Saneem Warns of Chaos Over Flawed Electoral Reform Terms

Former Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, has raised alarm over the Terms of Reference (ToR) guiding Fiji’s Electoral Law Reform Commission, warning that their current structure could lead to “absolute anarchy”.

In a post shared publicly, Saneem described the ToR as “poorly drafted,” and called for the immediate publication of the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) and Electoral Commission (EC) recommendations as a baseline for reviewing the electoral system. “What needs to be published is the FEO and the EC recommendations to form a baseline for operations review,” he stated.

He argued that electoral reform must follow a logical sequence: beginning with a policy-level review by the government and opposition, then incorporating feedback from all political parties that participated in the last election. Without this foundation, Saneem warned, the process is at risk of turning into “khitchery”—a chaotic mix born out of “lack of planning and over-enthusiasm on overdrive”.

The Electoral Law Reform Commission, officially launched in Suva, is chaired by former Chief Justice Daniel Fatiaki and includes commissioners Seni Nabou, Deidre Brookes, and Dr Wadan Narsey. The Commission has issued a series of prompt questions aimed at encouraging meaningful public engagement in the review process.

Public hearings begin in Suva on April 7. But with Saneem questioning the very structure and sequencing of the reform effort, the Commission now faces the challenge of reassuring critics that it is building reform on solid, inclusive foundations.

Legal drafters for the Commission include Mr David Solvalu who worked closely with the former FijiFirst party before taking up a role as a legal drafter at the AG's office and later being appointed to the highly paid and newly created Chief Legal Counsel role at the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC).