Commission to host second Electoral Reforms seminar

The Constitution Commission will host a seminar on Electoral Reforms, in conjunction with the University of the South Pacific at the Laucala campus tomorrow.

Commission executive secretary, Keshwa Reddy says a panel of experts will discuss experiences of alternative voting systems which establish a fair system of voting so that the interests and wishes of the people of Fiji can be represented through free, fair and honest elections.

Reddy said this would be the second of the public forum series being organised by the Commission as part of its consultation and dialogue process.

“This seminar is part of the on-going consultation process where the Commission has an opportunity to listen to the expert views and engage public to comment on some very important constitutional issues such as this - electoral reforms,” Reddy said.

Key speakers will include:
•         Kåre Vollan: Expert and advisor on Electoral Reform and has worked in more than thirty different countries including Nepal, Zimbabwe and Kenya. He has written widely on electoral systems including electronic voting. He will speak on systems of proportional representation.
 
•         Wadan Narsey: A professor of Economics. He has written extensively on the subject area as well as trained government officials, voters and enumerators on the alternative vote system in the 1997 Constitution. Prof Narsey will speak on the benefits of proportional representation as a method of ensuring equality of all votes – Multiracialism and Gender Equality.

•         David Arms: A Catholic priest who has worked in Fiji for over thirty years and has been a keen observer of Fiji’s elections. He has written and spoken frequently on electoral reforms for Fiji. He will speak on the electoral proposals contained in the Peoples Charter for Change, Peace and Progress.

The seminar will be held at USP’s AUSAID lecture theatre at Laucala campus from 6 to 8 pm

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