SUVA, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The FijiFirst party, the island nation's ruling party, on Wednesday announced 51 provisional candidates for the 2018 general elections, which is yet to be announced but is due to be held in the next two months.
According to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reports on Wednesday, the announcement was made by Fijian Prime Minster and FijiFirst leader Voreqe Bainimarama, whose ruling party now holds a two thirds majority in the Fijian Parliament.
Of the 51 provisional candidates, 11 are women candidates, including Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Rakuita Vuniwaqa and Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Sofia Akbar, but Fiji's Defence Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola is not on the ruling party's list.
As for the provisional polling venue list, the number of polling venues in the island nation has increased from 1,361 in 2014 to 1,435 in 2018.
The last day for the 2018 general elections is Nov. 21, this year, and Fijians are waiting for Bainimarama to advice the Fijian President Jioji Konrote to dissolve parliament and issue the Writ of Elections.
Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem said earlier that Oct. 6 this year is the last day for parliament to be dissolved as the first parliamentary sitting after the 2014 elections was on Oct. 6.
The Fijian Elections Office is reportedly ready as the election process under the constitution will take 44 days from the day the Writ of Elections is issued.
Fiji's latest general election was held in Sept. 2014, the first ever since the country's 2006 coup.
