“At the heart of every credible election is public trust.”
These were the words of the Supervisor of Elections (SoE), Ms Ana Mataiciwa, during the launch of the Electoral Integrity Toolkit: AI & Your Campaign and the Empowering Fiji’s Women in Politics Candidate Hub at Central Cuisine, Laucala Bay, today.
Ms Mataiciwa highlighted the opportunities and challenges artificial intelligence presents to electoral integrity, warning that fabricated images, manipulated videos, cloned voices and false information about electoral processes can undermine public trust and create confusion.
She emphasised three key principles for responsible communication: verify before sharing, respond responsibly to misinformation, and compete with integrity.
“Political competition should be based on genuine ideas and policies, not deception, intimidation or the manipulation of information,” Ms Mataiciwa said.
The SoE said the AI & Your Campaign Toolkit would contribute to raising awareness of the risks associated with artificial intelligence while encouraging responsible communication and information verification as Fiji prepares for its next General Election.
Ms Mataiciwa also welcomed the launch of the Empowering Fiji’s Women in Politics Candidate Hub, emphasising that women’s meaningful participation is essential to an inclusive democratic process. She noted that women in political and public life can face challenges, including online harassment, intimidation and harmful digital content.
“Technology must never become another barrier to their participation,” she said, adding that initiatives that improve access to information and encourage women’s participation can strengthen Fiji’s democracy.
Ms Mataiciwa reaffirmed the Fijian Elections Office’s commitment to independence, impartiality and electoral integrity, stressing that voters must have access to accurate and reliable electoral information.
She encouraged candidates, political parties and members of the public to verify information about voter registration, polling arrangements and other electoral procedures through official FEO communication channels.
The SoE also emphasised that protecting electoral information requires a collective effort from political parties, civil society, the media and voters.
The workshop is organised by CCD supported by Misereor, with the initiatives aimed at promoting responsible communication, strengthening electoral integrity and supporting informed participation in Fiji’s democratic processes.
