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When elections take place in countries transitioning from authoritarianism to democracy, from deep political crises to stability, or from war to peace, their significance is greater than usual.

Fiji’s 2018 parliamentary elections took place on 14 November with over 630,000 registered voters at 2,173 polling stations, including advanced and postal voters. With heavy rain and a tropical disturbance throughout the voting day, the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) postponed voting in 25 polling stations to 17 November. This year’s turnout is expected to be lower compared to the 2014 elections.  

Back in July 2015, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which happened to be the FEO’s first since its creation in early 2014. The MoU was deemed necessary to form a basis for cooperation between the two institutions to enhance the evolvement of electoral practices in Fiji.

Fiji is almost finishing its first electoral cycle since it returned to democracy in 2014. Next parliamentary elections are due to take place before December this year. The return of democracy has provided greater opportunities and space for civil society organizations (CSOs) to get involved in the democratic processes. It was therefore an opportune time to launch and begin the European Union-funded “C3- Fiji Project” on 17 April 2018.

As we are nearing the end of 2017, it is an opportune time to look back and reflect on the year that has just gone by.

A credible voter register gives legitimacy to the electoral process and helps prevent electoral fraud.

However, voter registration remains a complex and contested task. It is one of the most important activities that an electoral management body needs to conduct, but it is also one of the most costly in terms of both time and resources.

Representatives from 15 Fijian government agencies, state-owned enterprises and civil society organizations in Suva came together to assess democratic accountability in service delivery.

International IDEA is hosting its first workshop in Melanesia this week on democracy assessments, measurements and data validation. The workshop focuses on using International IDEA’s State of Democracy (SoD) assessment methodology in the Melanesian countries of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

The end-game of violent conflict is perhaps the most difficult phase of transformation in a hugely difficult process.

In that phase, parties need two overall aids. They need to be able to avail themselves of the most effective and appropriate dialogue process to facilitate their negotiations; and they then need to successfully negotiate a sustainable settlement by putting in place effective and appropriate democratic structures and political institutions.

The Fijian Elections Office (FEO) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Canberra, Australia and Suva, Fiji, on Thursday, 25 May 2023 that re-establishes ties between the organisations.