FORMER attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the FijiFirst Constitution is not similar to any other political party.
Responding to the Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa’s decision to refer the party to FICAC for an assessment on its call to keep former PM Voreqe Bainimarama as leader of the party, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said FFP’s Constitution had specific provisions for the appointment of an office holder.
“The FijiFirst Constitution is not similar to the constitutions of other political parties,” he said in a statement.
“It provides for provisions on the specific mechanisms for the appointment of its office holders, in line with the interpretation for the term office holder under the Political Parties Act, and which provisions also do not include the position of the leader.
“Ana Mataiciwa’s insistence in her media statement said that she has merely asked FICAC to look into the probable commission of electoral breaches as she claims has a statutory duty under Section 18 of the Electoral Act to promptly refer these matters to FICAC, does not make sense.”
The former A-G said Section 18 of the Electoral Act stated that the Supervisor of Elections must immediately report a probable commission of an election-related criminal offence including any criminal offence prescribed in the Electoral Act.
“Section 5(3) which Ana Mataiciwa has cited in referring the so-called matter of FijiFirst’s leadership to FICAC is not under the Electoral Act, but under the Political Parties Act.
“Under the Political Parties Act, Ana Mataiciwa would refer any probable breaches to FICAC as the Registrar of Political Parties.
“The Registrar of the Political Parties maintains the political parties register, which includes the details of all office holders of political parties. Again, these office holders, as defined under the Political Parties Act do not include, the leader of a political party.”
