Fiji might be going to the polls today after eight long years but some Fijians in Samoa are not optimistic about the likely outcome.
“I think this election is just a waste of time,” said Elisapeta Waga. “Everything is just compromised and it’s supposed to be an easy election.”
Ms. Waga is a student studying agriculture at the University of the South Pacific’s Alafua campus.
“Some of the students here haven’t received any form for the elections,” she said. “What makes it worse is that we heard that they are automatically voting for Bainimarama. That’s not how elections are suppose to work.”
{googleAds}<script async src="http://www.samoaobserver.ws///pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- ads-articles(24.03.14) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-9419815128221199"
data-ad-slot="2395638412"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}
Ms. Waga said this shows that there is no transparency and accountability in the running of the election.
Asked who she will be voting for, Ms. Waga said it is definitely not Frank Bainimarama. “I’m voting for the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA)."
Alesi Yame, another student at U.S.P, backs Ms. Waga.“I hope that this election is going to be a fair one,” she said. “I’m voting for
Bainimarama because I wasn’t given any choice. I guess we just have to wait and see who will win this election.”
Another student, who did not want to reveal his identity, said Bainimarama has done a lot for Fiji. “That’s why I’m voting for Bainimarama,” he said. “First of all, for people like us who have been living in Fiji for all our lives, we know that he (Bainimarama) has done so much for the country."
“He gave free education for all schools, and also free bus fares for all the students from primary up to secondary."
“He had put some improvements in our country compared to the past years and that’s the most important thing. So I fully support him.”
<!-- 336x280 (bottom-article) -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style="display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-2469982834957525"
data-ad-slot="1033882026"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/googleAds}