Fiji BRIDGE Workshop

9 February 2006

He said the workshop was of great importance and could not have come at a much better time.

BRIDGE covers the whole election process and it is relevant in terms of getting the registration forms completed quickly and correctly even though the house – house registration has been completed.

Mr Naivalu said the other important component of the workshop is getting to know the actual process of preparation and the election proper.

This was an in – house issue which meant dealing with current situations, current system being practiced, the constraints and problems the elections administrators face and how they can be improved.

Generally speaking, the workshop is also about how the current situations and systems and processes can be improved with the resources given by Government.

“The highlight of the workshop too is to look at the efficiency, the effectiveness, the improvement of communication within and among stakeholders which the Supervisor of Elections is doing now”,said Mr Naivalu.

He also stated that it was important that all stakeholders were informed on the progress on a daily basis, and not just one or twice.

The stakeholders will have to be informed on the accurate data, accurate information and also they will have to be informed on the information that they need which the Supervisor of Elections gives out through press releases and media conferences on the current statistics and on the process,” said Mr Naivalu.

He said the workshop was an opportunity for the election administrators and district commissioners to come together and be part of this process, for they were the very ones who would then be responsible of imparting all they have learnt to those at the various departments.

“Now it will be our responsibility to inform our colleagues about good governance, good communication, good participatory approach with other stakeholders whom I strongly believe should be part of the whole election preparation and process and not left in the dark”, he said.

Mr Naivalu said apart from all the election preparation process fundamentals that they learnt the workshop had given them the chance to develop a team spirit and togetherness.

“We are about half way through the workshop now. We have covered the communication part of it, the structure, we did a few preliminary group activities, which is going to be important to all of us directly involved in the elections.

“However not only are the concepts, the ideas, the materials given to us by the consultant important, I think what is important is for us to know each other, to have that team spirit, that team feeling and togetherness, because we will at the front line during the election.

“Therefore it is important for us to link up properly and well with the elections office, to understand each other, to be on the same wave length, have the same information to be disseminated out to the public, so yes I can say this workshop is definitely of extreme importance,” he said.

Mr Naivalu added the workshop was very useful and an opportune time to come together and form the team spirit and togetherness which he said would be the main drive behind their work as far as election build – up is concerned.

The BRIDGE workshop was opened by the Supervisor of Elections Semesa Karavaki on Monday (06/02) and will end on Friday, February 10. It is being held at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva.

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