18 Sep 2014

EU welcomes high voter turnout in Fiji

9:59 am on 18 September 2014

The European Union has welcomed the peaceful conduct of the Fiji elections and the high turnout, including among young people, many of whom were voting for the first time.

In statement, the EU says Fiji election authorities should administer the election process in full transparency until its completion.

The European Union says it's committed to working closely with the elected government to support the consolidation of democracy in the country.

Meanwhile New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, says he has no immediate concerns about the integrity of the elections in Fiji.

With about half the votes counted in the general election, the Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama's party has about 60-percent of the vote.

Mr McCully says though the voting system there is complicated, that doesn't mean it is not effective.

But he says he is reserving his final judgement.

"It is a complex system, if that's unduly affected the outcome, the international observers will no doubt tell us so but I haven't heard that suggestion yet."

New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully.