Domestic election observers return after 20 years

Domestic election observers are preparing to return to Fiji’s polling stations for the first time since the 2006 General Election.

Seven civil society organisations today signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Citizens’ Observer Group (COG), which will support credible, professional and non-partisan observation of Fiji’s next general election.

Centre for Democracy and Dialogue executive director Nilesh Lal said Fiji had not had domestic election observation for more than two decades.

“It has been more than twenty years that we have had a domestic election observation. The last time that we did a domestic election observation was in the 2006 elections,” he said.

Mr Lal said Fiji’s electoral frameworks did not authorise their need for continued domestic observation after the 2006 elections.

He said the group would work with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) to build the capacity needed to conduct the exercise.

“Domestic observation is very critical for any election.

“You can get that stamp of approval that an election has been there, from overseas missions. But in some respects, domestic groups can also make assessments about the credibility of the electoral process.”

Mr Lal said the group would have to ensure its work remained impartial and was not influenced by political interests.

Pacific Centre for Peacebuilding executive director Florence Swamy said observers would also examine the elections through a peacebuilding and inclusion lens.

“The women, the young people, the marginalized” must have their experiences included, she said.

Social Empowerment Education Programme executive director Chantelle Khan said they signed the MOU to also understand the Code of Conduct and how they were going to work together as domestic observers.

The signing comes as Fiji moves towards its next constitutionally mandated election deadline of February 6.