Jofiliti
Veikoso and Joseph Veramu reporting from Seoul, South Korea.
We are an anti-corruption NGO based at 38 Desvouex Road, Suva City, Fiji (integrityfiji73@gmail.com)
Monday, April 3, 2023
Second Summit for Democracy Affirms Anti-Corruption Initiatives
Monday, January 30, 2023
Annual corruption report reveals fourth year of stagnation in the Pacific
Joseph
Veramu and Mariam Mathew
The
2022 Corruption Perceptions Index[1] (CPI) released by Transparency
International (TI) showed that the Asia Pacific region stagnated with an
average score of 45 for the fourth year in a row.
We
emphasize that the 1- or 2-point differences in country scores in this
paragraph is not statistically significant and not necessarily indicative of
larger trends. Fiji leads the Pacific but fell from 55 to 53 this year. Vanuatu
gained 3 points from last year to register a score of 48. The Solomon Islands
fell by 1 point to 42. Papua New Guinea (PNG) once again scores least but
further fell by 1 point from last year to register this year’s score of 30.
Across the pond New Zealand leads in Oceania and second globally with a score
of 87. It fell by 1 point from last year’s score. Australia’s score is 75; a
2-point increase from last year.
Despite
the opportunity presented by the numerous diplomatic summits held in the region
in 2022, (including the Pacific Islands Forum in July) states continued to
focus on economic development at the expense of other priorities, including
anti-corruption efforts.
Mariam
Mathew, Pacific Advisor at TI Secretariat said, “The Pacific has shown some
encouraging signs, notably the endorsement of the Teieniwa vision in 2021 and
the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent in 2022, but anti-corruption
commitments have not yet translated into reduced corruption rates”.
Pacific
country insights:
Joseph
Veramu, Executive Director of CLCT Integrity Fiji said, “We applaud the new
government for committing to repeal many undemocratic laws and measures taken
by the previous government. We now urge them to prioritise strengthening
anti-corruption efforts. This includes ensuring that the Fiji Independent
Commission against Corruption (FICAC) remains operational and is able to
operate independently and with adequate capacity”. As Fiji’s score in the 2022
CPI fell by 2 points since last year, we believe that all stakeholders in
Government, the media, private sector and civil society should work together to
curb corruption.”
Ruth
Liloqula, Executive Director of Transparency Solomon Islands noted, “The 2022
CPI score of Solomon Islands shows that government’s efforts to tackle
corruption in the public sector is not going anywhere; it has become stagnant.
The key Government Institutions that should be leading or providing the
leadership, bringing in reforms etc. in this fight, are the most corrupt.” On a
positive note, Liloqula said that the determination of CSO’s, journalists,
concerned citizens, and actors within the government were tenacious in the
fight against corruption. “Power is in people’s hand to hold leaders to account
and to nurture leaders who develop a culture of integrity and anti-corruption
in government,” she added.
PNG
in 2022 experienced what is being called the country’s worst elections ever[2]
despite a history of electoral rife. TI PNG’s report[3] found numerous
irregularities, with out-of-date election rolls, stolen ballot boxes and even
bouts of violence. None of this bodes well for democratic development in PNG
and may directly affect its future CPI score.
Vanuatu
however, was a bright spot this year. The people are becoming more aware of
corruption as an issue, as civil society organisations form coalitions to hold
government accountable. In an important win, the government committed to
establishing an anti-corruption commission in late 2021. Yet the country
continues to grapple with political instability, with snap elections held this
year[4] after the prospect of a no-confidence vote triggered the president to
call elections in August.
Clancy
Moore, CEO of TI Australia noted, “Across the Pacific, corruption poses a
direct threat to national and regional peace, stability and security. The
Australian government’s foreign policy should prioritise promoting democracy,
good governance and civil society accountability efforts.” He added “TI
Australia works with our chapters in the Pacific to tackle corruption risks in
the mining and infrastructure sector which are skyrocketing as governments and
businesses invest in renewable energy. We can also work together to stop money
laundering in the region.”
