Former Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem has questioned the Electoral Commission’s preparedness for the next General Election, warning that delays in declaring the official campaign period could undermine voter protection and electoral fairness.
In a strongly worded statement on his social media page, Saneem said the Electoral Commission should urgently focus on its constitutional responsibilities, particularly the declaration of the official campaign period.
“The Electoral Commission should urgently pay attention to its primary role under the Constitution,” Saneem said.
He noted that political actors are legally entitled to an official 30-day campaign period before the earliest date the Writ for a General Election can be issued.
“By not declaring the campaign period on the earliest possible date, is the Electoral Commission doing a disservice to the voters and the political parties?” he questioned.
“What is the rationale for a lesser period? Several campaign offences are dependent on this declaration — they must protect the voters.”
Saneem said the earliest permissible declaration date was May 24, 2026, and argued that every day of delay weakened enforcement of key electoral protections.
“Every day the Commission delays beyond that date is a day on which vote buying can occur undetected and unpunished,” he said, referring to provisions under the Electoral Act.
He also claimed that foreign-funded organisations could continue participating in political activities unchecked, while the use of State resources for political advantage would remain outside enforceable campaign restrictions until the campaign period is formally declared.
Saneem further warned that racially or religiously offensive campaign material could circulate without sanction and said financial disclosure obligations linked to campaign commitments had also not yet been triggered.
He raised concerns over the lack of publicly available updated voter demographic data, questioning the transparency of current electoral preparations.
“My research also does not show any latest data on voter population in Fiji. What are the demographics?” he asked.
Saneem also argued that delayed campaign activation disadvantaged opposition parties and challengers.
“When the challengers are not given enough preparation time, you will have such bold statements from the incumbents,” he said.
He concluded by expressing concern over overall election readiness.
“Frankly speaking, the Electoral Commission and its Elections Office do not show any positive signs of election readiness should the gavel drop on 24 June 2026,” Saneem said.
