2014 General Election count begins

It is now 2014 General Election Night and it is results time as the whole nation including the seven political parties and two independents await the outcome of this year’s polls.

The FijiFirst has 50 candidates, the Fiji Labour Party has 37 candidates, the Fiji United Freedom Party has 3 candidates, OneFiji Party has 13 candidates, the National Federation Party has 49 candidates, People’s Democratic Party has 46 candidates while the Social Democratic Liberal Party has 48 candidates.

The two independent candidates in this election are Roshika Deo and Umesh Chand.

The parties and independent candidates need to have 5 percent of the total valid votes cast to stay in the running for parliamentary seats.

There are 591,095 registered voters for this election.

There are 247,382 voters in the Central Division, 223,868 in the Western Division, 89,216 in the Northern Division, 25,123 in the Eastern Division while the total number of overseas registered voters are 5,506.

42 percent of the registered voters are based in the Central Division, 38 percent in the Western Division, 15 percent in the Northern Division, less than 5 percent in the Eastern Division while overseas voters make up less than 1 percent of the registered voters. 

We have received reports from around the country that many people were up early and walking to their allocated polling stations to vote.

Many families gathered together to go and exercise their democratic right.

At some polling stations, people were eagerly awaiting from about 5.30am for the polling station doors to open at 7.30am.

There have been positive responses from many polling stations around the country that it did not take them much time to vote, their polling stations are much closer to their homes, the polling officials were really friendly and worked in a professional manner and they took proactive steps to look after the elderly and the people living with disabilities.

Looking at comment from the Western Division :

“Instructions were very clear during the voting process”.

This is the comment made by a voter Durgeshni in Nadi Sargam Primary School.

42-year-old Durgeshni said the Fijian Elections officials were very helpful during the voting session.

She said she is very excited that she has cast her vote and is looking forward to the results tonight.

Another voter of Namotomoto village who cast his vote at the village polling station says there is no problem in this election.

Tomasi said all he needs is a stable government that can lead Fiji in the next four years.

He was with his family members today and they are waiting for the results of the election.

In the Northern Division,

71-year-old voter of Labasa, Sainimere Waqabaca said this year’s voting process is well organized and easy.

Waqabaca said she was confident to vote as polling officials at the polling station provided the best services and were always smiling.

87-year-old of Labasa Mohammed Hanif said it did not take him long to cast his vote compared to previous years where he had to line up for more than 2 hours.

For a mother of two of Nasekula in Labasa who was involved in a car accident in 2006 and had lost one of her legs, she says it was important to vote today because that one vote counts and it was easy.

In the Central Division,

It took three seconds for a second time voter to cast her vote inside a polling booth at a polling station in Makoi, 8 miles.

48-year-old Alanieta Kulavere said she was eager to vote and came in at six this morning.

A 31-year-old registered voter who cast his vote at DAV Girls College says the voting process was really easy for him given his disability.

Imran Ali said he was able to vote within two seconds inside the polling booth adding that he was assisted during the voting process.

Similar sentiments were shared by 61-year-old Sukh Deo Singh of Nadawa who turned up to cast his vote with his 55-year-disabled wife.

Singh who voted for the first time in 1977 said the process for this election is easy and it took him 30 seconds to cast his vote inside the polling booth.

It was an important experience for 18 year old Sofaia Vodosese of Nausori to cast her vote this morning.

Distance did not matter for Sadhana Sami at this one day election today.

Sami who currently resides in Nakasi eagerly made her way to Lami Marist Convent Polling station with her to vote since she was registered there.

More than 527,000 people were expected to cast their vote at 1,460 polling stations around the country today.

The Waibau community hall polling station in Naitasiri was one of the first to record a 100 percent turnout of voters from the 1,460 polling stations around the country.

This was confirmed by Supervisor Elections, Mohammed Saneem in a press conference earlier this afternoon.

Saneem also revealed that one of the Presiding Officers in one of the polling stations had to be rushed to the hospital as he suffered a heart attack.

However Saneem said they have received confirmation that the Presiding Officer is in stable condition.

The provisional results from majority of the polling stations for the 2014 general elections will be known tonight.

Saneem confirmed that live updates of the provisional results will be given out as the counting officials communicate the information from the counting stations around the country.

Join Legend FM News that will have live updates at 6 tonight on the count of the 2014 general elections.

Stay with us for the breakdown of the results, the votes received by the candidates and the parties, and the scenario going forward.