Insights into New Zealand and Australia
Anne
Tolley, Chair of TI New Zealand stated, “While New Zealand remains among the
least corrupt countries in the world, the drop from first is a reminder that
complacency is not an option in our battle against corruption,” “The gradual
decline in our ranking among the component indexes that measure business
perceptions is particularly troublesome. Maintaining low levels of corruption
is essential for our trade dependent economy,” Tolley added.
Julie
Haggie, CEO of TI New Zealand stated, “the good news in 2023 will be the
drafting of legislation creating a register of beneficial ownership which will
improve monitoring and investigation by government agencies, whilst also
reducing business compliance costs. We are looking forward to hearing about
progress towards a more transparent government procurement system. TI New
Zealand has been actively advocating on these issues and is regularly involved
in consultations.”
Clancy
Moore noted “after ten years of democratic backsliding, Australia is now in
13th place behind countries including New Zealand and Denmark scoring 75 points
on the 100-point scale. “Australia’s score is 10 points lower than in 2012,
though a two-point increase in this year’s report – from its lowest ever score
of 73 last year – shows Australia may be turning the corner off the back of the
landmark National Anti-Corruption Commission. To be a leader in tackling
corruption, Australia should introduce a whole of government anti-corruption
strategy including comprehensive whistle blower protections, reforms to
political donations, expenditure, unfair lobbying and strong laws to stop money
laundering.”
Recommendations:
During
the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in July 2022, Transparency
International Pacific chapters[5] had urged leaders[6] to respond to key
corruption findings from a public survey assessing people’s views and
experiences of corruption in ten forum member countries and territories. With
the 2022 CPI scores being released, it is important that these recommendations
be revisited. They are listed as follows:
(a)
Strengthening accountability of political leaders, requiring all high-level
officials to publicly disclose their income and assets, tightly monitoring
discretionary public funds, and empowering the police and courts to properly
investigate and punish corruption
(b)
Increasing transparency in the relationship between government and businesses,
by monitoring companies’ involvement in electoral campaigns and policy making,
and by ensuring that all public contracts are awarded fairly and competitively
(c) Eradicating bribery opportunities by
investing in clear and uncomplicated systems for accessing public services
(d) Ensuring elections are fair and free of
vote-buying or threats, by strengthening independent electoral commissions and
anti-corruption agencies
(e) Introducing and enforcing right to
information and whistle-blower protection laws, so that citizens and
journalists can hold power to account without fear of retaliation.
Anti-corruption
activists in the region need to redouble their efforts and actively engage
governments nationally and at regional forums to combat the growing scourge of
corruption.
[1] 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index
[2]
https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/11/papua-new-guinea-conducts-its-worst-election-ever
[3]
https://transparencypng.org.pg/tipng-domestic-election-observation-report-2022/
[4] https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/476496/vanuatu-election-international-observers-arrive
[5] Transparency
International Pacific chapters include Transparency Vanuatu, Transparency
Solomon Islands, Transparency International PNG, CLCT Integrity Fiji,
Transparency International Australia and Transparency International New Zealand
[6]
https://twitter.com/integrity_fiji/status/1545670098249080833
How did Fiji Perform in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2022?
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2022 results released at Tanoa Plaza Hotel on Jan 31, 2023 by CLCT Integrity Fiji showed that Fiji’s score has fallen. Fiji’s score has gone down from last year’s figure of 55 to 53 out of 100 this year. Fiji’s ranking has also fallen from 45 out of 180 nations last year to 49.This 2 points drop is not currently statistically significant or indicative of larger trends. Fiji first appeared in the CPI in 2004 and there was a lapse of 17 years before the next CPI for Fiji came out last year. We would need to see a few more years of CPI scores for Fiji before we can observe the larger trends.
While
a fall of 2 points (implying an increase in corruption) is not statistically
significant, it highlights the urgent need for civil society, the business
sector, the media and all stakeholders to work together with Fiji’s
anti-corruption agency FICAC to curb corruption.
