WHERE is Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem? Chaudhry says Saneem is required under the Electoral Act to submit results of elections within one month. He wants COALITION to set up Inquiry Commission

7/1/2023

“In our view he [Saneem] should be disciplined on his return and suspended from office to permit an independent inquiry into the 2022 electoral process. Labour had joined other parties in rejecting the results of the elections and expressing serious doubts on the credibility of the electoral process. In a joint letter to the Electoral Commission on 16 December 2022, the Parties had called for an independent audit of the entire electoral process to restore people’s confidence in the integrity and credibility of our electoral system...Of particular concern was the so-called “glitch” in the FEO app for close to 6 hours.

The Parties said the explanation given by the SOE for the “glitch” was inadequate and unacceptable. There were too many reports of anomalies such as votes at polling stations not being reflected on the Protocol of Results, extra votes showing up in ballot boxes – all of which reflected adversely on the integrity and credibility of the 2022 Polls. We hope the Rabuka government would establish a commission of inquiry without much delay."
FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry on party Facebook

Fijileaks: If Chaudhry is casting grave doubts about the credibility of the electoral process, does it mean that we must NOT accept the election results nor the PAP-NFP-SODELPA Coalition government. In fact, Rabuka-Prasad-Chaudhry-Narube all wanted the counting to stop, and even wanted the MILITARY to intervene and STOP the counting process. The FLP can't have its cake and eat it - either we accept the results or call on the Coalition government to resign until an Independent Inquiry has been conducted, and its findings made public. Strange, the signatories to the joint letter have run and formed a Coalition government, and are no longer talking about the "glitch" - with Chaudhry protesting from the sidelines.

FLP: Where is Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem?

Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry has questioned the absence of the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, from the country soon after the election results were finalised. “Saneem left the country after the Writ of Election was returned to the President on 19 December 2022.

“ As Supervisor he is required under s109 (1) of the Electoral Act to submit a report of the results of the elections in the approved form to the Electoral Commission within one month,” Mr Chaudhry said.

“In our view he should be disciplined on his return and suspended from office to permit an independent inquiry into the 2022 electoral process,” he said.

Labour had joined other parties in rejecting the results of the elections and expressing serious doubts on the credibility of the electoral process. In a joint letter to the Electoral Commission on 16 December 2022, the Parties had called for an independent audit of the entire electoral process to restore people’s confidence in the integrity and credibility of our electoral system.

The letter had referred to several anomalies in relation to ballot papers, the Protocol of Results and the counting process.

Of particular concern was the so-called “glitch” in the FEO app for close to 6 hours. The Parties said the explanation given by the SOE for the “glitch” was inadequate and unacceptable.

Similar ‘glitches’ had occurred in 2018 and 2014 – after which the results had dramatically changed in favour of Fiji First as it did on the night and early morning of 14/15 December.

Mr Chaudhry said there were too many reports of anomalies such as votes at polling stations not being reflected on the Protocol of Results, extra votes showing up in ballot boxes – all of which reflected adversely on the integrity and credibility of the 2022 Polls.

He hoped that the Rabuka government would establish a commission of inquiry without much delay.

Mr Chaudhry says the inquiry should also examine the expenditure incurred in the 2022 general elections by the FEO to determine whether relevant rules and financial regulations had been complied with.

“We have reason to believe otherwise,” he said.