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Election mood gathers pace in Fiji as polling date nears

Appeal to eligible Fijians overseas to vote
Venkat Raman
Suva, Fiji, October 26, 2018
With the General Election 2018 just about three weeks away, politics is engaging the attention of most Fijians, who are otherwise unconcerned.
A majority of people here in the Capital are weighing their options although they believe that stability of the government is supreme as this country progresses towards the principles of democracy and its governance.
The three-day visit of the young Royal Couple, the Duke and Duchess of Essex Prince Harry and Meghan Markel this week was a brief distraction but public interest is back on the next, democratically elected government.

Prince Harry and wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, receive a gift from the University of the South Pacific in Suva. Photo: AFP (By Arrangement with RNZ)

The main contenders
There are many political parties in the arena although three of them have emerged as the main contenders- the ruling FijiFirst, the main opposition the National Federation Party and the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA), whose leader and former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka was acquitted by the Suva Magistrate Court earlier today of the charge of failing to declare his assets, liabilities and income.
He was celebrating his victory with his close associates at lunch at the Grand Pacific Hotel and is sure to be a frontrunner of this Party in the forthcoming General Election.
The three Parties are contesting in all the 51 seats in the next Parliament, while the Fiji Labor Party, once in government, is contesting in only 25 seats. The Unity Fiji Party, which has proclaimed itself as a ‘credible, multiracial,’ Party is contesting for 31 seats, while ‘Hope,’ registered only on July 4, 2018, will contest for 28 seats.
Appeal to overseas voters
Speaking to Indian Newslink at his office in Suva today, Fiji Elections Office (FEO) Supervisor Mohammed Saneem appealed to overseas Fijians who hold citizenship of Fiji and registered as voters to exercise their franchise.

Fiji Elections Supervisor Mohammed Saneem
(Picture Supplied)

“Ballot papers will be sent by courier (DHL) latest on Sunday, October 28, 2018 to all registered voters all over the world. These ballot papers should be completed and should reach our office in Suva by 6 pm on November 14, 2018, the actual day of polling in Fiji. The DHL packet contains a prepaid courier envelope,” he said.
Right and Equality
Mr Saneem said that every Fiji Citizen over the age of 18, who is eligible and registered with his Office has the right to vote.
The oldest registered vote in the ensuing General Election would be a 117-year-old man living in the Northern Division.
“Every voter has one vote and has the right to vote by secret ballot. Every Registered Voter is listed on a single National Register of Voters. The Fijian Elections Office values honesty, integrity and transparency in all its transactions,” he said.
With a total population of about 950,000, Fiji accounts for about 638,000 voters, of which approximately 7950 are foreign residents.
The high and the low
John Wesley College is the Polling Venue with the highest number of voters with 5203 voters assigned to this location, an increase of 31 voters.
Sabata Village in Serua is now the Polling Venue with the lowest number of voters with 14 persons registered.
Mr Saneem hopes that the voting rate would be 84% similar to the 2014 General Election, which is regarded as the first democratic and fair electoral process in the country’s history.
“Weather is our biggest challenge,” he said.
Fiji has been experiencing heavy downpours over the past two days, which is feared to impact on the voter turnout. But with strong public enthusiasm seen, public response is expected to be good.
Elaborate arrangements
The FEO has made elaborate arrangements with more than 10,000 Polling Officers deployed on the Election Day to manage 2168 polling booths all over the country.
“Counting will begin at all the polling booths soon after the conclusion of polling and the trend will be known by midnight. We hope to announce the provisional results soon thereafter. We have taken all precautions to ensure that the process is flawless,” Mr Saneem said.
Single Constituency Method
‘Fiji follows a ‘Single Constituency’ method by which every voter throughout the country can vote for any candidate of their choice unlike in most countries where voters get to choose only candidates of their constituency.
New Zealand follows the Mixed Member Proportion (MMP) System according to which voters have two votes to cast, one each for the candidate in their constituency and for the Registered Party contesting in the election.
“Prior to the 2014 General Election, Fiji had 71 constituencies under a different voting system. But the revised Constitution follows ‘Equal Rights, Equal Vote’ for every citizen and as such the entire country is declared as a ‘Single Constituency.’ General Election 2014 was declared as ‘Free and Fair’ by international observers,” Mr Saneem said.
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