Former prime minister and Opposition leader Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed last night he would form a new political party.
“I am not telling you indirectly, I am forming a new party,” he told this newspaper hours after he announced he resigned from the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA).
Mr Rabuka said he had to resign early to give him time to carry out the requirements needed to establish the new party.
“I had to resign early to have time to go and solicit support and get the signatures required.
“For politicians who can span the whole spectrum of political ideologies, it’s not difficult to join the political party.
“It is not like forming a party that is dedicated to your ideas of how Fiji is being developed, we must develop a strong nation and we cannot be a strong nation if the weak remain weak and the strong becomes stronger.”
Mr Rabuka said he would not force any of the Opposition members to join him. “Some Opposition members have sympathised with my views and they know I have resigned from the party (SODELPA).
“You have to do what you have to do, no grudges if they want to remain and serve the party. I don’t want to be seen to be disloyal to the party.”
SODELPA general secretary Emele Duituturaga also confirmed that the party had received Mr Rabuka’s resignation letter.
“I can confirm that we have received Mr Rabuka’s resignation letter from the party this (yesterday) afternoon,” she said.
Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem acknowledged Mr Rabuka’s receipt of resignation via email. “I acknowledge receipt of the resignation.
The party records will be updated accordingly,” Mr Saneem said in his email to Mr Rabuka. Mr Rabuka resigned as Leader of Opposition on Monday and said he would remain with SODELPA because he wanted some grievances related to the party leader selection process cleared.
Yesterday he posted on his Facebook page that his political career was far from over.
He also hinted that the grievance he wrote in a letter to party president Ratu Epenisa Cakobau had not been addressed.
