The proposed FijiansFirst Party has submitted its application for registration, marking the first step toward becoming an officially recognised political party in Fiji.
The Fijian Elections Office (FEO) confirmed that the application was lodged yesterday by founding member and general secretary Ravindran Kumaran, accompanied by party member and Member of Parliament Ketan Lal.
Registrar of Political Parties Ana Mataiciwa said preparations were now underway to publish the party’s application in a newspaper and in the Fiji Government Gazette, as required under the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013.
Once the publication is made, the statutory period for objections will begin.
“During the objections period, any person may submit a written objection to the Registrar regarding the party’s application for registration,” Ms Mataiciwa said.
“The registrar will assess and determine all objections within seven (7) days of receipt after giving the proposed party an opportunity to respond.”
She added that both the objectors and the applicant party would be informed once the assessment process had been completed.
Following this stage, the Registrar will determine whether the application by the Proposed FijiansFirst Party meets the requirements set out under the Act and whether the party will be officially registered.
Ms Mataiciwa emphasised that the process was designed to ensure accountability and public participation.
She reiterated the importance of transparency and public participation in the Political Party registration process, ensuring that all proposed parties meet the legal requirements while providing members of the public with the opportunity to raise objections as provided under the law.
