Outdated and harmful terms like “people with intellectual disabilities” and “unsound mind” must be abolished and political parties need to genuinely support people with disabilities once they are accepted as candidates.
This was highlighted by the President of the Fiji Disabled Peoples’ Federation, Setariki Macanawai, during the public consultation on the three electoral laws hosted by the Fiji Law Reform Commission at the FNU Nasinu campus yesterday.
Macanawai says these terms are no longer acceptable and do not reflect the rights of people with disabilities.
He says Fiji has already ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the principles of inclusion and equality are in the Constitution and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018.
He adds that it is now about turning those commitments into action.
He further adds that political parties need to go beyond tokenism and offer real support both financial and technical to help disabled candidates campaign effectively.
Macanawai also says once these individuals are accepted as candidates, they must be supported to carry out their campaigns in communities across the country.
He says it is critical that the electoral process be inclusive at every stage and that these changes should be made in consultation with organisations that represent people with disabilities.
The president says people with disabilities make up 14.3 percent of Fiji’s population and their right to participate equally in the electoral process must be protected.
He acknowledges efforts to improve accessibility, such as addressing the issue of inaccessible polling stations but says these steps are not enough.
He says there is a need for accessible ballot papers so that people with disabilities can vote in secrecy and with dignity.
Macanawai says he is hopeful that these reforms will lead to a truly inclusive and accessible electoral system in Fiji.
