18 Apr 2014

Fiji's Bainimarama accused of more decree breaches

4:41 am on 18 April 2014

The United Front for a Democratic Fiji says the regime leader, Rear Admiral Frank Bainimarama, has committed further breaches of the Political Parties Decree.

The prime minister is already under police investigation for allegedly breaching that decree as well as a law which, if there is a conviction, can see him jailed and fined as well as disqualified from the election promised for September.

The UFDF says Rear Admiral Bainimarama is now in further breach for claiming to be the first candidate of his proposed party when there is no party structure in place to choose him as a candidate.

It also says by telling the Fiji Sun that election offices will be set up in Savusavu and Taveuni, he has exerted influence on the election office, which is supposed to be independent.

The UFDF has also called on the Chairman of the Media Industry Development Authority, Ashwin Raj, to take immediate steps to stamp out the Fiji Sun's ongoing daily breaches of the Media Industry Decree.

The police cannot say when their investigations will be completed.

The election supervisor has not commented on the reported breaches of the poll-related decree.