There has been a significant development in Fiji’s political landscape with the deregistration of FijiFirst, the country’s largest political party in Parliament. The deregistration decision was made by the registrar of political parties, Ana Mataiciwa, in accordance with the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding & Disclosures) Act 2013.
FijiFirst has been given 14 days to appeal the decision, failing which the “winding-up” process will begin. The party was notified to amend its constitution to meet the requirements of the Act but failed to do so within the given timeframe, leading to its deregistration.
This development is likely to have implications for Fiji’s political environment and may lead to shifts in power dynamics within the country. It will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds in the coming days and what impact it has on Fiji’s political landscape.
The deregistration of FijiFirst means that the party is no longer allowed to function in any capacity as a political party. According to Mataiciwa, under the Political Parties Act, anyone who disagrees with this decision can appeal to the Electoral Commission within 14 days from the date of the decision. If no appeal is submitted within this timeframe, the Registrar will begin the process of winding up the party as outlined in section 28(1) of the Act, she explained.
The statement issued by the elections office also confirmed that all 26 FijiFirst MPs and the Speaker of Parliament, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, have been informed of the decision. On the other hand, opposition leader Inia Seruiratu, a key member of the FijiFirst party and government, reportedly expressed to local media that the deregistration is the least of their concerns, as per The Fiji Times’ report.
