Statement by Mr Edwin Nand

Acting Director Stratgic Development and Communication

Presiding Officer’s Training Launch

FEO HQ – Suva – 05^th February, 2018 – 11:00am

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Ni sa Bula Vinaka and a very good morning to you all.

The Fijian Elections Office is ready to begin training for Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers for the 2018 General Election.

Presiding Officers will have a one day training program from the 08 February 2018 – which is this Thursday and we expect to complete by 03 March 2018.

For this week – Week 1, training will be from Thursday to Saturday from 7.30am to 5.00pm at the following venues:

1. FEO Conference Room [Saturday only]
2. Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons [FNCDP]
3. Kshatriya Hall – Lower Hall
4. Kshatriya Hall – Upper Hall
5. Studio Six Conference Room
6. Nausori Village Hall
7. Sila Central High School – 3 venues [Saturday only]
8. Lautoka Civic Centre
9. Nadi Civic Centre [Saturday only]
10. Kshatriya Hall –Labasa

We are targeting 25 participants for each training session and based on the number of polling stations we will be training 4500 officials by 03 March 2018.

This week alone, we expect to collectively train 625 officials.

Ladies and gentlemen, following the successful completion of the 2018 General Election – Election Officials Recruitment Drive last month, we have received 17,016 applications.

While recruitment was still going on, we had begun half-day trainings – and from those trainings, we identified individuals who qualify for training as Presiding and Assistant Presiding Officers.

Applicants were selected on merit after sitting a test in the half-day Election Officials training.

Appointments for Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers will only be made at the end of the full day training based on their tests results and assessment.

We would like to request those who have been chosen to attend this training to arrive at the venues on time so that there are no delays.

In the coming weeks, the Fijian Elections Office will be contacting applicants who will be allocated training dates in weeks 2 and 3 of the program.

Please note that not ALL applicants who attended the half day training will be called in for this full day training – these sessions are only for Fijians who scored 85 percent and above in their assessment.

The Fijian Elections Office will also be publishing the names of trainees on a weekly basis on our website and social media pages. Venues will also be made available through these channels.

Please note that our 1501 call centre is still operational and staff are on hand to attend to queries from Election Official applicants.

Following the completion of training, the FEO will issue contracts to Election Officials. Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers will receive their contracts from 17 March 2018 to 24 March 2018.

Other Election Officials including Venue Queue Controllers, Inside Queue Controllers, Identification Officers, Ballot Paper Issuers, Ballot Box Guard will receive their contracts from 05 March 2018 to 16 March 2018.

From the 20^th of February we will upload on our website the list of Election Officials for each polling station and they will have to attend to their respective FEO Divisional Offices to receive their contracts.

Ladies and gentlemen, these officials will be responsible for ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted conduct of polling at their respective venues.

The FEO has invested in ensuring that they are fully trained and ready to deliver come Election Day, and we are confident in their ability to manage polling venues.

Apart from this, Election Officials will also be ambassadors for the Fijian Elections Office and we expect the highest level of professionalism and respect from each of them.

To those who have been selected for training, I wish you the best of luck and look forward to working with you.

Thank you, Vinaka Vakalevu and Dhanyabadh.

…ends…