Ministers, MPs Among Applicants Interviewed To Contest 2018 Poll

A number of serving Cabinet ministers and MPs were interviewed yesterday by FijiFirst for the 2018 General Election.
The interview was conducted by a panel led by Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in his capacity as the party’s general secretary.
The interview started on Thursday, continued on Friday and concluded yesterday.
Those seen going in for the interview at the party’s headquarters at Brown Street, Toorak, Suva, yesterday included Minister for Fisheries Semi Koroilavesau, Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa and Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Iliesa Delana. MP Mataiasi Niumataiwalu, a former journalist, was also seen going in for his interview.
On Friday, Minister for Local Government, Housing, Infrastructure and Transport Parveen Bala, Minister for Forests Osea Naiqamu and Minister for Waterways and Environment Mahendra Reddy and Government Whip Ashneel Sudhakar and MP Mohammed Dean were among those interviewed.
The interview has heightened speculation that the election date will be announced soon.
If the writ of election is issued tomorrow, we could go the polls towards the end of next month.
Otherwise, we could be looking at early October. It is understood this is because the incoming Government has to be in place before the royal couple Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle visit Fiji in the last week of October.
Edited by Ranoba Baoa