The final report from the Multinational Observer Group (MOG) for the 2022 Fiji General Election has made 20 recommendations to the Government of Fiji on how to further improve the country’s electoral system, policies and legal framework.
The report contains specific recommendations regarding the media environment, gender equality, and the participation of civil society including: reviewing guidelines and legislation to provide greater clarity about the contribution of media organisations to public discourse and political accountability; efforts to promote women’s representation and safeguard gender diversity in the electoral system; and consideration to how domestic and other international non-governmental observers can be incorporated in future electoral processes.
The MOG’s findings and recommendations for future elections are based on the independent, objective, and thorough observations of more than 90 international observers who took part, and the extensive engagement co-chairs and long-term observers had with stakeholders before and after the December poll.
The MOG found the 2022 General Election was well-administered, with voting and counting transparent and credible. The environment was peaceful and the campaign competitive.
Conditions overall supported Fijians to exercise their right to vote freely and the outcome broadly represented the will of the Fijian voters.
The MOG observed a wide range of electoral processes and consulted extensively with political parties, government agencies, civil society, and the media. The MOG offers its recommendations to the Government of Fiji in a constructive spirit, to build on the achievement of the running of the 2022 election by strengthening key institutions to enhance the trust of all stakeholders and support an increasingly informed electorate.
The MOG was co-chaired by MP Rebekha Sharkie, Parliament of Australia, Dharmendra Sharma, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner of India, andAmbassador Muhsin Syihab, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, and supported by more than 90 observers from 16 countries and two regional organisations (the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and the Melanesian Spearhead Group).
The MOG’s Final Report on the 2022 Fiji General Election has been endorsed by the Australian, Indian, and Indonesian co-chairs, the Fiji Elections Office and Fijian Electoral Commission.
SOURCE: MOG/PACNEWS
