Sugar City Ratepayers Alliance
Encyclopedia
The Sugar City Ratepayers Alliance (SCRA) is a Fiji
an political party that operates only on the municipal
level, in the city of Lautoka
. It was founded early in 2005 with a view to contesting the municipal elections
to the Lautoka City Council, scheduled for 22 October 2005. It failed to win any seats, however, either in the main election, or in the special election on 12 November for four seats in the Simla
ward, which had been postponed.
The party contested the election on an anti-corruption platform. The Fiji Labour Party
, which dominated the council, had recently suspended nine councillors - its entire council membership - in the wake of revelations that they had granted taxi bases to friends and colleagues. The SCRA called for the same standards of accountability that are required of parliamentarians to be applicable to municipal councillors.
The SCRA welcomed the Labour Party's decision to suspend its councillors, but claimed that the move did not go far enough. Alliance chairman Faaiaz Ali said that the same rules that required members of Parliament suspended from their parties to resign should be applied to local government office holders, as with no party to answer to, they could be an even greater threat to ratepayers. "Now these councillors who have been suspended can do anything they want and they will definitely do everything they please because their term will expire in October," Ali said. He called for the Local Government Act to be amended to allow for their dismissal.
On 11 October, Ali announced that the Alliance would contest 9 of the 16 seats on the council. The party has nominated three candidates for each of the Waiyavi, Tavakubu and Veitari wards (multi-member constituencies), but has chosen not to contest the Simla Ward. Ali gave no reason for the decision to leave Simla uncontested, but said that the party was confident of winning most, if not all, of the 9 seats it was contending for. There is one woman among the six Indo-Fijians and three indigenous Fijians
standing for the party. Ali himself is standing for the Veitari ward.
The same day, Ali warned city residents not to vote for candidates who hold permanent residency
status in other countries. The Fijian constitution
forbids dual citizenship, but permanent residency, which amounts to a kind of second-class in a number of other countries, is not covered by the ban. Ali said that holding Permanent Residency in another country made it too easy for councillors to abscond rather than face up to allegations of misconduct of council business, and that voters should be wary of such candidates.
Considerable publicity for the Alliance failed to break the hold of the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) on the City Council, however. The FLP ended up with 12 seats and the United Fiji Party (SDL) 4.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an political party that operates only on the municipal
Local government of Fiji
Fiji is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen provinces; the self-governing island of Rotuma and its dependencies lie outside any of the four divisions. Each division is headed by a Commissioner, appointed by the Fijian government...
level, in the city of Lautoka
Lautoka
Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji and the second largest in the South Pacific. It is in the west of the island of Viti Levu, 24 kilometres north of Nadi, and is the second port of entry in Fiji, after Suva. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane growing region, it is known as the Sugar...
. It was founded early in 2005 with a view to contesting the municipal elections
Fiji municipal election, 2005
Municipal elections were held for 11 of Fiji's twelve city and town councils on 22 October 2005. In the capital city, however, elections for the Suva City Council were postponed till 12 November, owing to the death of two candidates; the death of a candidate in Lautoka also resulted in the...
to the Lautoka City Council, scheduled for 22 October 2005. It failed to win any seats, however, either in the main election, or in the special election on 12 November for four seats in the Simla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
ward, which had been postponed.
The party contested the election on an anti-corruption platform. The Fiji Labour Party
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
, which dominated the council, had recently suspended nine councillors - its entire council membership - in the wake of revelations that they had granted taxi bases to friends and colleagues. The SCRA called for the same standards of accountability that are required of parliamentarians to be applicable to municipal councillors.
The SCRA welcomed the Labour Party's decision to suspend its councillors, but claimed that the move did not go far enough. Alliance chairman Faaiaz Ali said that the same rules that required members of Parliament suspended from their parties to resign should be applied to local government office holders, as with no party to answer to, they could be an even greater threat to ratepayers. "Now these councillors who have been suspended can do anything they want and they will definitely do everything they please because their term will expire in October," Ali said. He called for the Local Government Act to be amended to allow for their dismissal.
On 11 October, Ali announced that the Alliance would contest 9 of the 16 seats on the council. The party has nominated three candidates for each of the Waiyavi, Tavakubu and Veitari wards (multi-member constituencies), but has chosen not to contest the Simla Ward. Ali gave no reason for the decision to leave Simla uncontested, but said that the party was confident of winning most, if not all, of the 9 seats it was contending for. There is one woman among the six Indo-Fijians and three indigenous Fijians
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
standing for the party. Ali himself is standing for the Veitari ward.
The same day, Ali warned city residents not to vote for candidates who hold permanent residency
Permanent residency
Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status: the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen. A person with such status is known as a permanent resident....
status in other countries. The Fijian constitution
Constitution of Fiji
The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 coup d'état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama....
forbids dual citizenship, but permanent residency, which amounts to a kind of second-class in a number of other countries, is not covered by the ban. Ali said that holding Permanent Residency in another country made it too easy for councillors to abscond rather than face up to allegations of misconduct of council business, and that voters should be wary of such candidates.
Considerable publicity for the Alliance failed to break the hold of the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) on the City Council, however. The FLP ended up with 12 seats and the United Fiji Party (SDL) 4.