Press Releases

NCBBF requests the President to call forum to discuss return to parliamentary democracy

The National Council for Building a Better Fiji yesterday (April 15, 2008) has requested the President, Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda, to take urgent action to call a forum to discuss steps needed for restoring parliamentary democracy in Fiji.

The proposed forum is to involve all stakeholders in Fiji including all political parties as well as electoral experts and Fiji’s major international development partners. The purpose of the forum is to discuss the steps needed to reform Fiji’s electoral system to conform, inter alia, with the principles enunciated in the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights.

The National Council also decided to accelerate its own work on the draft People’s Charter and in particular, to develop viable options for electoral reform, so that these may be put to the proposed forum and also to the people of Fiji.

The National Council made these resolutions after having heard presentations from the Electoral Commission and the Constituency Boundaries Commission relating to Fiji’s electoral system and on the planning and preparatory work that is underway for the national election to be held in 2009.

The Council also resolved to express to His Excellency the President of Fiji:

Its concern that holding another election in Fiji under existing rules would be flawed because it would amount to seeking to elect a democratically elected government under electoral rules that are undemocratic;
Its apprehension that any government elected in this way would be denied legitimacy and credibility, both within Fiji and with the international community, thus leading to further political instability and
Its view that, after consultation with the people of Fiji, there is an urgent need to bring forward a package of required changes to the electoral rules as soon as possible and for them to be brought into operation with due urgency and speed, to ensure that the general election is held in 2009.

April 16, 2008

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