Heated exchanges erupted at SODELPA’s special annual general meeting at Dudley High School in Toorak yesterday when an issue regarding the role of acting deputy party leader Aseri Radrodro was brought up during the meeting.
Provisional party candidate Faith Grace stormed out of the meeting venue, venting her frustration to the media because the issue was not part of the meeting’s agenda. She said Mr Radrodro was endorsed just to act in the role of deputy party leader, but it was brought up during the meeting that he be confirmed to the role.
“This issue of Mr Radrodro taking up the deputy party leader role was never part of the meeting agenda,” she said.
“When you come to think about it, that is conflict of interest and the only thing it needs to be discussed at other forums and process has not being followed.
“We need to put the names of other people because we think there are other people who would also do the job better and we don’t necessarily need one deputy party leader.
“If anything happen to our party leader, we need to be able to have a pool that we can pull from.
“I was told last night that we were coming here to endorse our candidates. The issue on Mr Radrodro needs to go back to the management board meeting, let them endorse from there.
Ms Grace said she believes that women should be represented at the executive level at the party.
“I would encourage Marama Na Roko Tui Dreketi Ro Teimumu Kepa, Ana Rokomokoti and Tanya Waqanika. We already have a male as our party leader and if you see our executives sitting up there, they are all males.
“We even have a former minister, Losena Salabula and there is Mere Samisoni. We would like to see that we women also be given that opportunity.”
When approached for comments after the meeting, Mr Radrodro told journalists to speak to party general secretary Lenaitasi Duru.
Ro Teimumu was also seen leaving the meeting at the height of discussion around this issue.
Party leader Viliame Gavoka said they had organised the special meeting to endorse their team for the 2022 General Election.
He said the heated exchanges between party members were not so much on Mr Radrodro as a person but more the processes that need to be followed to confirm him to the role.
“There is an acting deputy leader and the processes need to be fully observed to confirm the position,” he said.
He said Ms Grace was a staunch supporter of the party and that he wished not to comment on her decision to walk out of the meeting.
“I wouldn’t read too much into that. Faith is Faith. People who went with her to Suva Grammar School say she is a dynamo and she is a great part of the party.”
