Tension is building within Fiji’s ruling coalition, as Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka threatens to sever ties with the kingmaker party SODELPA, throwing the future of Government into question. At the heart of the latest row is a Facebook post by SODELPA general-secretary Viliame Takayawa, in which he criticised a recent government trade mission to Tonga. He alleged the delegation partied rather than meeting with members of the Fijian diaspora. Mr Takayawa claimed he was merely sharing what he’d heard from relatives in Tonga, and said the post was made in a personal capacity. “It’s quite unfortunate that a post I made after hours on my personal page, based on what I heard, is now being used against me,” Mr Takayawa said. “I would have thought that my personal opinion is protected under the Constitution.” He insisted the post was not made on behalf of the party and said he planned to call a party meeting to address the matter. But the damage may already been done. Mr Rabuka had signalled that the coalition agreement was under review, triggered by what he described as repeated frustrations with SODELPA’s actions, including a controversial social media post by Mr Takayawa and recent ministerial decisions made by Education Minister, Aseri Radrodro. Mr Rabuka expressed disappointment with Mr Takayawa and Mr Radrodro, hinting that the party’s role in the coalition is no longer secure. Clarification from ex-SODELPA MP Meanwhile, former SODELPA MP Tanya Waqanika, who was part of the Tonga mission, sought to set the record straight, defending the mission’s integrity and accusing Mr Takayawa of irresponsibility. “I was part of the delegation, and I can confirm the diaspora knew our schedule. We were outside the venue before 7:30pm, and there was no wild party as claimed,” Ms Waqanika said. “What Takayawa said damaged the credibility of the team and the mission.” She explained that the trade mission was led by Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, with businesses funding their own participation. Two trade deals were signed during the mission, and a cocktail event was hosted to thank local partners, concluding early to prepare for the next day’s packed schedule. Tonga, Fiji’s largest export market in the South Pacific, imported goods worth FJ$164 million last year, making the mission’s success vital. The post also confused the venue, stating Queen Salote Hall instead of the actual Tupou Hall, further raising questions about the accuracy of the claims. SODELPA was expected to meet last night following the revelation made by Prime Minister Rabuka. Feedback: inoke.rabonu@fijisun.com.fj