May 26, 2022
The Attorney-General and Minister for Economy has no right to talk about strict compliance to election fundraising laws by political parties and candidates because he is the general secretary and registered officer of Fiji First, said National Federation Party President Pio Tikoduadua.
Mr Tikoduadua said Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is the last person to lecture political parties and candidates about electoral laws and instead understand the basic principle of conflict of interest.
The NFP President said Mr Sayed-Khaiyum blatantly ignores the fact that as registered officer and general secretary of Fiji First, he is responsible to ensure his party and its candidates in the elections strictly comply with all laws.
“The AG is behaving like the laws only apply to the Opposition and not Fiji First”.
“The AG may the minister responsible elections. But he cannot enforce the laws. He merely brings laws to parliament for their enactment”.
“So he has no basis whatsoever to lecture other political parties about compliance to fundraising laws”.
“ We know how Fiji First accumulated millions of dollars in donations leading up to the 2018 elections. And undoubtedly, their hand-picked fundraisers, whose identities is known to us, are in overdrive”.
“We are well aware of their modus operandi in terms of their fundraising”.
“Therefore, Sayed-Khaiyum lacks the credibility and political morality to tell others how to be accountable and transparent”.
“It is the job of the Electoral Commission and the Supervisor of Elections to enforce the laws. Not the AG who himself is required to strictly follow the laws that were enacted through him”.
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