Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Fiji’s next general election is expected to be held between 24 December 2026, and the first week of February 2027, unless Parliament legislates a delay or the Government calls an earlier poll under constitutional provisions.
Rabuka said the Constitution required elections to be held four years after the first sitting of the newly elected Parliament, placing the next election within that timeframe.
He said the Government was working to complete several key reforms before voters go to the polls, including reviews of the electoral framework and the Constitution.
“The authorities contained in the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji, we are bound by the provisions of those Acts and the Constitution to hold elections four years after the previous one,” Rabuka said in a video update today.
“Four years after the swearing-in of the government, four years after the first day of sitting of the newly elected government, which puts a date for this next election to between the 24th of December and the first week of February 2027,” he said.
“There are certain things that we are trying to get done before the election.”
Rabuka said the Electoral Review Commission had completed its report, while the Constitution Review Commission was continuing to gather public views.
“There has been an electoral review of the elections provisions commission. They have done their report. There have also been attempts to secure the views of the people in the Constitution Review Commission.
“Those have their own lifespan. If they are completed in time and the consequential activities carried out, whether they be parliamentary or outside of Parliament, they will have to be done independent of the preparation for the election.”
He said political parties should prepare for the election under the existing legal framework while remaining ready to adapt if electoral laws were amended.
“Parties will have to now be getting ready for the elections assuming that it will be based on the current laws, maybe even hoping and be amenable to amending their plans to cater for the changes that may be brought in with the amendment to the various laws and Acts that govern the conduct of elections.”
Rabuka said the Constitution also allowed the Prime Minister to advise the President to dissolve Parliament after three-and-a-half years, enabling an earlier election.
“Elections will be carried out unless the Parliament legislates a delay. It can right now, it can be brought forward. I can ask the President to dissolve Parliament according to the time that is constitutionally mandated and that is anytime after three and a half years after the previous election.
“So we’re now into the time when the Constitution empowers the Government to ask the President to issue a writ for election.”.
