Citizen led group to conduct election observation established in Fiji

What happens between the opening of the polls and the announcement of the results can shape public trust in an election. On election day, observers provide an independent set of eyes on the process. They follow what happens at polling stations, watch as votes are counted and help the public understand whether an election has been conducted openly and fairly. By sharing impartial findings, election observers can build trust in the process and highlight areas that could be strengthened.

On Friday 18 September, seven civil society organisations in Fiji came together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a Citizens’ Observer Group (COG) to support election observation in Fiji. Facilitated by International IDEA, the initiative aims to strengthen electoral transparency, citizen participation and public confidence.

The group was established at the request of the Government of Fiji, reflecting a shared commitment to conduct credible and transparent electoral processes through citizen-led observation. 

Florence Swamy, Executive Director of the Pacific Centre for Peacebuilding, on behalf of the COG, highlighted:

COG brings together organisations with different expertise and community connections but a common commitment to credible, peaceful and inclusive electoral processes. Through collaboration, training and shared standards, we aim to contribute positively to public confidence in Fiji’s democracy.

The COG brings together organisations with different areas of expertise and strong connections across Fiji’s communities. Together, they can draw on a broad range of perspectives and networks to support inclusive election observation. 

The participating organisations are:

• Caritas Fiji 
• Centre for Democracy and Dialogue (CDD), formerly Dialogue Fiji 
• femLINKpacific (femLINK) 
• Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) 
• Pacific Centre for Peacebuilding (PCP) 
• Social Economic Empowerment Programme (SEEP) 
• Transparency International Fiji 

Domestic election observation enables trained citizens and civil society organizations to independently follow and assess how an election is conducted. Observers do not replace electoral authorities or interfere with their legal responsibilities; instead, they offer an impartial view of the process and share findings that can help strengthen future elections.

International IDEA will support the group with technical advice, training and lessons from election observation experiences in other countries. IDEA will not observe the election itself, helping to ensure that the initiative remains locally led.

Leena Rikkilä Tamang, International IDEA’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, commented that:

The signing of this memorandum of understanding marks an important milestone in a longer-term process of building credible and sustainable domestic election observation capacity in Fiji. This effort will require collaboration among civil society organisations, government institutions and development partners, and International IDEA looks forward to contributing its technical expertise.

The establishment of the COG marks an important step towards a sustainable, citizen-led election observation mechanism that can support transparency and public confidence in Fiji’s electoral processes.