Youth candidates that will be running for the 2022 General Elections have revealed that the main reason why youth participation is lacking in politics in Fiji is the lack of representation in the old government system and the cultural norm of listening to your elders.
While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, People’s Alliance youth candidate Bulou Gavidi says traditionally, young people do not feel that their contributions to national development are being recognised.
She says youths do not feel their voices are important in decision making and she says that this is also seen in other areas of life.
Gavidi says a pathway needs to be created for youths to come in and be part of the decision-making process and Fiji may be able to see more participation from youths in the elections.
She is urging youths to come forward and be part of the election process.
SODELPA youth candidate Koroi Tikoilomaloma says youths are not inclusive as they do not have that open forum to participate in.
He says during his campaigns, he has seen that youths need to be lured with attractive things such as grog to attend campaign meetings because they feel that elections are for older generations.
Tikoilomaloma says the responsibility to encourage youths also falls on the family and make sure that the young ones that will be voting participate.
National Federation Party youth candidate Apenisa Vatuniveivuke says a lot of youths in Fiji are disillusioned from politics because a lot of the time, it has become a spectator sport.
He says politicians are dishing out insults at each other rather than talking about issues that face this country.
Vatuniveivuke says we are not doing enough in engaging the youths because most of them had highlighted that election day will be a holiday and it will be a rest time for them.
He adds this is something political parties should look into.
Unity Fiji youth candidate Peni Matanisiga says youth participation in an election has been not good because youths have not been represented in past governments.
He says youths of today feel like voting is for the older generation and the firsthand responses from youths during their campaign is what is the point of voting for them.
Matanisiga says advocacy on youth participation should be done from an early age to ensure that youths understand the importance of voting during an election.
We Unite Fiji youth candidate Nitish Sharma says most youths are not interested in politics because most young people do not care what happens in government as they only care about school life and how stressful it is.
He is encouraging youths to turn up at their polling station next Wednesday to exercise their right to vote.
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