Parties allowed to field candidates in 2026 municipal polls

Political parties will be allowed to nominate candidates for the upcoming municipal council elections, clarifying earlier confusion over whether the polls would be apolitical.

Permanent Secretary for Housing and Local Government Seema Sharma confirmed yesterday that candidates could run either as independents or with political party backing.

“It’s a two-way nomination. It can be independent or it can be nominated by a political party,” Ms Sharma said during a media briefing following the launch of a civic education campaign.

The clarification came after Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa was asked whether the elections would be independent from political parties.

“You must not be a Member of Parliament. You must be independent from the parties,” Mr Nalumisa said. However, party members who are not MPs can contest with political party support.

To stand for election, candidates must be Fijian citizens and have resided in the municipality for more than one year.

The dual nomination system means voters could see both party-affiliated and independent candidates competing for council seats.

Municipal councils make decisions on local services, including waste management, markets, town planning, infrastructure, and business development.

The civic education campaign, which began yesterday, will run until the end of January to help residents understand the electoral process.

The municipal elections are scheduled for September 2026, marking the first local government polls since 2005.

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