo: RNZ / Koroi Hawkins

Sitiveni Rabuka is no longer the leader of Fiji's main opposition party, Sodelpa..

The Elections Office has announced the party's main leadership positions have lapsed, and are now vacant.

The former coup leader and prime minister took the Sodelpa party into the 2018 election, and wanted another go in 2022.

But under the party's constitution, the leader must abdicate the position if it loses an election.

On Wednesday, Mr Rabuka called for his position to be advertised so he could apply to become leader again.

He told the Fiji Times the party's working committee had met to consider a way forward for the party, which was last month suspended from parliament for violating both party rules and the constitution.

The party is in the midst of a constitutional crisis, with general secretary Emele Duituturaga seeking legal advice on its executive positions including parliamentary leader, president and vice-president.