DIALOGUE Fiji CEO Nilesh Lal has defended Fiji’s Open List Proportional Representation (OLPR) electoral system, describing it as a model that strengthens accountability and empowers voters.
Speaking at the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Electoral Reform, Mr Lal directly countered a common criticism that OLPR weakened the link between elected representatives and the electorate.
“Evidence shows that non-performing MPs have been voted out in subsequent elections shown by the 2014, 2018 and 2022 election results,” he said.
“If you analyse the results at the candidate level, we have noticed that apathetic MPs or those that were seen not to be effective, not performing, were essentially voted out at later elections.”
Mr Lal said unlike the current one, Fiji’s previous voting system made many people feel they had to vote based on their ethnicity or party and emphasised that OLPR encouraged accountability by allowing voters to reward effective MPs.
“In the past, Indo-Fijians mostly voted for FLP, and iTaukei voters for SDL.
“So, regardless of who the candidate was within their constituency, they didn’t have a choice.
“Now, under OLPR, even strong party supporters can choose from multiple candidates within their party.”
