SODELPA general secretary Viliame Takayawa says the party does not regret its decision to join the Coalition Government.
“The saying, if you can’t beat them, join them, became our mantra and the plans to unseat the 16-year government was put into action,” Mr Takayawa said in a 2023 year-end reflection message.
“SODELPA believes in its steady resolve since 2014 to utilise the imposed Constitution of 2013.
“And the new electoral laws that made it tough for political parties to function without being caught in a legal bind eventually saw the unraveling of the previous government.
“SODELPA worked hard to educate our people to recognise that the power and answer to the plight we were all facing in a dictatorial and two-man leadership was to regain leadership from those who stole it from SDL in 2006.
“This power could only be derived through the ballot box and not by the barrel of a gun.”
Mr Takayawa said for the past 12 months the party’s three ministers had all the odds stacked against them.
“They worked hard to prove to our people that our commitment to serve them has been true since 2014.
“We have two of our most senior warriors, bruised and battered for fighting on behalf of SODELPA since 2014, still standing and remaining resolute in their desire to deliver our policies and that of the Coalition Government, “Bill Gavoka our party leader and Aseri Radrodro our deputy party leader are old war horses. They were not easily fazed by the political challenges that come with the political territory of a Coalition Government dynamics.
“By the grace of God, they were joined by Ifereimi Vasu.
“The trio, or SODELPA’s three wise men, sworn in on the eve of Christ’s birth in 2022, have given SODELPA a stable, unassuming yet no-nonsense and hardworking reputation via the three ministerial portfolios assigned to the party.”
