Statement by the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Mr Mukesh Nand

Launch of the FEO Results App

18/08/2022 at 12.30pm

 

Bula Vinaka Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to be here this afternoon, as we witness the launch of the updated 2022 General Election Results App.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Electoral Commission has decided that the theme for this year’s conduct of the general election will be to deliver an election that is fair and credible and broadly reflects the will of the Fijian people, and at the same time allowing them to cast their votes with confidence, security and freedom.

As we are all aware, the most anticipated part of an election process is the results. Traditionally in Fiji, the means of transmitting results has been through the media in which the media obtain the results from the Electoral Commission and publish it widely on their channels.

I’m very, very excited to say that in the 2018 General Election, the Fijian Elections Office developed a more direct means of transmitting results to Fijians. And that meant that any Fijian who has a smartphone is able to access results for the 2018 General Election directly in the palm of their hands by downloading the Fijian Elections Office Results App.

Following the success of the Results App in 2018, as you would all be aware, I’m very excited again, when the Fijian Elections Office decided to upgrade the Results App with new features and new means of transmitting or view means of displaying results. So that any Fijian can get access to results in a very user friendly and convenient manner.

Ladies and gentlemen, that is the main intention of the Electoral Commission, where we constantly update and upgrade processes and systems so that the electoral processes in Fiji continues to develop for the betterment of the ultimate beneficiaries of the entire process.

Additionally, ladies and gentlemen, with the results being delivered in a more user friendly manner, the confidence level of Fijians in elections will also increase. The participation level will also be enhanced and Fijians will feel good that an opportunity to access election results in the palm of their own hands at their own convenience, so that they could do their own analysis. They could do their own assessments and they can do their own predictions.

So, ladies and gentlemen, the overall Results App is a welcome feature in Fijian elections. I’d like to congratulate every one that has developed and tested this app, which will be used in 2022 General Election. With that said, ladies and gentlemen, my hearty thanks to the Supervisor of Elections and his team for their energy and enthusiasm in consistently working towards improving the processes and the delivery of elections.

Thank you and Vinaka Vakalevu.