Fiji’s Electoral Commission says it is yet to receive formal notification of a vacant seat in Parliament following the death of Minister for Agriculture Vatimi Rayalu, but has already taken preliminary steps to identify a replacement.
In a statement issued today, Electoral Commission Chairperson Usaia Ratuvili confirmed that while no official correspondence has been received from Parliament, the Commission is prepared to act once formal notification is received.
“The Electoral Commission…[has] yet to receive official notification from the Secretary General to Parliament on the vacancy of a seat in Parliament,” Ratuvili said. “The Commission has taken preparatory steps under the Constitution to identify the next available candidate to fill the vacancy and will proceed once we receive official notification.”
Under Section 64 of Fiji’s 2013 Constitution and Section 20(1) of the Electoral Act 2014, a seat in Parliament can only be declared vacant once the Speaker provides written notice to the Electoral Commission. Only then can the Commission allocate the seat to the next eligible candidate on the relevant party list from the most recent general election.
Rayalu, a senior figure within the People’s Alliance and a strong advocate for farmers and rural communities, passed away on June 12 following a short illness. He was laid to rest last week.
The expected replacement is LTA Chairman Inosi Kuridrani, the highest-ranked unelected candidate from the People’s Alliance list in the 2022 general election. Kuridrani previously served in Parliament from 2018 to 2022, originally elected under the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) before switching to the People’s Alliance prior to the last election.
Photo: File
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