The Registrar of Political Parties, Mohammed Saneem says the Fijian Elections Office following the suspension of PDP on Thursday, received an application yesterday afternoon which will be considered by the Registrar in due cause and it will be noted that PDP has subsequently realized the breach by not submitting an application under section 11 and has, therefore, made the necessary application.
Saneem says the email sent by Lynda Tabuya informing of her resignation as PDP’s leader and Registered Officer was not accepted and hence she was advised to submit a letter with her signature to allow it to be recorded as official.
While responding to a press conference by former People’s Democratic Party leader Lynda Tabuya, Saneem says, alluding to an email as sufficient for this purpose is inaccurate as there were no signatures as per the requirements of the Act from the new Registered Officer and a majority of the Office Holders of the Party.
Saneem says the procedure as per the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act under section 11, to substitute a 'Registered Officer' is to make an application under section 11 to the Registrar and this application must be signed by the new Registered Officer and a majority of the Office Holders of the Party.
He adds it is misleading to allude that reply to the email which indicated that the email was not sufficient is an acknowledgment under the Act.
Saneem says in any event, email notification is insufficient in terms of the requirements under section 11 of the Act and the resignation letter of Lynda Tabuya did not provide any information on the substitution of the Registered Officer.
Saneem says the laws are very explicit in terms of these procedures and at the time the suspension was considered, it was clear that Lynda Tabuya, nor PDP had properly complied with the law and thereby had breached it.
Saneem has also released Tabuya's initial email to the media which does not have her signature and also does not have majority of the office holders of PDP stating the change of the new registered officer of the party.
Meanwhile, Lynda Tabuya says there has not been a breach by PDP.
Tabuya says the Registrar is alleging that they did not inform him of the new Registered Officer.
She says when she resigned as the leader of PDP she did not remain the Registered Officer of PDP and she had informed the Supervisor of Elections in an email on the 21st of this month to tell him that she had resigned and therefore to substitute Pearl Antonio who is the General Secretary in her place.
Tabuya says in the letter of suspension that Saneem had sent on Thursday, he addressed Pearl Antonio who is the General Secretary of PDP as the Registered Officer.
She says there has been no merger as the requirement under section 13 for a merger to take place two political parties to be dissolved and a new political party be formed.
Tabuya adds that SODELPA and PDP have not dissolved and they continue to remain as political parties and there is no new political parties being formed.
