FIJIANS do not need a voter identification card to vote as the laws governing general elections does not make it compulsory to produce one.
This is the view of former supervisor of elections and prominent lawyer Jon Apted.
“Although the Electoral Act provides for Voter IDs as the primary or main way of identifying a voter at a polling station, it does not make it mandatory to produce a Voter ID to vote,” he said.
Mr Apted made the comment in response to queries from this newspaper after Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem made an announcement recently that Fijians would have to present their birth certificate to obtain replacement voter cards, report loss of cards or for new registration.
He said the requirement was designed to improve verification of identity. Mr Saneem said during a press conference earlier this month that the Voter ID card 0.1 would expire on June 1.
Mr Apted said Fiji’s electoral laws said very little about voter identification cards.
“There is no provision saying how they are to be issued and what they can say — or even who is to issue them.
“There is no law saying that cards can have an expiry date.”
He said although the Electoral Act provided for Voter IDs as the primary means of identifying a voter at a polling station, it did not make it mandatory to produce a Voter ID to vote.
“Presiding officers are empowered to accept other forms of ID.
“So, if you don’t want to have a current Voter ID card, you should legally be able to use other forms of official ID to prove your identity.
“After all, the FEO (Fijian Elections Office) and presiding officers are under a positive duty to assist people to vote and not impede them.”
