IN a bid to help Fijian voters be better prepared for the upcoming municipal council elections, Dialogue Fiji will convene a panel discussion on Monday in Suva.
Executive director Nilesh Lal said the focus of the talks was the electoral system design for local government polls.
“As the Fijian Government expedites the groundwork for establishing an electoral framework for the Local Government Elections, the first since 2005, it is essential to engage all stakeholders and facilitate an informed and inclusive dialogue on the design of the electoral system,” he said.
Mr Lal said electoral system design was a key political reform that would significantly impact on electoral outcomes and on the representation of various segments of society, such as women, youth, and minority groups.
He said this was even more important in a divided society like Fiji.
Mr Lal said Dialogue Fiji was bringing renowned global electoral expert Alan Wall who will be presenting on the implications of electoral system choice, and spell out the pros and cons of the Open List Proportional Representation (OLPR) and First Past The Post (FPTP).
“The primary objective of this panel discussion is to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of electoral system options and their implications in the context of Fiji’s local government elections.
Mr Lal said the event was expected to congregate a diverse range of participants, namely the civil society organizations, academia, political parties, government representatives, electoral management bodies, local government authorities, development partners and the media.
