Fiji polls from today

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, AUG. 24. Some 4,50,000 voters go to the polls from tomorrow in Fiji, the troubled Pacific island which saw the overthrow of the elected Prime Minister, Mr. Mahendra Chaudhry, in May 2000.

Eighteen political parties are contesting 71 seats in an alternative vote system, with reports indicating that the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) of Mr. Chaudhry again expected to make a strong showing.

Of the 71 seats in the House of Representatives, 23 are allocated to indigenous Fijians, 19 to Indian Fijians, one to the Rotuman community and three to general communal electors. The remaining 25 are `open' seats.

The polling will take place for a week. Counting of votes is scheduled to begin on September 3 and the results are likely to be known around September 6. Suva-based analysts say that the FLP is likely to emerge the single largest party.

The May 2000 coup leader, Mr. George Speight, who is in jail, is a candidate in the elections. Two fellow coup- plotters, Mr. Timoci Silatolu and Mr. Ilisoni Ligairi, a retired Special Forces soldier, are also contesting the elections.

If Mr. Chaudhry, who has arrived at an electoral alliance with the Soqosoqo Ni Vakavulewa Ni Taukei (SVT) party, does emerge trumps in the election, then the key issue will be whether entrenched Fijian interests will accept the verdict.

A large number of international election observers, who have come to Fiji to monitor the election process, appear satisfied with what they have seen so far.

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