The re-elected head of the Fiji Labour Party Mahendra Chaudhry has defended the party's processes from claims they are undemocratic and that the party has become his own personal property.
At the Labour Party conference Mr Chaudhry was elected unopposed, along with all other office-bearers.
Mr Chaudhry says it is a tradition in the party since its formation in 1985 that elections of office-bearers are never contested.
National Secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress Felix Anthony was present at the conference and says it was run by Mr Chaudhry and his son, Rajendra.
He accused the party of lacking transparency and being 'caught in the quagmire of deceit, dishonesty and hypocrisy.'
Mr Chaudhry says Mr Anthony also came with his son and other supporters and had plenty of liberty to voice his concerns.
"They had a pre-planned agenda which of course failed to get the support of the delegates. Now I believe in that statement he was saying that he wasn't given a fair voice. But let me say Felix spoke the longest and the loudest and he was allowed to speak on every subject and was given every liberty. When he didn't get the full support of the delegates he left the conference before it concluded. Now this is an issue of sour grapes."
