Speaker Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has attributed the Fijian Parliament’s ability to continue its business amid the pandemic to the timely investments in its e-Parliament initiative that began in 2020.

The investment includes the development and strengthening of the I.T facilities to ensure effective online or virtual communications.

And this is how the Fijian Parliament has been able to meet despite the COVID-19 pandemic, he said during the World e-Parliament Conference held virtually last Friday.

The World e-Parliament Conference is the leading international forum for exchanging good practices and building inter-Parliamentary cooperation in the area of innovation and digital technology in Parliaments.

“The target was enhancing Parliament’s accessibility to citizens for information resources, and access to committee inquiries. But it became crucial in ensuring the continuity of business during the lockdowns that were instituted to counter the transmission of the pandemic,” Ratu Epeli said in the statement issued by the secretariat.

“This initiative was due to the successful partnership between the Fijian Parliament, the Government and our development partners of Australia, Japan and New Zealand that was facilitated under the United Nations Development Programme – Fiji Parliament Support Project.

“However, we have been able to have hybrid sittings from May 25 to June 7. This was a milestone in the history of the Fijian Parliament and Parliamentary democracy in Fiji.”

He said more than 50 per cent of the MPs attended the sitting virtually, with the remainder attending in-person and observing Parliament’s COVID-19 safe protocols.

Ratu Epeli said despite these successes, there were challenges to be fine-tuned to allow continuity.