FEO to advise political parties on billboard placements

The Fijian Elections Office (FEO) is expected to advise the political parties tomorrow to relocate their billboards to correct areas.

The move comes after the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) met representatives of the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) on Friday advising them that the placements of some of the billboards may be in breach of Electoral Act.

FRA chief executive officer Jonathan Moore expressed concern at the placement of certain election billboards in the Northern and Central divisions.

Mr Moore said the authority had written to the FEO and advised them that there were 11 billboards in the wrong place.

“The billboards are from all parties which is placed in the wrong places,” Mr Moore said. Supervisor of Election, Mohammed Saneem confirmed that the billboards belonged to FijiFirst, National Federation Party (NFP) and Fiji Labour Party (FLP).

On Friday, Go Advertising director, Charles Wakeham said it was yet to received a notification letter from either FEO or FRA.

Fiji Labour Party (FLP) Parliamentary leader Aman RavindraSingh said: “I am confused at this point as to what has happened.

“Secondly, all our billboards and banners were placed within private property and we took consent from private property owners before placing our banners.

“If there is no complaint then why take out any billboard?” National Federation Party (NFP) Leader Biman Prasad said that FRA had not raised the issue with them. “If they did the matter could be easily rectified by removing all the relevant ones or moving them to comply,” he said.

“All our candidates have previously been advised to strictly comply with the regulations and obtain the property owner’s consent before erecting or placing their billboards and/or banners and make sure they are not encroaching onto roadsides.”