Transparency
International notes that “A country’s score is the perceived level of public
sector corruption on a scale of 0-100, where 0 means highly corrupt and 100
means very clean. A country's rank is its position relative to the other
countries in the index. Ranks can change merely if the number of countries
included in the index changes. The rank is therefore not as important as the
score in terms of indicating the level of corruption in that country.”
For
a period of 17 years from 2004 to 2021, Fiji was not included in the CPI
because it was not featured in at least 3 of the CPI’s 13 data sources.
Grace
Konrote noted that, “Fiji’s absence from the CPI list for 17 years did not mean
that Fiji was corruption-free. It meant that there was not enough data
available to accurately measure levels of corruption.”
Ms
Konrote added that it is reassuring that the new Coalition Government has taken
over after 16 repressive years and that many repressive laws are planned for
removal. For anti-corruption strategies to be effective, integrity institutions
need to be strengthened and democracy processes need to be bolstered.
Social
Media
Integrity
Fiji’s Elsie Pickering said that on their Facebook post of the CPI some people
were commenting that there was a lot of corrupt activity reported, but these
was not accurately reported in the CPI score. How could this have happened?
Pickering
noted that there are a number of possible reasons for this. Corrupt activity
not within the timeframe of this year’s CPI could take a year or more to
reflect in the data sources. Some positive developments in controlling public
sector corruption might have been captured, balancing out these negative cases.
Ms Pickering noted that Fiji’s anti-corruption agency was dynamic and proactive
and this has been a very positive factor when compared with Pacific nations
that do not have anti-corruption agencies. “We may gripe about FICAC but the
reality is that they have worked hard through the years to develop strong anti
corruption strategies.”
Executive
Director Joseph Veramu said that one positive aspect of this year’s CPI score
and ranking for Fiji is that a new Government has come into power that is not
authoritarian. ”Government will repeal the draconian Media Act and allow for
free speech and assembly amongst other democratic rights.”
Veramu
said that the CPI was not just about corruption issues. It also covers a free
media, freedom of speech and assembly, human rights, gender rights and a
country run on dynamic democratic principles.” All these democratic ideals
combine to affirm our integrity institutions and help to curb corruption in
Fiji.
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Whistle-blowing Regional University Vice Chancellor Reinstated in Fiji
Fijian media reported that Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka had moved quickly to ensure exiled whistle-blowing University of the South Pacific Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia returned to Fiji and that the $90 million + University grant that was withheld (to pressure him to resign) will be reinstated.
Rabuka will apologise on behalf of the people of Fiji for the way Ahluwalia was treated. He noted that he had promised that his government would bring to an end the injustices suffered by Ahluwalia. He added that prohibition orders against Ahluwalia were unreasonable and inhumane and should never have been made. Rabuka observed that Ahluwalia was exiled by deportation after a dispute with the Fiji government (over his whistle-blowing), and it created a major crisis for the University. Transparency International noted that “Despite the recognition that whistle-blowers are crucial to society, the fight for their rights remains full of hurdles. But there are also wins to celebrate.” Ahluwalia’s re-instatement sends a clear message that whistle-blowers should feel free to report incidences of wrongdoing especially in Government funded entities.
Ahluwalia’s case is not an isolated one. It seems to be widespread
and mirrors the toxic culture where whistle-blowers are persecuted for exposing
wrongdoing. Transparency International had published a statement “urging all UN
member states to end reprisals against whistle-blowers, and to respect,
protect, promote and fulfil the human rights of everyone – including those
working to promote and defend the rights of other people and to fight and
expose corruption.”
The Guardian (21/6/2022) reported on a damning BBC documentary
dealing with the United Nation’s mistreatment of whistle-blowers. It noted that
once whistle-blowers spoke out, the UN went after them. One whistle-blower, for
example, was suddenly accused of solicitation and viewing nude photographs on
his phone at work. Yet another has footage of Swiss police entering her flat
and refusing to leave: she says the UN had sent them, and had told them Reilly
was a suicide risk.
In the case of Ahluwalia, Jyoti Pratibha of the Fiji Sun
reported that the Chair of the University’s Audit and Risk Committee noted 33
counts of instances where it is alleged that Ahluwalia did not follow the
established procedures. ”Because of the seriousness of the allegations” he was
suspended.
One early sign that there were some complications in the
allegations brought against Ahluwalia was when the highly respected finance and
IT expert, Semi Tukana, resigned abruptly. He had sent his letter of
resignation to then Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson who had appointed him
(Tukana) to the investigation committee. Mr Tukana had provided four reasons
for resigning. One concern was that “this sub-committee (is) being used as a
means to achieving the ultimate aim of terminating the appointment of Professor
Pal Ahluwalia as VC at USP.” He also highlighted the “existing public
perception of the lack of independence in how the appointment of the members of
this committee was arrived at,” and the “non-involvement of the USP Council as
a whole.”
The University Council had rescinded the suspension. It “is not
persuaded that due process was followed in the suspension of Vice-Chancellor
Ahluwalia.”
This led some to question whether there had been elements of
vindictiveness in Ahluwalia’s suspension
When Professor Ahluwalia took up his position in 2019, he hit
the ground running. Although appointed in November 2018, he formally took up
his role in January 2019. Within six weeks of taking office, concerned staff
had gone to Ahluwalia with allegations. In April 2019, Ahluwalia sent a paper
entitled “Issues, Concerns and Breaches of Past Management and Financial
Decisions” alleging wrongdoing by the former Vice Chancellor”. Ahluwalia had
made 26 allegations of mismanagement against his predecessor who held office
from 2008 to 2018.
BDO Auckland concluded there was a lack of documentary evidence
because of the level and or quality of documentation retained by USP. “BDO’s
view is that a majority of the decisions investigated were made within the
boundaries of the Vice Chancellor’s ordinance. However, when critically
analysed, the rationale for many of the decisions taken is unclear.” BDO
identified the need for greater oversight, control and management of the HR and
payroll functions of the USP.
Transparency International and CLCT Integrity Fiji note that the
fight for whistleblowers’ rights has also produced key wins, but for these wins
to spark real change and better protection for whistle-blowers, we must
continue fighting. Integrity Fiji and its youth network Youths4IntegrityFiji
have been unwavering in supporting whistle-blowers like Ahluwalia; choosing him
as Pacific Integrity Champion in 2021
Anti-corruption fighters, including whistle-blowers, are
increasingly under threat. Supporting them is a core pillar of Integrity Fiji
and Transparency International’s work – through legal advice, rapid response,
and advocacy for better legal and institutional frameworks. This not only makes
a difference for the individuals involved but protects everyone by working
towards an environment that allows people to speak out safely against
corruption and be heard.
Monday, December 26, 2022
New Fiji Government and what it means for anti-corruption advocacy
Fiji now has a new Government led by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. He replaces Frank Bainimarama’s FijiFirst Party that had been in power for 16 years.
Bainimarama had instigated a military coup in 2006. At that time, he claimed that he had wanted to “clean up” Fiji from corruption. While his government made many strides on socio-economic development, there were allegations in later years of nepotism in the appointment of his relatives to senior Government positions. His authoritarian democracy stifled local government elections, limited free speech and freedom of assembly. Bainimarama had held democratic elections in 2014 under a new constitution and won by a landslide.Rabuka the new Prime Minister of the Coalition Government had
previously carried out two military coups in 1987. He had also served as the democratically
elected prime minister from 1992 to 1999. From Rabuka’s conservative pro-Fijian
nationalist image in 1987, he had re-invented himself to become an inclusive
statesman advocating for multicultural harmony in Fiji.
Bainimarama’s Government is credited with ratifying the
United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the setting up of the
highly regarded national anti-corruption agency, the Fiji Independent
Commission Against Corruption. One senior official from one of CLCT
Integrity Fiji’s donor partners noted that FICAC is an anti-corruption agency
in the Pacific that actually works and is efficient. In the
Corruption Perceptions Index 2021 (released in Jan 2022) Fiji scored 55 out of 100
and was ranked 45 out of 180 nations. To be ranked in the top 50 least corrupt nations
was commendable.
