Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem says after two successful general elections based on the current framework, Fijians are now more familiar with elections and are more empowered to play an active role.
While handing over the Joint Report on the 2018 General Election to President Jioji Konrote, Saneem says a lot of the disinformation and concocted theories were debunked in the last election paving the way in building more trust and confidence in the institutions.
The Joint Report annexes the Final Report of the Supervisor of Elections as well as the Multinational Observer Group Report on the 2018 General Election.
Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Suresh Chandra says that the handing in of the report that contains extensive commentary on the procedural aspects of the process as well as details of actual activities during the election completes the Commission’s task in terms of the 2018 General Election.
Chandra says they have carefully considered the Supervisor’s report on the conduct of the 2018 General Election, the MOG Report and its findings and recommendations, and they have thereafter considered that primarily there is a need to spread electoral activities over 4 years instead of leaving most of it to the election period.
Chandra says that with the establishment of the Fijian Elections Office and the Electoral Commission as long term establishments, Fiji needs to refocus some of the aspects of elections to be due and finalized 1 or 2 years prior to the first date the Writ can be issued.
He says this would ensure that political parties and various other stakeholders are involved and if they wish, they can play an active role in preparing the country for the next General Election.
Work has now begun on the preparation for the next General Election that can take place between 26th May, 2022 to 9th January, 2023.
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