Groups want voting system changedKEY stakeholders have backed a report calling for the voting system to be changed.
Participants at a consultation on the UNIFEM Pacific report — developing a more facilitating environment for women's political participation in Fiji, endorsed recommendations to review the electoral system and to consider a change to the proportional representation (PR) system.
Representatives from government departments, NGOs, political parties and trade unions discussed and endorsed recommendations for a change in order to promote women's participation in politics.
The report was conducted by Suliana Siwatibau, Ravesi Johnston, Naeemah Khan and Nainasa Whippy.
"The voice of the majority is reflected fairly and the minority is not neglected ," said the report.
The report said proportionality, geographic accountability, inclusiveness and government efficiency needed to be taken into account when designing an electoral system.
"It means the number of party members in Parliament should be proportionate to the number of votes they receive.
"It increases the fair representation of women and minority groups in elected bodies."
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.