At stake in this election:

• 71 seats in the House of Representatives

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA
• Assembly: Fiji has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate with 34 seats and the House of Representatives with 71 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by the Great Council of Chiefs to serve a 5-year term.
• Prime Minister is appointed by the president.
• In the Senate, 24 members are appointed by the president on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, 9 members are appointed by the president and 1 members are appointed by the council of Rotuma. In the House of Representatives 71 members are elected by a majority system with preferential vote to serve 5-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Fiji Labour Party (FLP)
  • Leader: Mahendra CHAUDHRY
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 37
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 7
• Party: Fijian Association Party (FAP)
  • Leader: Adi Kuini SPEED
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 10
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 5
• Party: Soqosoqo ni Vakatulewa ni Taukei (SVT)
  • Leader: Sitivini RABUKA
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 8
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 31
• Party: Party of National Unity (PANU)****
  • Leader: Apisai TORA
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 4
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Christian Democratic Party (VLV)
  • Leader: Poseci BUNE
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 3
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: United General Party (UGP)
  • Leader: David PICKERING
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 2
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party (NVTLP)
  • Leader: Sakeasi BUTADROKA
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 2
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 1

**** PANU was formed after the last election.

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections were last held on February 18-25, 1994.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 806,494 (1999)
• Registered Voters: 450,000 ( approx.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 396,960 (1999)

·         Is Fiji a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Fiji ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (28 August 1995)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 8 (following the 1999 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 90 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Fiji a signatory to CRPD: Yes (2 June 2010)

·         Has Fiji ratified CRPD: No

·         Population with a disability: 120,974 (est.)