THE Fiji Elections Office (FEO) is expected to reach more communities during this election period than it has in previous elections after receiving four new vehicles from the Indian High Commission to boost its operations.
Speaking during an interview during the handover ceremony, Chair of the Electoral Commission Justice Usaia Ratuvili said the additional fleet would improve the Commission’s ability to carry out its work, particularly in rural areas.
Justice Ratuvili said the request for the vehicles was made during his visit to India earlier this year after the Commission identified the need for additional transport support.
He said four-wheel-drive vehicles were specifically requested because of Fiji’s terrain and the challenges faced in reaching communities where roads were not always accessible.
“We’ve just not been able to reach as wide an area as we wanted to, so with these additional vehicles for our fleet, it’s going to help us a lot,” he said.
Justice Ratuvili said the vehicles would be used across the Central, Eastern, Western and Northern divisions, assisting with voter awareness programmes, transporting election teams and moving election equipment, including ballot boxes.
He also confirmed that Fiji had requested indelible ink from India for the upcoming elections.
Indian High Commissioner to Fiji Shri Suneet Mehta said the donation was another milestone in the longstanding relationship between India and Fiji.
“India has provided not only the vehicles but also indelible ink for various general elections,” he said.
Mr Mehta said the latest assistance demonstrated India’s continued support for the conduct of free, transparent and inclusive elections in Fiji.
