Ali says Fiji’s electoral system gives parties more power than candidates

Nadi businessman and Fantasy Island developer Abbas Ali has questioned the effectiveness of Fiji’s electoral system, saying proposed changes under Bill 32 must address a system that gives political parties more power than individual candidates.

Mr Ali shared his submission on Bill 32 with this masthead. He argued that voters were effectively choosing party leaders rather than the candidates they wanted to represent them.

“It’s not a true democracy. You understand why? Because in this system, the individual actually is not counted. It is the party. The party gets the vote, not the individual candidates,” he said.

He said candidates could enter Parliament without winning sufficient personal support from voters, relying instead on the popularity of their party leader.

“This individual has not won through his own support or vote. He has relied on the leader’s vote, when the leader relied on the party’s vote,” Mr Ali said.

He also questioned the quality of candidates fielded by political parties, saying Fiji was struggling to attract educated professionals and experienced businesspeople into politics.

“We cannot attract the right calibre of people. The educated group will not get into it. The parties find it very difficult to attract the right type of people, qualification-wise,” he said.

Mr Ali proposed reducing the number of parties contesting general elections through a preliminary election involving party leaders.

He suggested that the leaders of the 12 political parties should contest first, with only those meeting the required five per cent threshold allowed to proceed to the general election.

“Let the leaders fight the first line of election. Then see who can meet the threshold. Those who can meet the threshold, they should be the only ones contesting in the general election,” he said.

He believed this would encourage capable candidates to join stronger parties and help produce a more accountable government.

Mr Ali also warned Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka that securing an outright majority at the next election would be difficult.

“My advice to him is to hire a proper consultant who knows about politics and can advise him on how to tackle this next election. He will have a tough time, I tell you.”

“That’s my opinion. The process of democracy in voting is defeated because we are not using the right system. It’s wrong. Totally wrong.”