Fiji Sun, Suva, September 29, 2021
The Ratu Epenisa Cakobau ‘Resignation Letter’ saga is still shrouded in mystery after Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya denied writing the letter.
She said in a statement issued on September 27, 2021 that she did not write that letter. “According to Fijilive in an online article on September 26, 2021, General Secretary Lenaitasi Duru has confirmed that the letter is fake.”
She was the last of the five female SODELPA Members of Parliament to respond in the hunt to establish which of them was involved.
Duru challenges claim
However, Mr Duru denied Ms Tabuya’s claims.
“I did not say that it was fake. I said that without my endorsement and stamped as received, it cannot be considered as officially received. So I asked the reporter from Fijilive if my signature and received stamp was on the document they cited. He replied that it was not. Therefore, I said then that the resignation is not official. I did ask him for the source of the letter though,” he said.
Fijilive commented saying that it stood by what was published.
It has been established that the letter was indeed written and that Ratu Epenisa has a copy in his possession which was never delivered.
A female SODELPA MP had approached him about signing the letter which he did because he thought it was the right thing to do. But he never had it delivered to Mr Duru after Party Leader Viliame Gavoka and Mr Duru met him.
Ratu Epenisa confirmed earlier that he had not resigned.
SODELPA MPs Tanya Waqanika, Salote Radrodro and Adi Litia Qionibaravi denied any involvement in drafting the letter while Ro Teimumu Kepa said, ‘No comment.’
About Lynda Tabuya
Lynda Tabuya is a Member of Parliament and Opposition Whip. She was elected in the 2018 general elections as a SODELPA candidate. She campaigned for a higher minimum wage and promised to be a “voice for employees” in Parliament. She was the highest polling woman candidate and the fifth-highest overall polling candidate in 2018.
Before her political career, Ms Tabuya was a Lecturer of Law at the University of the South Pacific. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from Bond University in Australia and Master of Laws from Washington University in St Louis in the United States of America.
Fonua Talei is a Reporter at Fiji Sun. The above Report has been published under a special agreement with the publication.
