Transcript
Under Fiji's 2013 constitution and the 2014 elections decree, the electoral commission is an independent body tasked with supervising the elections office, which is responsible for preparing the vote.
It's appointed for a three-year term, but that term quietly ended on the 9th of January - and there appears to have been no rush to replace it.
The leader of the opposition National Federation Party, Biman Prasad, says that's concerning.
"The term of the commission and the chairman ended on the 9th of January, so that means that there are no longer commissioners and that there is no longer an electoral commission in place and that's serious because it's a constitutional office. It shouldn't be allowed to remain vacant but this is exactly what has happened."
Biman Prasad says before the commission's term ended, an oversight body chaired by the prime minister, the Constitutional Offices Commission, was supposed to appoint a new one, or extend the term of the former one.
It didn't do that, and almost a month later, Dr Prasad says it's not clear when the Constitutional Offices Commission plans to meet to carry out its duty.
Vijay Naidu, a professor of development studies at the University of the South Pacific and a former member of the electoral commission, says it's worrying that it's been allowed to lapse.
He says what's more concerning though, is that the elections office is now working unsupervised.
"I don't think that's a very good thing. You know, the thing is that the supervisor of elections is only accountable in terms of what he's doing with regards to the electoral commission. But he's also answerable to the minister for elections, who is also the general secretary of the ruling party."
Professor Naidu, who stepped down from the commission in 2015 over frustrations with the supervisor of elections, Mohammed Saneem, says that raises questions about potential conflicts of interest, especially in light of a recent court ruling.
In November, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of a case brought by the commission against the electoral office, finding that Mr Saneem had acted contrary to the commission's directions.
"He had set about over-ruling us in a decision that meant that a number of candidates were disadvantaged and excluded from participating in the election, and at least one person was allowed to stand in the election whom the electoral commission had determined shouldn't be allowed to do so."
Professor Naidu says that compounds his worries as the elections office's preparations for next year's polls are already under full swing.
The electoral office, Mr Saneem, the government and the former chairman of the electoral commission have not responded to requests for comment.
In the meantime, however, Mr Saneem told the Fiji Times he is continuing to work hard towards next year's elections and has no plans to suspend his work while there's no commission.
This is Jamie Tahana.
