FijiFirst, All People’s Party, New Generation Party and the Unite Fiji Party have been suspended for 30 days with immediate effect.

The Acting Registrar of Political Parties has suspended these parties for contravening Section 26(2) of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding & Disclosures) Act, 2013 [“Act”].

Acting Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa states that Section 26(2) of the Act, requires all parties to provide to the Registrar, within three months after the end of each financial year, the record of accounts of its income, expenditure, asset and liabilities audited by an auditor certified by the Fiji Institute of Accountants.

Mataiciwa says all political parties were given a one-month extension to submit all accounts and other disclosures by April 29th.

However, she says until today, these four parties have not complied with the requirements.

She says the parties have 60 days to remedy the breach/contravention or face deregistration.

Mataiciwa says during the period of suspension, the parties cannot operate, function, represent or hold itself out to be a political party.

The Acting SOE says two other political parties that have failed to submit their List of Sources of Funds are the Social Democratic Liberal Party and the People’s Alliance.

Mataiciwa reiterates that according to section 23(4) of the Act, a party that fails to submit its Sources of Funds is liable to a penalty of $100 for each day the non-compliance continues and if it remains non-compliant after 30 days, the party must be deregistered.

She says the 30 days period will end on May 29th.

Mataicia is reminding all non-complying parties that failure to submit will result in deregistration.