Statement by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission
Mr Mukesh Nand
Announcement of 2022 General Election
FEO Ground Floor Conference Room
30/10/22
The Supervisor of Elections,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Bula Vinaka and a very warm welcome to you all.
The Prime Minister has announced that 14 December 2022 will be the date for the General Election.
The Electoral Commission, under Section 75 of the Constitution, is responsible for the conduct of Elections in Fiji; and I would like to assure all Fijians that we are ready. The Fijian Elections Office has concluded all its Election preparation activities.
On the day the Writ for the 2022 General Election is issued, the Fijian Elections Office will complete voter registration. The FEO is also on track in terms of staffing and resources.
Ladies and gentlemen, with the announcement of the 2022 General Election, I would like to inform all voters that Postal Voting Applications are now open.
Every registered Fijian who is overseas will be required to apply for a Postal Vote. Postal Voting Application forms can be accessed on services.feo.org.fj.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Writ for the 2022 General Election will be issued tomorrow, the 31st of October 2022. This means that Fijians need to know of a few very important requirements.
- Any Fijian who will turn 18 years old before the Writ is issued can still register;
- Voter registration will cease following the issue of the Writ, at the time prescribed by the Writ. So, if you still have not registered, this is your opportunity to do so;
- Political Party registrations will also cease immediately after the Writ is issued.
Following the issue of the Writ, the Fijian Elections Office will publish a timeline of important dates for all Fijians to note.
As announced earlier, the 2022 General Election will take place on 14 December 2022 with Polling Stations open from 7.30am, and will close at 6.00pm after the last voter in the queue at 6pm has voted.
Following the issuance of the Writ, candidate nominations will open.
The last day for filing candidate nominations is 12pm on 14 November 2022. Any person who wishes to withdraw their nominations may do so by 12.00noon the next day.
As of today, ladies and gentlemen, the Fijian Elections Office expects to operate 855 Election Day Polling Venues and 613 Pre-Poll Venues around the country by employing 7,541 staff.
We have successfully completed the training of Election Officials, Media and Political Parties, and have concluded the “Know Your Election” Voter Awareness Drive.
The Fijian Elections Office has also opened the 1500 toll free helpline where voters can call in to make basic enquiries such as the location of a voter’s Polling Venue.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, the Electoral Commission would like to ask you all to complete a checklist:
- Do you know where your Polling Venue is? If yes, help a friend find theirs by texting their Voter Number to 1500.
- Do you have a VoterCard or any other valid photo ID card? If yes, help another voter keep their card intact.
- Do you know how to vote? If yes, help another voter. If not, visit www.feo.org.fj for the latest information on how to vote.
We are optimistic that this year’s Election will set new benchmarks. This can only be possible if all voters exercise their democratic right and come out to vote.
The Fijian Elections Office has conducted a comprehensive voter education and awareness exercise to ensure that voters know what to expect at their Polling Venue and how to mark their Ballot Paper.
It is incumbent on us to ensure that every effort has been made to make the 2022 General Election simple, easy and convenient.
With these words, ladies and gentlemen I once again urge all eligible Fijians to familiarize themselves with the voting processes and, come out to vote.
Thank you and vinaka vakalevu.