By Dionisia Tabureguci
Former leader of the SODELPA Ro Teimumu Kepa is still Leader of Opposition until the new Prime Minister is sworn in.
Kepa, who polled 6,036 votes in the 2018 general elections, secures a seat in the new parliament and said her role as Leader of Opposition is still in force and will, in due course, be made vacant.
“The position of leader of opposition is there until the swearing in of the next Prime Minister. So that means I’m still leader until the swearing in and after the swearing in, the position will be vacant.
“The opposition party will look at who they see is the best candidate for the next Leader of Opposition. That’s how it works according to the Constitution,” Kepa said.
The Rewa high chief is looking forward to a fruitful term as a Member of Parliament and has pledged to serve to the best of her ability.
“For the 21 seats that we now have, we thank the Lord first and we thank our supporters for being with us. Without their help, without their support, without their prayers, we wouldn’t have that number in Parliament.
“Through thick and thin, good times and bad, they have been there. They believe in our ideology and philosophy and we hope that we will be able to deliver on the promises that we have made to them during the elections and also during our last term in parliament ,” she said.
Kepa won 49,485 votes in the 2014 elections and said the drop in her numbers this year was expected as SODELPA party supporters were told to vote for party leader Sitiveni Rabuka.
