THE Daniel Fatiaki led Electoral Review Commission had recommended that women get at least 35 per cent representation in Parliament under a major electoral reform proposal recommending 25 constituencies reserved exclusively for female candidates.
The proposal is contained in the 232-page report, An Electoral System for the People, From the People, produced by the electoral law reform commission and obtained by The Fiji Times.
Led by former chief justice Daniel Fatiaki, the commission was appointed in 2025 to review key election-related laws, including the Electoral Act 2014, the Electoral (Registration of Voters) Act 2012, and the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding & Disclosures) Act 2013.
The Fiji Times understands this report has been superseded by the Constitution Review Report – compiled by the seven-member Constitution Review Commission that was appointed in March 2026 this year to review the 2013 Constitution.
The CRC report was considered by Cabinet last week and will go to Parliament soon.
Under the proposed system, Parliament would retain 71 seats, with 25 reserved seats for women. While only women would be eligible to contest these constituencies, both men and women would vote for the candidates.
The commissioners describe the proposal as a “radical ‘first’” for Fiji’s electoral system.
They say the arrangement would provide women with about 35 per cent of parliamentary representation, exceeding the target under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The review also considered requiring political parties to meet quotas for female candidates but concluded that quotas alone may not address the disadvantages women face during election campaigns.
It also proposed boundaries for the 25 reserved constituencies that would match those of other local constituencies to minimise confusion.
The report also suggests male and female candidates could campaign as teams, potentially providing women with greater logistical support and security. If accepted, this would mark a significant shift from Fiji’s current system, where women compete directly with men for parliamentary seats without gender-reserved constituencies.
