Dear Editor  

Correction to the article reporting Vaimauga No. 2 petitions withdrawn.

Your newspaper reported in your edition of Friday, 24 October 2025, that the post-election legal dispute relating to the Vaimauga No. 2 constituency has been resolved after the withdrawal of the petition and counter petition. Respectfully, this is not correct.

 The petition and counterpetition have not been formally withdrawn.

Section 131 of the Electoral Act 2019 provides that “a petitioner shall not withdraw an election petition without the leave of the Supreme Court upon special application” to withdraw being made. Further, no such application to withdraw shall be made and dealt with until a notice of intention to make the application to withdraw has been published in the constituency to which the petition relates.   

Thus, for clarity and to avoid confusion in relation to this matter, please note that the Court has not granted leave to withdraw. When the matter was called this week, Parties having indicated their intention to make an application to withdraw were required to ensure that they advertised their intention as required by law. In anticipation of these statutory requirements being met, the hearing of the Application to withdraw has been set down for Tuesday, 4th November 2025 at 12 noon. It should not be assumed that leave to withdraw will automatically be granted by the Court, and we await the outcome of this matter following the hearing on the 4th November 2025.

Papalii John Taimalelagi Afele

Chief Executive Officer/Registrar of the Supreme Court.