Parliament prorogued; writ to be issued
Venkat Raman (Indian Newslink)
Auckland, September 30, 2018
Fiji will hold its general election on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.
Prime Minister Bainimarama with President Konrote in Suva this morning
(Picture Supplied by Department of Information, Government of Fiji)
According to official sources, the one day election will choose 50 members to the Fijian Parliament for the second time since the Fiji Electoral Act, assuring equality to all Fijians came into force in 2013.
The first election, with equality of votes for all Fiji nationals, was held on September 14, 2014.
Parliament dissolved
Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama met President Major-General (Retired) Jioji Konusi Konrote this morning, following which the latter issued an order dissolving the current Parliament, paving the way for fresh polls.
It is understood that President Konrote will issue a writ tomorrow (October 1, 2018), after which the Fiji Elections Office will call for nomination of candidates to the various registered political parties.
All members to Parliament will be elected from a single nationwide constituency by Open List Proportional Representation System, with an electoral threshold of 5%.
Seats are allocated using the ‘D’Hondt Method.’
D’Hondt (Jefferson) Method
The D’Hondt or Jefferson Method is a highest averages method for allocating seats and hence is a type of Party-List Proportional Representation, named after former US President Thomas Jefferson who introduced it in 1791 in the US House of Representatives.
Belgian Mathematician Victor D’Hondt used it in Europe in 1878 for proportional allocation of Parliamentary seats to various political parties.
In the current Fijian Parliament, FijiFirst, led by Mr Bainimarama has 32 seats, followed by SODELPA (15) and the National Federation Party (3).
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