DEMOCRACY is not just about having a general election, says Attorney-General and Minister responsible for Elections Aiyaz Sayed- Khaiyum.
He made the comment while officiating at the launching of an election module for secondary school students in Suva yesterday.
He said there was a need to engender a culture of democracy in any group, association or organisation where there was a representation of people.
“We must ensure that the whole culture of democracy is engendered not just at the national level, but at all other levels — provincial level, district level, trade union level, various associations. Only then we may be truly democratic at all levels,” Mr Sayed- Khaiyum said.
“So it’s the idea of the subscription to transparency to ensure that everybody gets the right say and a fair say and that their say is finally represented in the final outcome.”
Meanwhile, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the same elections supervisor that conducted the 2014 General Election, Mohammed Saneem, would also head the Fijian Elections Office in the upcoming polls.
“We do not know when the election will be held this year, but as you know, constitutionally speaking, the Government has to serve at least three-and-a-half years but no more than four years. So there’s a six-month window, of course it can be called at any time. This will be a challenge.
“The Fijian Elections Office needs to ensure that they are ready as to whenever the election will be called, and the electoral commissioners as well.”
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum also commended the Electoral Commission, saying they have conducted themselves in a completely different level of integrity and credibility.
