Fiji campaigning in full swing

Transcript

Campaigning is in full swing for the Fiji elections, the first since the military led coup of 2006.

The regime leader Frank Bainimarama is running in the race which other parties complain is being played out on an uneven playing field.

Sally Round is in Fiji and sent this report:

By the light of a torch in a suburban yard in Fiji's west, aspiring politician Vijay Singh is explaining the policies of his People's Democratic Party. He says it is a challenge getting people to attend even small meetings like this.

VIJAY SINGH: I think they still feel the fear of the military and what has happened in the last seven years, and they still haven't come out of that. They're scared, they're standing in the corner far away, listening, but they won't come to the core place of the meeting. The fear is still there.

The power of song is being used to motivate young volunteers to spread the word for Sodelpa, which rose out of the SDL party of Fiji's ousted prime minister Laisenia Qarase. Its General Secretary Pio Tabaiwalu says they have to use other tactics because they think they're not getting their fair share of the airwaves or newspaper space.

PIO TABAIWALU: At the moment, what is happening is because the media is so controlled by the regime, that we, you know, when we analyse how we are getting into the media, there is only about ten percent coverage for Sodelpa and all the other parties. The PM is always on the front page and so, at the moment, we're fighting against the machinery of government.

Community groups like the Citizens Constitutional Forum are trying to provide alternative ways to spark debate including panel discussions livestreamed on the internet. Its head Akuila Yabaki says CCF has given the election run-up a fairly positive scorecard so far.

AKUILA YABAKI: Because of the participation of people, I think they're saying that half a million people have registered, and the high degree of participation of women and youth, there's great energy there.

Fiji has an entirely new electoral and voting system including a ballot paper of numbered boxes. The Fiji Women's Rights Movement has been approved to go out into communities to teach people the mechanics of voting. Shabina Khan is one of the trainers

SHABINA KHAN: t's a difficult thing to explain the whole thing like especially to the women who don't understand the difference between numbers and names. It's a difficult task. We are going out in the communities but we aren't able to meet all of them. So that's a concern.

Political parties say the regime is using its incumbency to full advantage but the Elections Supervisor Mohammed Saneem says he's not aware of any such concerns.

MOHAMMED SANEEM: We have not received any such complaints or reports. And it's only something that we will comment on if we receive anything  formally from any of the parties.

The Elections Supervisor says the training of workers to staff polling stations is underway and a deal has just been signed with Japan to provide new tamper proof ballot boxes for the election on September the 17th.

The prime minister Frank Bainimarama continues to move around the country speaking about his government's achievements but the President of FijiFirst and the Minister for Women, Jiko Luveni, has rejected criticism of vote-buying.

JIKO LUVENI: I don't know what the people expect from us. Just because we have an election we stop expenditures? We need to expend the budget that is given to us, we need to continue to complete the projects we have in place.

The Elections Supervisor says the training of workers to staff polling stations is underway and a deal has just been signed with Japan to provide new tamper proof ballot boxes for the one day polls on the 17th of September.