Rabuka’s political party had stated in their manifesto that
they would phase out FICAC and have its functions undertaken by the Fiji Police
Force or the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. To do this, Rabuka
would need to amend the Constitution. There are indications that he will not phase
out FICAC but review its modus operandi.
(r to l) Elsie Pickering, Josa (Amania!) Grace Konrote, Qalo Lesinawai and Rusula Cavalevu
Integrity Fiji Youth and Community Officer Grace Konrote said
that at the outset, the NGO leaders realised that under the repressive Fiji
Media Act, they had to be courageous and speak out even if that meant spending
time in a police cell or hauled off to prison.
“We either spoke out or joined a less assertive group like
say knitting or mat weaving. Our strategy was to be diplomatic and constructive
in our advocacy.” Their testing moment came in early 2021 when the Bainimarama
Government planned to introduce the Draft Police Bill. The Draft Bill proposed that a
police officer should be allowed to seize, without warrant, any electronic
storage device found in any crime scene. It would be lawful for any police
officer to use reasonable force on any person who failed to comply. There were provisions
to deploy police as soldiers subjected to military law during emergency
situations.
Qalo Lesinawai a part time event organiser for Integrity
Fiji said that with the new Rabuka Government, they hoped that the oppressive
Fiji Media Act would be repealed. This would allow them to do their
anti-corruption advocacy without fear.
Elsie Pickering another part time event organiser said that
the other issue they had to get used to were trolls who hounded them on social
media. “We are not saying that they were sympathisers of the previous Government.
We just had to develop thick skins and not lose sight of the reason our NGO was
created and that is to support anti-corruption advocacy.”
What does the future hold?
The current political situation is still an unfolding
narrative. The current government has a very slim majority. While there is hope
that it will last the full 4 years, we must anticipate that the situation is
fluid and can change. Integrity Fiji remains hopeful as the new coalition
government has publicly stated that they will put more focus and attention on
good governance which is a pre-condition for anti-corruption work in any
society.
https://fijisun.com.fj/2022/12/26/good-governance-top-priority-kamikamica/?fbclid=IwAR3VI16CRsOlYJ5ud9EWOo9vHdRHStn8NnC-MHF4kC_QQ6R9l6iFsmgdEOU
Friday, November 25, 2022
Talanoa with the Fiji Supervisor of Elections – Lead Up to 2022 General Election
Sakeo Moce
Overall, the session was very informative and insightful. We had initially set up the conference room at Tanoa Plaza International Hotel in a classroom structure but Mr Saneem suggested that we arrange the chairs close to each other and in a round-table discussion format. I thought this was cool as it allowed us to sit with him and listen to his Talanoa.
Talanoa Begins
Mr Saneem started the Talanoa by highlighting the current
social cultural and socio economic context in Fiji, the role of governments in
addressing the needs of the people, and some of the good progress and tangible
changes that he observed overtime from when he was young to the Fiji of today.
He then briefly talked about the National General Election and its role in
effecting change in society and how it’s important for young people to
participate in the whole process.
He said that youths can be candidates, polling agents,
managing polling venues and most importantly youths needed to cast their vote.
He mentioned that the youngest candidate is 21 years old.
He highlighted the role and the importance of youth to
challenge the norms in society where some people always look at young people
as immature, lack the experience and knowledge but overlooked the fact that
young people are the torch bearers of the future, bring with them the energy,
the excitement, dedication, willingness and the new ways of thinking to
contribute positively to the development of society through the electoral
process and beyond.
Saneem asked the youth leaders if they can stop being
the biggest cheer leaders but advocate for their engagement in leadership
position. He highlighted that the youngest polling venue manager in this year
general election is an 18 years old individual who had participated well during
the series of training they conducted Fiji.
He highlighted that some political parties objected to
this saying that 18 years old is too young and should not be managing polling
booths, to which he replied 18 years old is capable of doing and achieving
anything provided they are trained and supported well.
SOE also highlighted and explained very briefly the
electoral process, starting from voter registration, how the voting booth will
be set up, how voting will take place, how the ballot papers will be managed
before and after it has been used, how it will be stored, how voting and ballot
papers will be monitored, how it will be counted, the role of polling agents
and observers and how election results will be finalised and announced. All
these information according to him is available in FEO website.
