February 19, 2013

'Old' party rules

Nanise Loanakadavu
Tuesday, February 19, 2013

IT would be "mischievous" for a group of people to try and adopt a de-registered party that no longer exists, political party registrar Mere Vuniwaqa said yesterday.

An amendment to the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Amendment Decree announced yesterday prohibits any party or organisation from applying to be registered under the same name as a party that had been de-registered.

"This include the same name, acronym and symbol as a party that has been deregistered," the Registrar of Political Party, Mere Vuniwaqa said.

Under the amended decree, the name of a proposed political party, its abbreviation or acronym of the name and symbol must not be the same as the name, the abbreviation or acronym of the name and symbol of an existing political party that has not made an application to register in accordance with the provisions of the decree.

A further amendment, says Ms Vuniwaqa, is in relation to the provision of information for registration which may have been acquired through fraudulent means.

"It actually mandates the registrar of the political parties to refuse an application for registration where the registrar is satisfied that the information in that application has been obtained through fraudulent means," she said.

Any person who fails to provide a written statement or to produce any document required by the registrar shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years or to both.

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