India to assist Fiji in conducting general elections

NEW DELHI: India will assist Fiji in conduct of its general elections in September which will include providing indelible ink and imparting training to election and parliamentary officials.

India has also provided eight vehicles to the country as part of its assistance programme for conduct of the elections to be held on September 17. The vehicles would be used for voter awareness programme.

Indian High Commissioner Vinod Kumar today handed over the Mahindra vehicles to the Fijian Elections Office in presence of Attorney General and Minister for Elections Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

India will provide two more vehicles to the election autjorities.

"In addition, India will also provide indelible ink for the elections, besides training to election and Parliamentary officials," the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Attorney General and Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem expressed gratitude to the Government of India for providing the vehicles and being supportive of Fiji as it holds "the first truly democratic elections".

A coup had ousted democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase in December 2006. The Commonwealth had suspended Fiji's membership from the grouping in 2009 after the government refused to hold polls.