The Acting Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa has written to the Speaker of Parliament, informing his office of the suspension notice against the FijiFirst Party.
Responding to questions from FijiLive, on the reconvening of Parliament on June 12 but the lifting of the suspension is till June 15, Mataiciwa said this is beyond her jurisdiction and has referred all questions to the Speaker of Parliament.
Mataiciwa said the decision now lies with the Speaker and the legal advice that is provided to him.
Also, when questioned on what the Political Parties Act says regarding Members of Parliament who have been issued suspension notices Mataiciwa indicated that Section 27(6) of the Political Parties Act that “A member of a Political Party or a person who is a member of a Political Party that has been suspended is a Member of Parliament shall continue as a Member of Parliament for their unexpired term.”
“And in a worst case scenario where a Political Party is de-registered, under Section 20(2) it states that a representative elected to Parliament, that representative shall continue to serve the remainder of their term as an independent or as a member of another Political Party.”
The Acting Supervisor of Elections said these are two provisions in the Act.
She added that if political parties who have been suspended, rectifies the anomalies before June 15, suspensions will also be lifted beforehand.
