The Electoral Commission and the Fijian Elections Office have backed a number of recommendations by the Electoral Law Reform Commission, including lowering the current five percent threshold of votes needed for political parties or independent candidates to qualify for Parliament, introducing a mixed-member proportional electoral system similar to New Zealand's, creating temporary reserved seats for women to increase female representation in Parliament, and introducing a caretaker government during election campaigns.
In their joint submission to the Constitution Review Commission, the two bodies also recommend allowing dual citizens to contest elections if they meet residency requirements, allowing serving prisoners to vote, replacing the term "unsound mind" with more respectful language, keeping voting voluntary, and allowing public officers to take unpaid leave instead of resigning before standing for election.
They also support a recommendation by the Electoral Law Reform Commission to restore the right of people who have completed a custodial sentence to stand for elections.
However, they say the Constitution should clearly set out how this would apply, including whether there should be different rules for serious and minor offences.
The submission says that the Electoral Reform Commissioners recommended a minimum of 71 seats however the Electoral Commission leaves the total number of seats in Parliament for the Constitution Review Commission, and in turn, to Parliament.
The submission says lowering the current five percent threshold would allow more votes, particularly those cast for smaller political parties, to be reflected in Parliament.
It also says a mixed-member proportional electoral system would allow people to vote for a local Member of Parliament as well as a political party, giving every voter a local representative while ensuring Parliament better reflects the way people voted.
The Electoral Commission and the Fijian Elections Office also recommend setting up an independent body to draw constituency boundaries, if Fiji adopts a constituency-based or mixed electoral system.
Other proposals include supporting the Electoral Law Reform Commission's recommendation, and to restore the Senate as a non-partisan Upper House.
The submission also supports merging the Electoral Commission and the Fijian Elections Office into one organisation, separating the Registrar of Political Parties from the Elections Office, clarifying what happens if a candidate dies or withdraws before polling, and introducing fixed terms for Electoral Commissioners.
