The Electoral (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Bill 2023, seeking to amend the Act to remove the amendments to section 4 of the Act that were made in 2021, will be debated in parliament on Friday despite opposition from FijiFirst MPs today.
While tabling the Bill under Standing Order 51, Attorney General, Siromi Turaga says in 2021, the Electoral (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2021 provided that a person’s application for registration as a voter must state his or her full name as specified on his or her birth certificate and must also be accompanied by the person’s birth certificate.
He says these changes were made after the Supervisor of Elections lost the Niko Nawaikula case.
Turaga says the amendments made in 2021 were seen to disadvantage people, especially women who chose to use their spouse’s surname but who were required to first change the name on their birth certificate in order to be registered using their spouse’s surname.
He says the Bill must be considered urgently to address the concerns raised by women who want their birth certificates to be changed to reflect their maiden names as they had previously changed their birth certificates to include their spouse’s surnames for election purposes only.
The Attorney General says the longer they delay the Bill, the longer individuals are being denied their right to vote as women who wish to vote under their married name.
FijiFirst MP, Mosese Bulitavu opposed this Bill coming under Standing Order 51.
He says the Acting Supervisor should come with the right procedure, bring the findings and ask for the amendments to be made.
Bulitavu says this is not the right time, and it is too early.
Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Biman Prasad says the previous government had brought this law without any consultation at all.
Professor Prasad says the Office of the Attorney General has had consultations before coming with the Bill as it is urgent.
He says this law was bad where the previous government lost the Niko Nawaikula case in court and came and changed the law.
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