AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): The Pacific Media Centre, Asia-Pacific Human Rights Coalition and Coalition for Demcracy in Fiji are holding a panel discussion tomorrow on next month's Fiji general election.
Under the theme of "return to democracy", speakers including Shamima Ali, director of the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, will discuss the impact in the Pacific of Fiji's post-coup elections.
Ali is also chairperson of Fiji's NGO Coalition for Human Rights and recently criticised the Bainimarama government for using the electoral decree to "muzzle" NGOs ahead of the elections on September 17.
Section 115 of the Electoral Decree removed the rights of NGOs to take part in political debates and discussions, Ali said.
"Just recently one of our sister organisations has come under scrutiny for allegedly 'breaching Section 115' of the electoral decree. Because of that they have had to defer the series of conversations they were holding as a lead up to free and fair elections. This sort of intimidation has forced us to refrain from any political issues. In other words, we adhered to the decree and then now we are being criticised for it,” she added.
The role of the media in the elections and New Zealand help for Fiji on its return to democracy are among other topics to be discussed at the seminar tomorrow.
There are hundreds of Fiji citizens living in New Zealand who are eligible to vote in the first elections in eight years.
The seminar is open to the public and takes place in room WG806 on the 8th floor of AUT's Sir Paul Reeves Building from 6-8pm on Thursday August 28.
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