Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga has reassured the Fijian Elections Office and the Electoral Commission that he intends to promptly address the backlog and challenges they are currently facing.
Speaking in Parliament, Turaga stated that he has been informed about the significant administrative support issues confronting the Electoral Commission.
He attributed these challenges to residual issues from the previous government administration.
“The challenges facing them are unfortunate. As the line Minister, I desire to resolve these challenges soon. If anything, the Electoral Commission and the Fijian Elections Office should complement each other in tandem,” Turaga said.
Turaga noted that the FEO has been allocated $7.4 million for its operations in the upcoming financial year.
He highlighted that the Electoral Commission is an independent, non-partisan authority responsible for registering voters and conducting free and fair elections in accordance with Fiji’s electoral laws.
“I acknowledge them for their hard work and sacrifices to ensure our electoral laws, and administration are transparent, efficient, effective, and truly represent the people’s views,” Turaga added.