"BEDDOES can not claim or one assumes that SODELPA is hounding him because he is a kai loma (half caste) and SODELPA is controlled by nationalist chiefs, coupists and convicts. That is not the issue here. The issue here is whether BEDDOES is competent or not? If he was competent and transparent SODELPA would not have gone through a crisis that directly resulted from his mismanagement and diversion of funds. It is no doubt that BEDDOES disobeyed the orders of the Management Board on matters resolved on both meetings and his actions to ignore the implementation of the meeting resolutions clearly shows that he was a party to the breach or had been the brains to the breach..."
The Facebook statement was blatant disregard of the President of SODELPA Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.
In summary Beddoes intentions was to make people believe that the:
1. President was wrong in allowing the election of new officials that was facilitated by the transitional and commencement provisions of the new constitution.
2. Special General Meeting (SGM) was intentionally held on Thursday to prevent people to attend.
3. Opposition leader is still party leader despite the constitutional amendments.
4. President, General Secretary Pio Tabaiwalu and Adi Litia Qionibaravi staged an ‘ambush' to remove the current party officials who came under the orders of Ro Teimumu Kepa.
5. Adoption of the constitution amendments on SGM is not valid until the Election Office has endorsed the changes.
6. Result of the SGM is not credible because it was not in the agenda and 70% of the positions in the new Management Board is still unrepresented after the party election.
If we assume that SODELPA was racist in hounding BEDDOES it will be an unfair assessment.
Beddoes must be assessed on what he has competently done and what he has failed to deliver.
Two issues simply outweigh all the good things BEDDOES has done.
Case 1:
BEDDOES, on 8 October 2014 at Management Board meeting, informed the Board that he has been appointed by the Opposition Leader as the Principal Administration Officer.
In the presence of BEDDOES the Management Board resolved that a Selection Committee is appointed to advertise and conduct interview of all positions at the Opposition Office. In addition, the Board had resolved that Mr. Anare Jale was to be the chair of the Selection Committee and other members drawn from the MPs and the party.
BEDDOES had deliberately delayed the implementation of this resolution in collusion with the Party Leader fearing that he will lose his job by failing the minimum qualification requirement (MQR). Beddoes only reached Form 4 and is yet to attempt his H1 Public Service Commission certificate.
(Fijileaks: Attach is the evidence of the minutes of the Management Board on 8 October 2014 to prove the above)
As a result of lack of qualification BEDDOES could not understand section 21(1)(b) of POLITICAL PARTIES (REGISTRATION, CONDUCT, FUNDING AND DISCLOSURES) DECREE 2013 (DECREE NO. 4 OF 2013)
Sources of funds for a political party and independent candidate 21.—(1)
The sources of funds for a political party shall only be from--
(a) membership fees;
(b) voluntary contributions, donations, bequests and grants from a lawful source, not being from a foreign government, inter-governmental or non-governmental organization; and
(c) the proceeds of any investment, project or undertaking in which the political party has an interest.
The government grant of $225K was for the SODELPA General Secretary to administer. The cheque was written to be payable to SODELPA and the envelope was addressed to the General Secretary of the Party according to the Secretary-General of Parliament as per requirement of section 21(1)(b) above.
BEDDOES, on 21 January, 2015, had informed the SODELPA National Executive Council (NEC) that the parliamentary allocation as announced by the Secretary – General of Parliament will be the responsibility of respective political parties to engage their own staffs for their political party offices in Parliament. The party had resolved that the government grant be brought to the party per requirement of the section 21(1)(b) above. Instead the Principle Administration Officer (BEDDOES) and Party Leader (RO TEIMUMU) at the Opposition Office decided to open a new account at ANZ both without the full caucus knowledge and the also without the agreement of the SODELPA National Executive Council (NEC).
BEDDOES and RO TEIMUMU did not realize that section 21 above does not allow loans as sources of funds for a political party. The "Raivoce loan" is illegal pursuant to the means prescribed by section 21 above.
SODELPA trustees own the name legally and any account or transaction concerning the name itself needs the approval and consent of the Party, not the opposition office as in this case. Who will be liable for the breach in section 21 of the POLITICAL PARTIES (REGISTRATION, CONDUCT, FUNDING AND DISCLOSURES) DECREE 2013 (DECREE NO. 4 OF 2013)? Only time will tell!!!
(Fijileaks: Attach is the evidence of the NEC minutes meeting held on 21 January 2015)
It is no doubt that BEDDOES disobeyed the orders of the Management Board on matters resolved on both meetings and his actions to ignore the implementation of the meeting resolutions clearly shows that he was a party to the breach or had been the brains to the breach.
His publication on Facebook criticizing the decision taken by the general assembly of the party, especially by questioning the judgment of the SODELPA President, was only the manifestation of what had already been conceived which BEDDOES cannot undo.
The system that employed the BEDDOES style is no longer needed by SODELPA if it stands a chance in 2018.
Fijileaks could not reach Beddoes for comment.
September 12 at 1:05am ·
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE SODELPA SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING THAT THE MEDIA SPIN DOCTORS MAY HAVE MISSED OUT.
The meeting was essentially to adopt changes to our constitution. The work of which has been ongoing for some time. The initial date for the meeting was last Saturday 5th Sept. however the GS forgot to arrange a permit.
As a result the meeting was shifted to Thursday 10th consequently many delegates could not make it
It had also been agreed too ahead of the SGM that only the amendments to the constitution would be concluded and elections of office bearers would be done at the proposed October meeting. This was also what the AGENDA specified.
However, once the constitutional changes were adopted and the meeting was to be wrapped up, the SG & Adi Litia proceeded with the election of people to
the 'new' positions.
This is what I call an 'ambush'.
I had just arrived back to the meeting having been called away, when Laufitu was in an exchange with the meeting officials regarding the understanding of meeting and the fact that many representatives were not there.
I then drew the Presidents attention to our obligations under the Political Parties Decree and the need to ensure the provisions we adopted were in order with the decree, given we are always under the spotlight and they are looking for excuses. I suggested that we needed to complete the task assigned for the day, circulate the draft and give our members time to read and digest the changes than decide who they wanted as office bearers, because many of our constituencies were not represented.
The President knocked that suggestion of mine out the window and allowed the election of officials to proceed.
But in the end, their 'ambush' ran out of steam because they failed to elect 70% of the positions as the districts were not represented due to the deferment of the meeting so they had to fall back to what Laufitu and I were saying anyway.
As far as the staff positions in the Opposition Office go, these positions were always going to be advertised but we had the very disruptive period from Oct 2014 to April 2015 with the on again off again funding issues, and only in the last 5 months have we managed to settle and we have been busy with the Parliamentary activity, our constituency visits and save the flag campaign.
Now that the new structure is done, we will proceed to advertise all of the positions including mine. This is still very much part of the original plan.
As for the Marama losing her position as Party Leader, she has not. She is still the party Leader and will relinquish it when the new changes come into effect and a new Party Leader is elected to lead the party to the 2018 General Elections. Ro Teimumu has previously indicated she will not seek another term as Party Leader and had previously tendered her resignation but was asked to withdraw it until the changes were in place and she obliged.
As for her position as Leader of the Opposition, On Oct 6th she was nominated by the Tui Cakau and seconded by Adi Roko Tupou Draunidalo, President of the NFP. it was unanimous and she continues to command the respect of the majority of the 18 Opposition members today.
There are laid down procedures for anyone of the 18 to mount a challenge to her leadership, we are not aware that anyone has filed a challenge.
These are the facts, the rest is pure conjecture and QORVIS spin
Cheers...................Mick
https://www.facebook.com/BeddoesM