For the 2018 General Election, the Electoral Commission has until midnight on the last day, of the stipulated three days, to rule on candidate nomination objections and application review.

This is after it won an appeal against a High Court ruling in 2014 which favoured the interpretation by the Supervisor of Elections of the 4pm cut-off time.

The Fiji Court of Appeal declared that: “The time of three days decreed in section 30(5) and section 31(4) of the Electoral Decree end at midnight on the third day.”

It also declared: “The construction to be placed on section 76(3) of the Constitution read with section 8(a) of the Electoral Decree requires the Supervisor to comply with all decisions and directions given to him concerning the performance of his functions by the Commission.”

The matter stemmed from a dispute on nomination objections involving a Fiji Labour Party candidate Steven Singh whose nomination was disallowed.

This decision by the Fiji Court of Appeal is not expected to have any bearing on the outcome of the 2014 general elections.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

Feedback:  jessica.gounder@fijisun.com.fj