The Acting Deputy Supervisor of Elections;
The Acting Director Operations;
The Deputy Director Operations;
The Divisional Manager Central;
The Training Facilitators; and
Training participants.
Ara na Yadra, and a Victorious Morning to you all.
Today marks another important step in our preparations for the upcoming General Election as we commence the training of our Awareness and Voter Registration teams across the Central, Eastern, Western and Northern Divisions.
Over the coming days, teams across the country will undergo the same training, receive the same information and prepare to deliver the same standard of service to voters.
Whether you are serving in the heart of Suva, travelling through communities in the Western Division, reaching villages and settlements across the North, or making the journey to our maritime communities in the Eastern Division, the expectation is the same:
Every voter must receive accurate, impartial and consistent information from the Fijian Elections Office.
That responsibility now rests with you. Our preparations for the General Election did not begin today. They have been underway for some time.
We have been preparing our systems, our people, our materials and our operations so that when Fiji goes to the polls, the FEO is ready to deliver.
But being operationally ready is only one part of election readiness.
Our voters must be ready too.
They need to know what they are required to do. They need to understand their voting options. They need to know where to go, when to act and where to seek assistance when they need it.
That is why this nationwide awareness and voter registration drive is so important. During this outreach, we are not simply distributing information.
You will sit with voters in villages, settlements, workplaces, schools, communities and other locations across the country. Some people will have voted many times before. For others, this will be their first General Election.
Some will have questions about voter registration. Others may want to understand pre-poll voting, postal voting or what happens on Election Day.
Your responsibility is not to tell anyone who to vote for. Your responsibility is to make sure they understand how they can participate.
That distinction is fundamental. As officials of the Fijian Elections Office, you must remain politically impartial at all times. Every voter who sits before you must receive the same respect, the same information and the same standard of service, regardless of their background, beliefs or political views.
You are there to inform.
You are there to assist.
And most importantly, you are there to listen.
Our awareness approach recognises that every vote has a story.
Behind every name on the National Register of Voters is a person with their own circumstances, responsibilities and reasons for participating.
The young person preparing to vote for the first time. The elderly voter who has participated in elections for decades. The worker who may be away from home on Election Day. The voter living with a disability who wants to understand the assistance available to them. The Fijian living overseas who still considers Fiji home.
Each of them has a story, and each deserves the information necessary to make their own informed decision about participating in their election.
That is why the quality of the conversation you have matters.
Do not rush through your presentation simply because you have delivered it many times before. For the voter sitting in front of you, it may be the first time they have heard that information.
Give them the opportunity to ask questions. If you know the answer, provide it accurately. If you do not know the answer, do not guess. Refer the question through the appropriate FEO channel and ensure that the voter receives the correct information.
Your credibility, and the credibility of this institution, depends on that discipline. The same standard applies to voter registration.
Registration is not simply an administrative transaction. For many people, it is their first interaction with Fiji’s electoral process. Treat every voter with patience, professionalism and respect.
At the end of this training, I want each of you to leave here understanding not only what you have to do, but why your role matters.
When our teams move out across the four divisions, you become the face and voice of the Fijian Elections Office in those communities.
People will judge this institution through their interaction with you.
So wear your identification with pride. Know your material. Follow your procedures. Remain impartial. Be approachable. And remember that the people you serve are entitled to nothing less than your best.
We have prepared for this.
Now it is time to take that preparation to the people.
From the Central Division to the West, from the North to the islands and communities of the Eastern Division, our objective is one:
To ensure that Fijians have access to the information and electoral services they need to participate confidently in their election.
To our trainers, I ask that you set the standard from the beginning.
To our participants, ask questions, challenge yourselves and use this training to prepare yourselves properly for the responsibility you are about to undertake.
And when you eventually sit across from that voter, remember:
Every vote has a story.
Every conversation matters.
And every voter deserves to be informed.
With those words, I am pleased to officially commence the Divisional Awareness and Voter Registration Training for the YES Outreach Phase II – Nationwide Awareness and Voter Registration Drive.
I wish you all a productive training and a successful nationwide rollout.
Vinaka vakalevu, dhanyavaad, and thankyou.
