Fiji election register tops 723,000 voters as parties prepare for poll

Fiji’s electoral roll has passed 723,000 registered voters.

This gives election officials an updated picture of who is eligible to vote as political parties prepare for the country’s next general election.

A total of 723,771 Fijians are now registered, 29,856 more than were on the roll for the 2022 election.

The figures follow a two-month data-cleaning exercise by the Fijian Elections Office (FEO), aimed at checking the accuracy of the National Register of Voters.

With the polling date yet to be announced, Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa says the updated roll will help guide preparations for polling day.

“All voter registrations received by the Fijian Election Office as at 30 June underwent a data-cleaning exercise in July and August,” she said in a statement.

Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa says the updated roll will help guide preparations for polling day. Photo/PMN News Composite

“The updated figures will guide the FEO’s preparations for the upcoming General Election, including its planning for polling operations and voter services.”

“Maintaining an accurate and credible National Register of Voters is fundamental to the integrity of the electoral process and the FEO remains committed to ensuring that every eligible Fijian has the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.”

Mataiciwa earlier told PMN News that concerns had been raised about the accuracy of the National Register of Voters.

The latest figures show almost equal numbers of men and women are registered, with 362,438 male voters and 361,333 female voters. Photo/FEO

She says the FEO uses a two-step verification process, which includes checks with the Births, Deaths and Marriages Office, Fiji National Provident Fund, Fiji Corrections Service and the Ministry of Immigration.

“What we normally do is that we liaise with these stakeholders, get their data, match it with our data, and then we check that all the legal provisions regarding registration are met,” Mataiciwa said.

“When it comes to the deaths of registered voters, we go to the extent of publishing a notice and make calls to the next of kin to confirm to us if indeed they have passed on and once that's confirmed, we remove them from our database.

“That's how we ensure that the National Register of Voters is accurate.”

The latest figures show almost equal numbers of men and women are registered, with 362,438 male voters and 361,333 female voters.

Most registered voters are in Fiji’s largest divisions: 313,135 in the Central Division and 270,175 in the Western Division.

Tui Lau, Sau ni Vanua o Lau Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara registers for the upcoming elections. Photo/FEO

The Northern Division has 102,304 registered voters while 25,266 are registered in the Eastern Division.

A further 12,891 Fijians living overseas have registered to vote.

Meanwhile, the voter roll comes as political parties move into election mode despite the polling date still being unknown.

The People’s Alliance Party (PAP), led by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, is still working through its candidate selection process.

In a statement, Party President Ratu Josefa Dimuri said the PAP expects to announce its candidates at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September or shortly afterwards.

He confirmed some members of the Group of 11 (G11), MPs who left the deregistered Fiji First Party, have applied for seats.

Watch Fiji's Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa's interview on PMN Fiji below.

“They will go through the same selection process as every other applicant,” Ratu Josefa said.

The National Federation Party (NFP) is also preparing to announce its candidates at its AGM and convention next month.

Party leader Professor Biman Prasad told a recent meeting in Nadi that the NFP will be a leading party both in parliament and in government after the next general election.

So far, only the Nextgen Alliance Party, People First Party and the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) have announced provisional candidates.

Eleven political parties are currently contesting the general election.