The Fijian Electoral Commission welcomes the initiative by the Fijian Elections Office [FEO] to conduct voter registration continuously as we progress towards the next election.
“I take this opportunity to invite all eligible Fijians to take advantage of this opportunity to Register to Vote,” said Chairperson, Mr. Chen B. Young.
The 2015 – Phase 1 of voter registration is scheduled to begin in July and the FEO will be conducting registrations mostly targeting schools to capture Fijians who have just turned 18. Secondary schools offer the FEO an excellent opportunity to register newly eligible persons before they disperse into the tertiary institutes or into the work environment.
“Under the 2013 Constitution and the Electoral Decree, 2014, the Electoral Commission is responsible for the registration of Voters and the FEO is required to administer the process, said Mr. Young. We must continue to update the Voter Roll and ensure that registration is accessible to any Fijian as registration is a voluntary process.”
The European Union Observer Report on the 2006 General Election [EU Report] had recommended for Fiji to maintain a current National Roll through the institution of a permanent and public voter’s database to improve the quality of the electoral roll. The implementation of the Electronic Voter Registration system has made it now possible. Notably, for the 2006 General Elections the EU Report had also found that the Register of Voters was not updated annually for the preceding five years.
The Multinational Observer Group Report on the 2014 General Election also recognized that the continuous updating of the Roll was good practice and recommended the FEO to continue to maintain the system.
The FEO is now an established institution that will continue to operate in between elections and Voter Registration will be one of its primary responsibilities. The Electoral Commission and the FEO remain committed to ensuring the integrity of the Voter Roll is maintained to the highest standards.
The FEO registration teams are currently in the Lomaiviti group accompanying the Commissioner Eastern’s tour. Teams will also be stationed at the FEO booth at the 2015 Fiji Showcase.
Chen Bunn Young
Chairperson – Fijian Electoral Commission