30 Jun 2014

FijiFirst reaches deadline for declaring finances

7:38 pm on 30 June 2014

Office-bearers and leaders of the regime-backed political party Fiji First are due to have declared their assets and liabilities by the end of today.

Under Fiji's Political Parties Decree, the parties and their leaders have 30 days to reveal their finances after being registered.

Fiji First's office-bearers include the Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and the regime leader Frank Bainimarama.

The party was registered at the end of May.

The decree requires parties and their executives to reveal all assets and liabilities, as well as those of spouses and children.

Under the decree any person who fails to comply with the requirements could face a US$27,000 fine or 10 years in prison, or both.

The Fiji regime has been under criticism for not revealing leaders' salaries, despite their promises to do so.