Illegal Voting in Namosi

[posted 10 May 2006, 1300]

A Labour candidate is crying foul over illegal voting that took place at her chiefly village of Veivatuloa in Namosi on Saturday May 6.

Koleta Sivivatu says she was shocked to find voting going on her village on Saturday since in the polling listing provided by the Elections Office balloting in the village was scheduled for Wednesday 10 May from 8am –2.30pm and not Saturday 6 May.

She is a Labour candidate for the Namosi Fijian Provincial Communal Seat.

“If the schedule had to be changed for some reason, I as a candidate should have been advised by the Elections Office. I had no inkling of the changed schedule and only discovered, to my surprise, that voting was taking place when I turned up at 11am to visit some family members at the village.

“I was surprised to see SDL campaign vehicles running up and down. On inquiry, I was told that voting was taking place at the village. I was shocked to hear of this as I knew that voting at the village was not scheduled until the following Wednesday,” Koleta said.

She has written to the Supervisor of Elections and the chairman of the Electoral Commission asking for an explanation as to what happened.

“I think the Elections Office needs to explain what is happening. I believe mischief is afoot. It appears that there is collusion between the Elections Office and the SDL otherwise why should SDL have known of the unscheduled voting but neither I knew nor did Ratu Waisea Batilekaleka, the Nationalist candidate who is also contesting the seat.”

Koleta wants voting at the Veivatuloa polling station on Saturday be declared invalid and null and void and that fresh voting be conducted on Wednesday 10 May as scheduled.

“This is a criminal offence and I expect the authorities to take urgent action in this matter,” Koleta said.