He also shared his concerns about the lack of interest
from people to cast their votes during elections. He believed that some people registered
with their office just for the sake of getting the voter ID cards and not
necessarily to use it for voting during election day. He shared stories of a
Bouncer from a Night Club in Suva who came to him with an envelope full of Fiji
Voter ID card belonging to some young people who forgot to collect it from the Night
Club Bouncer when they checked in. He mentioned that another person came to him
with a box of voter ID card because people forgot to collect it after being
served at the counter.
He also highlighted that out of the 9,000 plus people
registered from overseas, only 400+ have applied for postal voting.
SOE responses to some our questions
If there is a Natural Disaster (God Forbid) then adjustments to the
Fiji General Election may happen and there are various factors such
as severity of the natural disasters, recovery time etc will need to be
considered in making any decisions in response to a crisis.
When asked about what could be some of the reasons for low voter turnout – he said that we just have to wait after the elections to learn about the reasons from the public about the electoral process. He said that in order for people to trust the process, political parties need to accept the final election results when it comes out. This spurred a lot of discussion and the youth leaders continued to be so inquisitive to learn about what can be done to address the low turnout that seems to be the trend in Fiji Elections.
The SOE requested everyone to share one or two matters about what
motivates them to go and cast their votes during election. Several young people
spoke their minds and talked about things like employment opportunities,
educations etc and Mr Saneem spoke about the benefits of voting and he gave an
example of how he wrote a letter to the SDL government in 2006 requesting if
the prize of "normal" meal in McDonalds can be reduced, and in that year, the
Fiji Government actually reduced the prize of a meal serve from $7+ to $5+.
In my opinion, all the possible reasons given by the
people as to why they don’t want to vote is valid, as they are sharing it from
their owned lived experience. In order to address this, firstly, we need to
organise this raw data into a body of knowledge through a proper and robust
methodology, otherwise known as doing research about it, to investigate the
factors influencing low turnout and the predisposing factors that influence the
self-efficacy of the electorate in order to turn up and cast their votes during
elections. Secondly, we need to organise the knowledge together to develop
evidence-based strategies that would address this underlying issue of low turnout and the root causes through the construction of Theory of Change. This will
also allow us to identify the critical assumptions that contributes to the
success of the interventions, the risk that would hinder its success and also
the partners and stakeholders that needs to work together to change the situation
in terms of making strategic interventions that would increase the
participation rate during the election day(s). In fact, I shared this with a
friend who also attended this talanoa.
When asked about what’s the issue with the “Rock the
Vote Campaign”, - he mentioned that under the Fiji campaign law no one is to
engage in activities that bribe people to vote for them. It is illegal.
He added that Rock the Vote or Bring the Vote campaign
is the US concept and it usually organised by Civil Society Organisations. He
mentioned that CSO should be able to implement the concept in Fiji, but
provided that apply for approval first from FEO just to make sure that
everything about the program and/or project is in conformity to the current
electoral laws of Fiji. He plead with the youths to encourage their friends and
family to cast their votes during election.
Saneem described and explained the process of voting and what
happens at different stages. He encouraged people to be observers and polling
agents from their political parties to assist and observe the whole process. He
highlighted that it’s important for polling agents and observers to be trained
so that they know how to observe the process and don’t have to make unnecessary
remarks. He also highlighted that he organised a similar talanoa with political
parties to allow them to have accurate information about the whole electoral
process.
We would have asked a lot of questions but the time
was so short and we had to end the talanoa, have a group picture and enjoyed
finger foods and network with everyone presents during the talanoa.
