9 May 2006

US ambassador to Fiji reports complaints from people unable to vote

10:00 am on 9 May 2006

The United States ambassador in Fiji has raised concern about polling in the general election which is now under way.

Larry Dinger and his team of observers from the US embassy have been touring polling stations in Suva and the west since voting started on Saturday.

Mr Dinger has told the Daily Post newspaper that they have received a lot of complaints from people whose names were missing from the electoral rolls and who therefore could not vote.

He says this problem should be dealt with and corrective measures taken.

Mr Dinger says in the United States this is dealt with by creating a provisional roll so that a person can vote and have that vote counted.

Election observers from the University of the South Pacific have also raised their concern about names missing from the electoral rolls.