Still no word on Municipal Elections

The Government has yet to confirm whether municipal council elections will be held before the 2026 general election.

This was revealed by Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa.

“That’s something we still have to confirm,” Mr Nalumisa told the Fiji Sun when asked if local elections would proceed before next year’s national polls.

The minister said preparatory work was nearing completion, with final discussions underway with the Solicitor General's office.

“I’m just completing the groundwork now. So now we're on the tail end,” he said.

“So, we're having a few things with the Solicitor General's office. So once that is finalised, we'll be able to make some announcement.”

Municipal council elections have not been held in Fiji since 2005, marking two decades without local government polls.

In August, Cabinet approved the Electoral (Local Government Elections) Regulations 2025, replacing outdated 1972 rules and signalling progress toward restoring municipal democracy.

However, Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa had earlier indicated it was highly unlikely elections would happen in 2025 due to unresolved legal and regulatory issues.

Key decisions still pending at the time included finalising ward boundaries, councillor numbers, and election procedures.

Ms Mataiciwa explained that once a writ is issued, the legal process requires approximately 95 days to complete.

The next general election must be held between June 24, 2026, and February 6, 2027.

Despite the uncertainty, the Fijian Elections Office has maintained its readiness to conduct local government elections whenever required.

Feedback: kaneta.naimatau@fijisun.com.fj