HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT RATU WILIAME MAIVALILI KATONIVERE'S KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT THE NATIONWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE AND 2022 GENERAL ELECTION ‘KNOW YOUR ELECTION CAMPAIGN’

∙ The Former President and Honourable Speaker to Parliament, Your Excellency Ratu Epeli  Nailatikau; 
∙ The Acting Prime Minister, Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Civil Service, Communications, Housing and Community Development, Hon. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum;

∙ The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mr. Mukesh Nand; 
∙ Members of the Diplomatic Corps; 
∙ Members of the Electoral Commission; 
∙ Distinguished Guests; and  
∙ Ladies and Gentlemen. 

Miau sa bula re and a very good morning to you all. 

First, I would like to welcome the new Chair of the Electoral Commission, Mr. Mukesh Nand.  Congratulations on your appointment and I also acknowledge the rest of the commission  members present with us today. We are here today because every Fijian not only has the  constitutional right to vote, but a patriotic duty to do so and choose the future they want for Fiji.  

Our third-ever genuine national election lies in front of us and this morning, the women and men  in white and blue of the Fijian Elections Office – or the “FEO” as we know them – are launching  the Know Your Election campaign; a national effort that builds on the high bar of accessibility  and credibility that the Fijian Elections Office set in the 2014 election and again in 2018.  There’s much I could say about all of the excellent work of the Supervisor of Elections and the  Fijian Elections Office, but I think they would appreciate if I start by echoing the vital  importance of every Fijian’s vote. After all, that is the mission they strive for every day. 

Every adult citizen in Fiji has the constitutional right to freely vote under an electoral system that  treats all votes equally. No matter who we are, where we come from in Fiji, what faith we  follow, whether we are young or old, or whether we are a man or a woman, we are all guaranteed  equal votes of equal value. That has become the norm for us – Fijians today expect equality – and that is a powerful sign of progress given this country’s past.  

While it is right that our expectations for equality have risen as our democracy has matured – let  us not grow into a state of complacency. These are still early days for true democracy in Fiji. For  the majority of my own life, there was not a genuine democracy in this country. And in some  parts of the world today, people under the rule of unelected leaders would do anything for the  freedoms that we have today. They would traverse continents, they would even wage wars. So,  no Fijian should ever take our sacred right to vote equally in our elections for granted. It is more  than dear to our democracy; it is the most meaningful action we can take to improve or imperil  our future.  

It can be tempting to give way to the cynicism that tells us that politics does not make a  difference in the affairs of most ordinary people. That is a dangerous lie. Politics and politicians  make up government; and government creates policies that shape our day-to-day lives for better  or for worse. When we vote wisely, we vote in support of the policies that we believe offer us  our best possible future. So your participation in our electoral system matters – it matters because  it affects every aspect of our lives.  

Policies can preserve stability or undermine it. They can uphold social and political freedom or  roll them back. They can create opportunities in all of our communities or curtail them. They can  help businesses grow or hinder them. They can strengthen our resilience to crises, like climate  change, or leave us vulnerable. They can amplify our voices in world affairs or quiet them. From  the school regulations that impact your children’s lives, to what infrastructure should be  improved or built, to the assistance that is available from the government for the vulnerable,  politics and policies matter to everything that we all experience every day – and so do our votes.  

We may not see every issue and their solutions the same way. Our democratic system makes  room for different opinions – that is its nature. What brings democracy to life is when you  exercise that opinion by casting your vote. Observing is not enough. Complaining is not enough.  We have to actually participate by taking the time to register and then vote on Election Day. That  is easier to do than ever and that fact is credited to the Fijian Elections Office. Building upon  several months of effort, their teams will again be sweeping across the country, across towns and  cities, remote islands and highlands – creating a wave of voter awareness that is helping register  more Fijians and excite them about the importance of their votes. Their website has been updated  and is more accessible. And they’ve launched a new “Know Your Election” handbook that is translated in iTaukei, Fiji-Hindi, Banaban, Rotuman and Chinese that explains in simple terms  everything all of us need to know about our next election. I urge every Fijian to read it.  

The results of this effort speak for themselves. To-date 60% of our population has already  registered for the Blue VoterCards needed to vote in this year’s elections. The Blue VoterCard  will have details of your polling venue so that you are all familiar with exactly where you need to  go to vote. If you haven’t yet registered or replaced your Green Voter Cards with Blue, I kindly  ask you to please do it. I have my card and I’m proud to hold it. It was easy to obtain. The  replacement of the voter card is free of charge, and you can visit voter services centres in Suva,  Lautoka or Labasa or in mobile sites across Fiji to get your cards updated. In fact, as of this week  it has become even easier. The Fijian Elections Office will have birth certificate information on hand at all registration sites. And I am told the Fijian Elections Office will be announcing a  national raffle that will award 100 dollars each to 300 newly-registered voters –– for a total of  $30,000 in prizes.  

We do not yet know the date of the next election, but we know it is fast-approaching. We  appreciate all the Fijian Elections Office has done and all that it is doing to ensure that our  people have access to registration, voting sites, and credible election information. I’m glad to  know some of the Fijian Elections Office staff will be recognised for their hard work today.  Thanks to their efforts and that of your organisation, there is no excuse for any Fijian not to  know their election and vote in it.  

My fellow Fijians, if you take anything from today, it is that your nation needs you to take this  patriotic duty seriously and vote on Election Day. Make a day out of it with your loved ones, and  most importantly, in a respectful way, agree to disagree with those who may see things  differently than you may see them. We can have different political beliefs, but we are all Fijians  at the end of the day.  

May Almighty God Bless you all and May God Bless Fiji. Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.