Tavualevu villagers question Standing Committee on when is the next general election

Some villagers of Tavualevu in Tavua have asked the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights on when the next general elections will be held however Committee Chairman, Alvick Maharaj says only the President knows when the next elections will be held.

While speaking during the consultations on Electoral Amendment Bill 2020, the Electoral Registration of Voters Bill and the Political Parties Amendment Bill 2020, Maharaj said the President will announce the day of the election when the Writ of Elections is filed.

He says Members of Parliament do not even know the day of elections.

Villagers also raised their concerns on why the counting of votes are not conducted in divisions.

Responding to the questions being raised, Maharaj highlighted that counting is not done in divisions because it is difficult for a voter to clarify how many people from his or her settlement had voted.

He says the new system that is being used is more transparent than the old system of voting.

The Chairman clarified that votes are counted by polling stations and not accumulated for divisional areas.