Dialogue Fiji has expressed disappointment over the removal of the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) mobile application, calling it a “regrettable and backward step” for election transparency, innovation, and public access to credible information.
The organisation said the app had been widely regarded as one of the most innovative election administration tools in the Pacific, providing citizens, researchers, and stakeholders with real-time results, historical election data, and an interactive D’Hondt seat allocation calculator.
“The FEO app was a model of innovation in election management and a symbol of progress in data transparency,” said Dialogue Fiji Executive Director, Nilesh Lal.
“Its removal is deeply disappointing and constitutes one of the most regressive developments in Fiji’s modern-day election administration.”
Lal said the app had allowed researchers and analysts to study electoral patterns through detailed, disaggregated data — something now no longer accessible.
“The experience that Fijians had in accessing election results in real time and in such an engaging, visual format cannot be matched by media dissemination alone.”
He warned that the lack of an official results hub could make it easier for misinformation to spread during election periods.
“Without a credible, authoritative source of live results, people will begin posting fabricated figures online, eroding trust in the electoral process.”
While acknowledging that the app had experienced a technical glitch during election night, Lal said this should have been fixed, not used as a reason to discontinue the platform.
“Educate users, fix bugs, strengthen the platform — but don’t dismantle it,” he said.
Dialogue Fiji has written to the Supervisor of Elections urging reconsideration of the decision, saying Fiji must “move forward by building on innovation, openness, and transparency.”
