Nine percent of ballot papers in Fiji's recent election were not counted because they were spoilt leading to calls for a change in Fiji's electoral system.
The figures are a slight improvement on the 2001 election where 12 percent of papers were considered invalid.
The alternative voting system was introduced in the 1997 constitution and was intended to promote the emergence of multi-ethnic governance by encouraging the political parties to forge alliances.
But the Executive Director of the Citizen's Constitutional Forum, Akuila Yabaki, says the high number of spoilt papers is evidence that the current system is too complicated and therefore needs to be changed.
"It's complex because they're given the choice to vote above the line and also below the line in different ways. It has again been proved in this election that the number of invalid votes are still high and because people are not well informed, they are vulnerable to manipulation."
The Executive Director of the Citizen's Constitutional Forum, Akuila Yabaki
