A report titled “Political Finance Assessment of Fiji” by a Sweden-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), and co-authored by Dialogue Fiji executive director Nilesh Lal, was not compiled in an apolitical and independent manner.

This, according to Registrar of Political Parties Mohammed Saneem.

He told a news conference yesterday the report was “rather representing various interests of political parties”.

“The commentary that it carries is not on the political party situation in Fiji, but on the perception of the political parties on the political party finance regulations,” he said.

“This completely defeats calling it a political finance assessment. It should be called political party commentaries or a record of political party statements on the political party regime in Fiji.”

He said when an organisation attempted to carry out an assessment on the various aspects of elections, it must “first and foremost” declare its interests. He said if the assessment was apolitical and independent, then the methodology must be transparent and the final outcome of the assessment must be apolitical and independent of interests.

Mr Saneem said according to their own assessment, the report was flawed. Among other things, the report said political parties believed the Registrar of Political Parties, Mohammed Saneem, had too much legal power.

It also said the FijiFirst party spent $6.3 million in the 2018 election year, three times the total amount spent by all Opposition parties combined.

It highlighted the gap in donations, where the FijiFirst party received $2.5 million in donations during the 2018 election year, compared with the $476,230 received by the National Federation Party and $21,177 by SODELPA in 2018.

The report also said donors to political parties could be subjected to personal attacks because of Fiji’s disclosure requirement.