4 Dec 2013

No chance of vote-buying in election run-up says Fiji's Attorney-General

2:22 pm on 4 December 2013

Fiji's Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, says there's no chance of vote-buying in the run up to the election.

There have been calls for the prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, to step down and an interim administration to be installed before the polls to ensure he does not have the advantage of government machinery and funds to win the election.

But Mr Sayed-Khaiyum says there are assurances against vote-buying under the constitution.

"We have for the first time in Fiji's history an anti-corruption commission, we have for the first time an accountability and transparency commission that holds public office holders including the president, prime minister, ministers and senior civil servants accountable. Nothing hitherto has existed of that like. Obviously this government will ensure that that type of vote-buying will not take place at all."

Fiji's Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum

Fiji is still waiting for the setting up of the Accountability and Transparency Commission and a code of conduct for public office holders, which the regime promised by July.

The anti-corruption agency, FICAC, started work in 2006.