Tuesday, September 6, 2022
Young Fijians Discuss Corruption Issues and Voting Challenges in Upcoming Fiji National Elections 2022
Grace Konrote and Lati Shalom
With the writ for the Fiji National Elections 2022 expected any day soon (after the current Parliament has come to the end of its life – adjourned sine dine), we did a talanoa discussion with high school and University student leaders on Tuesday 6 September, 2022. It was noted that the Global Corruption Barometer 2021 had recorded relatively low figures for political corruption but that Fijian youths should remain vigilant to ensure that these figures did not rise but brought further down. The GCB 2021 Survey for Fiji recorded that 4 percent were offered bribes in exchange for votes; 17 percent said that members of Parliament are corrupt, and 12 percent said that local government reps are corrupt. The youth leaders were inspired by the GCB 2021 findings that 83 percent of the Fijian public had expressed that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption.
Why were young people not enthusiastic about
the upcoming 2022 Fiji National Elections? What can be done to overcome this
lethargy? How can youths be encouraged to take active political roles?
It was noted that in
the 2018 Fiji National Elections only 62.79 percent of youths aged 18 to 20 had
voted. The voting figure for those aged 21 to 30 was 60.4%. (In comparison, the
voter turnout for those aged 41 to 50 was 81.73 percent and 74.7 percent for
voters aged 31 to 40.) The FEO report noted that one of the 3 reasons for the
low voter turnout was ‘disinterest.’
“Yes I have registered to vote but I am not sure if I’ll
vote. I am not fired up by the candidates announced by parties. They look grog-doped and seem to be looking for work,” one Year 13 student said. “We need to
see younger candidates.”
“We haven’t seen their manifestos. What are they offering
young people in terms of jobs?” another Uni student asked.
A Year 12 girl from a prominent girl’s school piped up,
“The opposition parties seem to be fighting amongst themselves.”
Her friend added, “They should unite and work together if
they want to form the next government.”
Two students spoke up in support of the assistance provided
by the Fiji First Government.
“But isn’t that a form of election bribery?” one male Year
13 student asked
“The writ of elections has not been announced yet.
Campaigning has not yet started. This is Government assistance, not bribes,”
one protested.
“But won’t the debt levels rise with all those handouts?
Someone will end up paying for it in future,” the Year 13 boy persisted.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” another student said trying not
to sound cynical while the rest laughed.
Do your parents discuss politics, elections,
democracy with you?
All youths (with the exception of one) said that there were
no discussions on these issues with their parents.
Yes, they had heard their parents griping about the
economy, media freedom, health issues, politics and current affairs but the
impression they got was that these discussions were only meant for the 4 walls
of their homes. It was not meant to be aired outside their homes.
It seemed that discussions of Government political leaders
was like talking about Lord Voldemort (the villain in the Harry Potter novels)–
most parents dared not utter the names of the Honourable PM or AG in public (in
a critical way).
“The walls have ears and what goes around comes around,” a
student quipped trying to be funny.
Two students whose parents worked in senior government
positions were emphatic that their parents would vote FijiFirst as they had
done a lot of great things.
“But isn’t voting a secret thing that only the voter and
God would know?’ another student asked. “Will they really vote for FF?”
The two students protested that they could not speak for
God but were adamant that their parents would vote for the ruling party.
How can we change the mindset of youths and encourage
them to vote?
It was suggested that manifestos should be presented with
good illustrations (rather than the format of long technical essays.)
Promises should be costed and explanations should be
provided on how it will be funded.
Party leaders and candidates should not mumble their words
and speak clearly.
The date of the elections should be known 6 months in
advance rather than being announced abruptly.
Free transport should be provided on election day.
Messages on encouraging young people to vote should also be
done though films, songs, art and other creative ways.
Youths4Integrity is supported by Transparency
International and will be organising more talanoa sessions and looking at
creative ways of encouraging more young Fijians to vote.
Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World of Integrity
Matereti Sarasau Sukanaivalu 1 Timothy 4:12 “ Let no man despise thy youth ; but be thou an example of the believers, in word , in conversa...
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Joseph Veramu, Katy Mackey and Mariam Mathew Fiji is a paradox; it is considered the hub of the South Pacific and has the largest econo...
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Joseph Veramu and Mariam Mathew The 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index[1] (CPI) released by Transparency International (TI) showed that the...
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Jerry Wong, Joseph Lavulo, Lati Shalom We are grateful to Transparency International New Zealand for providing a grant to support youth ant...