INDEPENDENT RATED SECOND HIGHEST WITH NUMBER OF CANDIDATES

(Apr 18th, 2006 No. 49)

Independent candidates contesting next month’s national election are being rated the second highest, according to the official list of candidates released by the Office of the Supervisor of Elections.

There are 68 independent candidates in this year’s election compared to the 20 that stood for the 2001 general election. In addition, independent candidates have more numbers in the Communal and Open Constituencies too.

Out of the 68 independent candidates, 37 are contesting in the Communal Constituencies and 31 in the Open Constituencies.

In the Fijian Communal Constituency, there are 28 independent candidates, three (3) are in the General Communal, four (4) in the Indian Communal, two (2) in the Rotuma Communal while the Open Constituency has 31 Independent candidates.

For the political parties on the other hand, there are 338 candidates altogether standing for the 2006 national general elections from the 13 various political parties. As compared to the 2001 general election, there were altogether 351 candidates with a total of 18 parties and 20 independent.

And the Soqosoqo Duavata Ni Lewenivanua Party has the highest number of candidates totaling 80 with 48 contesting in the Communal Constituency and 32 in the Open Constituency.

The Fiji Labour Party has a total of 59 candidates with 35 contesting the communal constituencies and 24 contesting the open constituencies. For the National Federation Party who are fielding 45 candidates, 27 are contesting the communal constituency and 18 in the open constituency.

The National Alliance Party with a total of 50 candidates have fielded 28 in the communal constituency and 22 in the open constituency while the Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo party with a total of 11 candidates, have four (4) contesting in open constituency and seven (7) in the communal constituency.

The United People’s Party (UPP) have a total of 10 candidates with five in the communal constituency and five in the open constituency. The Party of National Unity on the other hand are fielding nine (9) candidates, three (3) in the communal and six (6) in the open constituency.

And while the Justice and Freedom Party have only one candidate contesting the communal constituency, the Party of Truth have two (2) candidates one of each contesting the communal and open constituency.

The COIN party is fielding only one (1) candidate in the communal constituency, while the National Democratic party and the Social Liberty party both have each fielded one (1) candidate in the open constituency.

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