*In December 2022 all three parties - PAP, NFP and FFP - went up to Sodelpa headquarters and presented their offers to the Sodelpa party.
*In a nail-biting result (13-12) the Sodelpa Board Management accepted PAP's offer which included three Cabinet portfolios (Education, I-Taukei Affairs and Tourism; also high commissionership, ambassadorship and board positions).
*It can be argued that when Sodelpa signed the Coalition Pact with PAP and NFP, Sitiveni Rabuka had partially surrendered his prerogative that he has in the Constitution (92, a,b) to appoint and dismiss Ministers.
*He had appointed Aseri Radrodro as Education Minister, Viliame Gavoka as Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister, and Ifereimi Vasu as i-Taukei Affairs Minister not out of his own volition under s92 a,b but because he had surrendered his prerogative when he had signed a Coalition deal with Sodelpa in December 2022.
*Hence, those three Cabinet positions are the preserve of Sodelpa, whether Aseri Radrodro is reinstated or remains as a backbencher.
*Rabuka cannot reshuffle those portfolios and hand them to non Sodelpa Members of Parliament.
*We thought that common sense would have dictated that Radrodro remained a backbencher while leading Sodelpa as its party leader.
*Naturally, in any legal challenge the court will have to decide if the Coalition pact was a 'contract' between Sodelpa, PAP and NFP and must be honoured or the prerogative vested in Rabuka as prime minister reigns supreme - Constitution (92, a,b) trumps the 'Coalition Contract'?
*We wonder if the 'Snake' or 'Duna' Rabuka and his legal advisers had conned Sodelpa and its management board in December 2022 when they agreed to all of Sodelpa's demands, knowing that once Rabuka became prime minister, he could find refuge in the 2013 Constitution's prerogative clause, which he is now waving in the face of Sodelpa.
*Importantly, the Coalition pact does not state that a Sodelpa Cabinet Minister can hold two ministerial positions simultaneously.
*Since the Sodelpa Management Board members had voted to join the Coalition, they have the democratic and party right to pull the rug from under the Coalition's feet and join, if they choose to, with FFP after any Vote of No Confidence in Parliament.
*We had warned of the dangers of going into Coalition with Sitiveni Rabuka, for he has a history of breaking promises and agreements. In any case, we had pointed out the 'Bad Omen' awaiting SODELPA
From Fijileaks Archive, 23 December 2022
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME is a condition in which hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors during captivity.
*TANYA WAQANIKA is no longer a member of the SODELPA Management Board and is sitting on the ATH Board.
*Her social media posts against the Radrodros' justify her removal from the Board. She cannot be seen to be meddling in political party affairs.
 SODELPA has decided to go into a coalition government with the People’s Alliance and the National Federation Party. SODELPA Vice President, Anare Jale has just announced that 13 management board members voted for the People’s Alliance/NFP while 12 voted for the FijiFirst. |  |
Jale says they are ready to be part of the government with PA and NFP.
SODELPA Leader, Viliame Gavoka says democracy has won and they have observed the process to it’s fullest.
Gavoka says it was very close again and came down to the wire.
He says they went into it fully committed ensuring that they have the best for the people of the country.
Gavoka says there was one invalid vote and they could not determine the intention of the voter.
He also says only the legitimate constituency representatives attended the meeting today.
Jale says their next step is to work on their coalition agreement, and this will be signed in the next few days.
He says they have issued the written directive to the SODELPA MPs Viliame Gavoka, Aseri Radrodro and Ifereimi Vasu to vote for the agreed nominee for the People’s Alliance/NFP/SODELPA for Prime Minister and Speaker when Parliament sits in the next few days.
SODELPA Leader, Viliame Gavoka says democracy has won and they have observed the process to it’s fullest.
Gavoka says it was very close again and came down to the wire.
He says they went into it fully committed ensuring that they have the best for the people of the country.
Gavoka says there was one invalid vote and they could not determine the intention of the voter.
He also says only the legitimate constituency representatives attended the meeting today.
Jale says their next step is to work on their coalition agreement, and this will be signed in the next few days.
He says they have issued the written directive to the SODELPA MPs Viliame Gavoka, Aseri Radrodro and Ifereimi Vasu to vote for the agreed nominee for the People’s Alliance/NFP/SODELPA for Prime Minister and Speaker when Parliament sits in the next few days.
*As we had predicted in December 2022, Rabuka and his side-kick Viliame Gavoka are now singing a different tune, dismissing the SODELPA Management Board as irrelevant in the running of the Coalition government.
*These two are wrong. The coalition agreement negotiated was voted by 13-12 of the Sodelpa Management Board members, and as in Job,
'The Lord Giveth, and the Lord Taketh it Away
 |  |
Speaking to fijivillage News, Gavoka says he has highlighted the fact in his letter that it is the Prime Minister’s prerogative to decide on cabinet appointments and Gavoka cannot be responsible for relinquishing a portfolio and appointing a minister.
Gavoka also says there are some real issues within SODELPA and signs of desperation.
The management board had stated in a letter to Gavoka to comply with their directive by today and failure to comply will invoke the disciplinary procedures, which may include actions up to and including suspension or expulsion of Gavoka from the party roles.
The letter from the SODELPA Management Board to Gavoka states that the board deliberated on the matter and directs Gavoka to relinquish the position of Minister of Education and facilitate the reinstatement of Aseri Radrodro to this role.
The board says according to the coalition agreement, SODELPA holds the portfolios of Education, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.
The SODELPA letter states that the directive by the party’s management board to reinstate Radrodro to the Minister of Education is in alignment with maintaining the proportionate allocation of portfolios as agreed upon in the coalition commitments.
Gavoka also says there are some real issues within SODELPA and signs of desperation.
The management board had stated in a letter to Gavoka to comply with their directive by today and failure to comply will invoke the disciplinary procedures, which may include actions up to and including suspension or expulsion of Gavoka from the party roles.
The letter from the SODELPA Management Board to Gavoka states that the board deliberated on the matter and directs Gavoka to relinquish the position of Minister of Education and facilitate the reinstatement of Aseri Radrodro to this role.
The board says according to the coalition agreement, SODELPA holds the portfolios of Education, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.
The SODELPA letter states that the directive by the party’s management board to reinstate Radrodro to the Minister of Education is in alignment with maintaining the proportionate allocation of portfolios as agreed upon in the coalition commitments.
*SODELPA MUST CHOOSE WHAT IS BEST FOR THE PARTY AND NOT WHAT IS BEST FOR PAP, NFP and RABUKA and PRASAD.
After all, FFP has 26 seats, PAP 21, and NFP, 5.
SACKABLE: If Rabuka becomes Prime Minister, there is NOTHING stopping him from sacking the THREE SODELPA MPs (especially Aseri Radrodro with whom he has a long running family feud) and replace him with Ro Kepa who is fourth in waiting under the d'Hondt system, and is PAP's choice for President and High Commissioner to London. |  |
