Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Fiji NGO calls on regime to reconsider political party decree

Posted at 19:43 on 24 January, 2013 UTC

The Fiji NGO, the Citizens Constitutional Forum, has called on the interim government to reconsider its political parties decree issued last week.

The decree has set conditions, which observers say few, if any, parties can meet.

The CCF says as the decree stands, it is unjustified and will deny the citizens of Fiji their right to be represented in a general election by persons or parties of their choice.

It says it would leave a huge vacuum in Fiji’s political climate and deter others, potential leaders, from standing in the 2014 planned elections.

The CCF says while voter registration is underway there is still no substantive appointment to the Independent Supervisor of Elections.

It says it finds it contradictory that democratic elections should be subjected to issuing of decrees by an unelected administration.