Nanau, Gordon (2015) Representative Democracy, the Constitution and Electoral Engineering in Fiji: 2014 and Beyond. Journal of Pacific Studies, 35 (2). pp. 17-34. ISSN 1011-3029
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Abstract
In an attempt to ensure all citizens are equally represented and their interests accommodated in a
multicultural setting, Fiji changed its electoral system four times since flag independence. The first
three electoral systems used in 1970, 1990 and 1999 were First Past the Post (FPTP), a system
of ethnic based rolls and seats using FPTP, and Alternative Voting (AV) respectively. These were
systems with communally assigned seats because of the country’s ethnic configuration. Leaders then
justified their adoption as a way to facilitate fair representation of all citizens. The 2014 election
was contested under a new electoral system of proportional representation and eliminated reserved
ethnic seats. This paper critically examines the results of the 2014 elections under the new open list
proportional representation system. It analyses the intentions of the electoral system under the 2013
constitution and the extent to which its targets were achieved in the 2014 election results. The paper
also highlights lessons from constitutional and electoral engineered systems in other Pacific island
countries and compares these with Fiji’s new electoral and political party system. It concludes with
possible future scenarios for the country under the current constitution and electoral system.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races J Political Science > JA Political science (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) > School of Government, Development and International Affairs |
| Depositing User: | Gordon Nanau |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Oct 2015 22:41 |
| Last Modified: | 31 Aug 2016 04:14 |
| URI: | https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/8516 |
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