The Fijian Elections Office is urging registered officers of all political parties to thoroughly familiarise themselves with the Electoral Act to avoid confusion.

He clarified that the Electoral Act does not require any candidate to be vetted through the Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit [FIU].

In Parliament on Tuesday, National Federation Party MP, Lenora Qereqeretabua, said during a meeting organised by the Elections Office where they invited political parties for a briefing with the Head of FIU, the NFP had asked the FIU whether it could provide clearance for its proposed candidates prior to the nomination process.

“It was in good faith that we sought this so that we could be confident that people NFP selects are credible as politically exposed persons and originators or receivers of financial transactions, seeing as they will be contesting to represent people in this Parliament,” she said.

“The surprise to that request is that Mr. Saneem himself made visible eye and head gestures to the director in front of all the political parties present, to signal that the director should refuse this request and we wonder, why?”

In a statement yesterday, the FEO clarified that the nomination of candidates for the 2022 General Election will be governed by section 23 of the Electoral Act.

The exact requirement to be successfully nominated are as follows; Electoral Act 2014 section 23(4)

(4) A person is eligible to be nominated as a candidate for election to Parliament only if the person—

(a) is a citizen of Fiji, and does not hold citizenship of any other country;

(b) is registered in the Register of Voters;

(c) is ordinarily resident in Fiji for at least two years immediately before being nominated;

(d) is not an undischarged bankrupt;

(e) is not a member of the Electoral Commission, and has not been a member of that commission at any time during the four years immediately before being nominated;

(f) is not subject to a sentence of imprisonment when nominated;

(g) has not, at any time during the eight years immediately before being nominated, been convicted of any offence under any law for which the maximum penalty is a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more; and

(h) has not been guilty of any offence under a law relating to elections, registration of political parties or registration of voters, including any offence prescribed under this Act.

“Going into the nomination for the 2022 General Election we urge all political parties particularly office holders of parties to ensure they convey the accurate information in relation to the requirement for nomination and subsequent electoral processes to the party members,” said the Supervisor of Elections, Mr Mohammed Saneem.

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