MOG Sees No Significant Issue and Labels Election as Robust

Additional quality control processes caused the final election results to be slower than expected, the Multinational Observer Group (MOG) has said.

Co-chairs of MOG which comprise the Indian, Australian and Indonesian governments did not observe any significant issue when voting was opened.

This included pre-polling, postal voting and election day.

An anomaly was reported to the group with regards to the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) App and this was rectified, said Australia’s Rebekha

Sharkie.

In a press conference at the Holiday Inn in Suva on Friday, Ms Sharkie, who spoke on behalf of MOG, said their assessment showed that Fijians were able to exercise their right to vote freely.

MOG has observed so far that the functions and operations of the FEO were technically proficient and was also well-prepared to deliver a transparent and credible electoral process in a professional manner.

“Voting took place in a calm, peaceful environment,” she said.

“The actual voting count has been robust.”

An interim statement from the observers highlighted that the counting process at the National Count Centre proceeded in a systematic, methodical and transparent manner.

“Election Day votes are tabulated and counted manually at polling stations and pre-poll, postal and recount votes are counted manually at the National Count Centre, as required. The MOG observed that the tabulation process is robust with appropriate quality assurance processes,” the statement read.

It stated these were consistent with the pre-published FEO guidelines.

It further stated that many nongovernment stakeholders reported their concerns regarding increased restrictions on some previously available formats of election-related activities and discourse ahead of the election.

It also stated that these efforts were the result of the FEO measures taken while improving its work based on lessons learnt from the 2014 and 2018 general election.

Ms Sharkie said that comments from political parties regarding their observation were their own opinions.

“We are here on an evidence-based basis, we are not here to form opinions,” she said.

MOG will release its final report on the 2022 general election in the first quarter of 2023.

Photo: Ronald Kumar Multinational Observer Group co-chairs for 2022 General Election (from left) Muhsin Syihab (Indonesia), Rebekha Sharkie (Australia) and Dharmendra Sharma (India) said they were happy with condct of Election.