The Fijian Elections Office has welcomed the findings of the Multinational Observer Group Report which deems the 2014 general election credible and representative of the will of the voters.
Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem said the Observer Group which was co-led by Indonesia, India and Australia conducted itself in a professional manner, and their insight has been a great benefit to the Elections Office.
Saneem said while the group’s general endorsement has been known for some time, the final report offers useful analysis on specific aspects of the election.
He said the Elections Office will carefully review the report and its recommendations as they start to prepare for the 2018 election.
The Multinational Observer Group has recommended in its final report on the 2014 general elections that political party identification should be included on the National Candidates List.
The report also states that consideration should be given to reducing requirements for party registration and activities.
It further said that public office holders, including trade union officers, should be allowed to be political party members.
They also recommend that the Public Order (Amendment) Decree should be revised to allow groups, including political parties, to gather without requiring a permit.
It also said that the national candidate numbers should be drawn earlier, to allow parties sufficient time to publicize these ahead of pre‑polling.
The group included observers from Australia, Canada, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, the Melanesian Spearhead Group, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and USA.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations