Preparations for Fiji’s next General Election have received a major boost, with the Fijian Elections Office now equipped with four new four-wheel-drive vehicles donated by the Government of India.

The vehicles will help election officials reach more communities across the country, particularly in remote and rural areas where road access remains a challenge.

The additional transport is also expected to improve voter awareness campaigns and the delivery of election materials as preparations gather pace.

“Well, you will have heard from His Excellency’s speech that there has been ongoing support from the government of India”.

“One of the needs was for some more vehicles to assist us in doing our work. So, we specifically asked for four by fours because of the terrain. Not all roads are paved in Fiji and now with these additional vehicles it’s going to help us a lot” Ratuvili highlighted.

During the official handover, Indian High Commissioner to Fiji, Shri Suneet Mehta said the donation is another step in its long-standing support for Fiji’s democratic institutions.

The High Commissioner added that beyond providing vehicles, India will continue sharing election management experience and capacity building to support free and fair elections.

“This is yet another step in which we express Government of India’s support to the conduct of elections”.

“It will benefit the people, the teams from the Fijian Elections Office who are out there in the field doing work related to elections and this is a very significant moment for us” Mehta said.

BY: JOELI RAGONELIWA