The proposed NextGen Alliance Party has lodged a fresh application for formal registration with the Fijian Elections Office (FEO), marking a second bid after its initial attempt was rejected earlier this year for failing to meet the required number of verified signatures.
Party officials submitted the new paperwork on Tuesday and say they handed over more than 7,000 signatures from supporters for processing. NextGen Alliance leader Apisai Moce described the submission as an important step forward, expressing cautious optimism about the outcome. “Quite happy, not really overconfident but we’re happy and we anticipate for a good result after the objection period of course,” Moce said, noting that party supporters were present at the FEO when the documents were lodged.
General Secretary Frederick Kataiwai framed the re-submission as part of a broader push to draw young people into politics. “I am overwhelmed, and I am happy and I’m glad, I’m excited, I’m excited of what the future holds for the country with young people coming forward putting their hands up and not waiting for things to be given to them,” Kataiwai said, urging youth participation to “take our country to the next level.”
The FEO confirmed the application is now being processed under the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013. In a statement, the Supervisor of Elections said the office will prepare to publish the party’s application in a newspaper and in the Government Gazette, as required by the Act. “Once the publication is made, the objections period will officially open,” the statement said, adding that a final decision will follow a thorough compliance check against statutory requirements.
Publication and an objections period are standard steps in the registration process. The Supervisor’s confirmation that those steps are now pending makes this re-submission the latest operational development: signatures submitted must still be verified and any legitimate objections considered before the FEO can approve or refuse registration.
NextGen’s renewed attempt follows its earlier rejection, when the Elections Office found the party had not supplied enough verified supporter signatures. The new batch of more than 7,000 will now be subject to verification checks before the statutory publication. If the application proceeds without successful objections and passes FEO compliance scrutiny, NextGen Alliance would become an officially registered political party under the 2013 Act.
The NextGen move comes amid a broader uptick in activity from emerging political movements seeking formal recognition. Other groups in recent months have taken initial steps to reserve names and pursue registration, signalling a busy period for party formation ahead of future electoral cycles. For NextGen, the coming weeks will determine whether its second attempt secures the formal status the movement needs to contest elections and operate under the regulatory framework set by the FEO.