22 Sep 2020

Fiji police stop opposition party meeting

4:48 pm on 22 September 2020

Fiji's main Opposition party is calling on the police to "look evenly at what's going on in the country" while performing their duties to maintain law and order.

Sodelpa Party Headquarters

Sodelpa Party Headquarters Photo: RNZI / Sally Round

This comes after a community meeting of the Social Democratic Liberal Party was stopped by police last weekend.

SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka said Rakiraki police were aware a meeting was taking place in the town.

Rabuka said prior to the meeting, they visited the police station to confirm curfew passes to enable them to return to Suva.

But he says an hour later, police arrived at the private residence to stop the meeting.

Rabuka said people followed their directive and left the property.

It was not clear how many people were at the meeting when police arrived.

But Rabuka and other SODELPA executives including party president Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, vice president George Shiu Raj, assistant general secretary Lenaitasi Duru and MP Aseri Radrodro had attended.

Police have assured SODELPA its meetings on private properties would not be stopped in the future.

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the actions of Rakiraki police were due to "misunderstanding and miscommunication".