Hon Murray McCully
Minister of Foreign Affairs
18 September 2014 Media Statement
NZ welcomes Fiji’s return to the polls
Foreign Minister Murray McCully today congratulated the people of Fiji following their first demo-cratic elections since
2006.
“Fiji’s election is a significant event, both for Fiji and for the wider Pacific region,” Mr McCully says.
“New Zealand has long been an advocate for elections in Fiji, and we are proud of our support for the election
preparations and the institutions that will underpin Fiji’s return to democratic rule.
“The Multinational Observer Group’s initial report suggests the election was credible and voting and counting processes
ran smoothly. There was a good turnout and all early indications are that the conditions were in place for the people of
Fiji to exercise their right to vote freely.
“A more detailed report will follow in the coming weeks and these preliminary findings are a cause for optimism, despite
some concerns being raised aboutrestrictions on the electoral envi-ronment and the complexity of the voting system.
“New Zealand contributed an 11 member team to the Multinational Observer Group which was made up of representatives from
13 countries and co-led by Australia, India, and Indonesia.
“The counting of the votes continues and we look forward to working with the newly elected gov-ernment in Fiji when it
is formed,” Mr McCully says.