Statement by the Chairperson Ms Barbara Malimali of the Electoral Commission
Opening of the EC Induction Workshop
Suva
14 August 2023
Fellow Commissioners,
Bula Vinaka!
I take great pleasure in according to each of you a warm welcome. As you all are aware, through the recent appointment of Dr Atu Emberson-Bain, we now have a full complement of Commissioners.
I wish to highlight that as members of the Electoral Commission, our duties are enshrined under the Constitution; therefore, it is crucial that we align ourselves to our roles stipulated under section 75 of the Constitution. I am confident that over the course of this Workshop, we will be able to familiarize ourselves with our roles and conduct ourselves in a manner that is expected of this office.
As appointees of the President, it is imperative that you fully know your duties so that they can be executed accordingly. Therefore, we must strive to work collectively as members of the EC to best serve the interests of all Fijians.
I also wish to extend our welcome and appreciation to Ms Deirdre Brooks and Ms. Karen Beggs who is here to facilitate our Induction Workshop. Ms Brooks and Ms Beggs are also representatives from the New Zealand Electoral Commission (NZEC).
We are truly thankful to the NZEC and MFAT for facilitating this Induction Workshop and we look forward to more collaborations in the near future.
With that being said ladies and gentlemen; my fellow Commissioners without taking any more of your time, I officially open our 3-day Workshop.
Vinaka Vakalevu