Fiji may face its most crowded election yet, with 30 new political party names now reserved—more than double the number from just three months ago.
Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa confirmed the increase this week, saying 16 new party name reservations had been received, in addition to 14 reported in the last official update on April 1.
While not all will necessarily become registered parties, the increase in applications suggests growing political interest ahead of the 2026 General Election, which can be called as early as July next year.
Currently, Fiji has seven registered political parties – including the People’s Alliance, SODELPA, National Federation Party, Fiji Labour Party, Unity Fiji, All People’s Party, and We Unite Fiji Party. If all 30 reservations lead to formal registrations—and if none of the existing parties deregister—voters could be choosing from more than three dozen political groups, setting a potential record for elections in the country under the 2013 Constitution.
Under Fiji’s Electoral Act, reserving a party name is the first formal step toward registration. Applicants must then meet strict criteria, including collecting 5,000 signatures and satisfying financial and constitutional requirements. Some reservations may lapse if the process is not completed within the set timeframe.
“These 30 reserved names go as far back as 2022,” Mataiciwa said.
Party name reservations and registrations will remain open until the 2026 election writ is issued—any time between 24 June and 24 December 2026. Depending on that date, elections will be held between 7 August 2026 and 6 February 2027.
Several proposed parties have already engaged with the FEO through official information sessions, including: Hearts with Vision-One United Republican (OUR) Party- NextGen Alliance- Liberation of Fiji Party- Kingdom Fiji Party- National Greens Party- One People’s Party
Related Articles:
