25 Aug 2014

Fiji AG defends electoral process

10:45 am on 25 August 2014

Fiji's Elections Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says if the Electoral Commission had given a decision on candidates in the upcoming polls on time under the law there would have been no need to go to court.

A Fiji court has ruled against the commission, finding a crucial step towards next month's election is valid.

The body which is overseeing the country's first polls since the 2006 coup sought a declaration from the High Court that the Supervisor of Elections had erred over a decision on candidates for the election.

FBC news reports Mr Sayed-Khaiyum says the law is quite specific.

He says yesterday's court ruling means all political parties can now look forward to the elections.

Commission members boycotted a draw on Saturday which involved allocating numbers to the 248 election candidates.