Mick Beddoes has explained how he landed the top job in the Opposition office.

In an opinion piece sent to Fijileaks, in response to my analysis on October 17 and October 20, Mr Beddoes confirms many of the issues raised in my analysis.

He is temporarily acting as the Principal Administrative Officer in the Opposition office.

He is waiting for his confirmation from the Secretary-General to Parliament Viniana Namosimalua.

Mr Beddoes says “The  party leader (Ro Teimumu Kepa) asked me to take charge of the Opposition office in Parliament soon after the final results were announced on September 23. Our team of volunteers were also tasked with liaising with the Secretary General who herself was only appointed to the position seven days earlier and we were just eight working days away from the first sitting of Parliament.

“Only those involved in setting up new offices will appreciate the amount of effort and time it takes to get seven offices and Board room ready to be fully operational and staffed in just eight working days is no easy task and all credit goes to our volunteers and the Secretary General’s office.

“We were not able to enter the premises until our members were sworn in, so we technically started on October 6 but were fully operational on October 7.

SEVEN POSITIONS

“I am acutely aware that there are dozens of loyal and dedicated supporters of SODELPA who are qualified to take charge of the Parliamentary office and I know there are dozens more who can fill anyone of the seven positions available.

“However, there are only seven positions so those who miss out will be disappointed, however, given the constraints in time and the need to ensure we are ready, decisions needed to be made to ensure the Opposition was in place and ready to go from day one, and we managed to do just that.”

“I have sought and received the endorsement as the Opposition Leader’s nominee to head the Opposition Office in Parliament from the SODELPA Management Board, National Executive and Parliamentary caucus.

“We have submitted our list of staff to the Secretary General for her consideration and we have sought to have our appointments on a temporary basis so that we can continue to provide the support to our members of Parliament, as we set about advertising all of the positions available in accordance with Sec 79 of the constitution. This includes the position of Principal Administrative Officer.”

He says all SODELPA supporters will have the opportunity to apply and be interviewed by a panel consisting of a member of the Management Board and Parliamentary Caucus and the Leader.

ELECTION

He says he has always maintained that the only way for SODELPA and her partners to lose would be if the election process was compromised. He adds: “We now know it was and once we complete our exercise on the extent of the compromise, then this question will be answered.”

Mr Beddoes is dreaming. Their claim about a rigged election and irregularities has been dismissed by the Electoral Commission because it lacked evidence and substance. The Multi-national Observer Group which monitored the election ruled the poll was free, fair and credible.

Leadership

Mr Beddoes says anyone who understands a little about the Westminster system of governance, knows that the Leader of the Opposition is always the Alternative Prime Minister. But their list of shadow ministers did not show it. It should have read: Ro Teimumu (Shadow Prime Minister and Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts); Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu (Sugar & iTaukei Affairs). Instead Prime Minister was assigned to Ratu Naiqama.

CONTRIBUTION

Mr Beddoes confirms that SODELPA MPs contributed towards paying the office volunteers some money. He confirms that it was something that the MPs did “without any urging from me or anyone else.”

“It was a great gesture by the Hon Members and when I heard about it I thanked them on behalf of the workers.There is no Beddoes Fund, just the wild imagination of the analyst.”

He says none of the volunteers is receiving any pay.

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