Parliament has unanimously passed three electoral amendment bills aimed at strengthening election procedures, clarifying voter registration requirements and improving accountability in political party funding ahead of the next general election.
The three bills include the Electoral Amendment No. 2 Bill 2026, the Electoral Registration of Voters Amendment No. 2 Bill 2026 and the Political Parties Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures Amendment No. 2 Bill 2026.
Speaking in Parliament, Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo said the amendments were necessary to protect the integrity of Fiji’s democracy and strengthen public confidence in the electoral system.
He said the amendments would ensure electoral laws remained consistent with the Constitution and provided greater certainty for voters, candidates and election administrators.
One key change aligns voter registration requirements with Section 55 of the Constitution, while another clarifies the legal position when an election is postponed, ensuring provisions activated by the announcement of an election date remain in force unless the election is cancelled.
The political parties amendment also reduces the financial disclosure period from 60 days to 30 days, with Mr Vosarogo saying that “transparency delayed can often become accountability denied”.
Attorney-General Simione Valenitabua said the amendments would bring the three electoral laws into greater consistency and protect voters throughout the electoral process.
He said election laws must be clear and constitutionally sound because elections were the moment when the people, rather than the Government or Parliament, had the final say on who governs.
