The Supervisor of Elections (SoE), Ms Ana Mataiciwa, today held a briefing with media representatives to update them on the latest statistics for ongoing preparations by the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) for the upcoming election.
Eight (8) members of the Media attended the briefing, representing Fiji Village, Fiji Sun, Fiji TV, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC), Fiji Times, and Fiji Live.
In her brief, Ms Mataiciwa shared that a total of 1,508 provisional polling venues have been identified nationwide, with 880 venues designated for Election Day and 628 for Pre-Poll. These will accommodate 2,149 polling stations across the Central, Western, Northern, and Eastern Divisions.
Election Official (EO) recruitment has also progressed, with 14,606 applications received against a requirement of 8,907.
To date, 13,449 EOs have been recruited, with the current recruitment phase focusing on Suva, Nausori, Labasa and Lautoka.
Preparations for General Election training are also underway, with 80 Field Trainers supporting the programme, and the Training of Trainers sessions will take place in September, followed by EO training from 15 September to 22 November.
Election materials are also being prepared, with ballot boxes, polling kits and voting screens delivered and ready for use.
Fiji currently has 11 registered political parties, while upcoming activities include the Electoral Commission’s ball draw for the first three (3) digits on the ballot paper.
The FEO will also conduct the YES Outreach – Registration and Awareness Drive in October and November, focusing on Voter Registration and Awareness ahead of the General Election.
Following this session, Manager Legal, Mr Mesake Dawai, briefed media representatives on the Electoral Amendment Bills, highlighting the proposed changes to the Electoral laws.
