New Zealand police are investigating after the home of Te Pāti Māori election candidate Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke was invaded, vandalised, and a threatening letter left behind.

They said the burglary of a Huntly home was reported to police on Monday.

On Friday, Te Pāti Māori issued a statement saying it was the third incident to take place at Maipi-Clarke’s home this week.

• READ MORE:  Te Pati Māori candidate’s home broken into, vandalised, threat left behind
• ‘Completely unacceptable’: Labour candidate Angela Roberts ‘slapped’ following political debate
• Other NZ election 2023 reports

The candidate for Hauraki-Waikato said the attack was premeditated and targeted, and politically motivated.

Danger on the campaign trail had increased because of race baiting and fearmongering from right-wing parties, Maipi-Clarke said.

Despite the attack, she was not scared, she told The Hui’s Hauraki-Waikato debate.

However, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has dismissed claims his party was race baiting, and increasing danger for candidates on the campaign trail.

‘Not responsible’
Peters told Newshub Nation that notion was wrong, adding that he was not responsible for the actions of other people.

He said he would never work with Te Pāti Māori.

Te Pāti Māori said it was working with police to find a person who broke into their youngest candidate’s home.

Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the party was outraged and it was seeing more abusive behaviour in this election than ever before.

“You go at one of our mokopuna, you go at all of us. And it doesn’t matter how different we think, when we see our mokopuna being abused, we will unite and it will have the absolute contrary affect of what I think perpetrators are trying to do when they’re individually picking off on our youngest, on one of our babies … it’s disgusting,” she said.

The party was looking into improving security for candidates to prevent future attacks, she said.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The president of New Caledonia’s largest pro-independence party Daniel Goa will not be prosecuted for alleged calls for violence and sedition.

Last month, a coalition of anti-independence parties had lodged a formal complaint with the Public Prosecutor over a speech given by Goa at a party meeting.

Goa had said there was a risk of there being no more provincial elections if the restricted rolls were opened to people who arrived after the signing of the 1998 Noumea Accord.

• READ MORE: Caledonian Union vows to end French ‘neo-colonial putsch’ in Pacific
• Other Kanaky New Caledonia independence reports

The anti-independence coalition had also accused Goa of sedition after he said his party might turn to foreign powers.

After questioning Goa, the Prosecutor decided there were insufficient grounds to lay charges.

The anti-independence parties want Paris to abolish the restrictions by changing the French Constitution and granting voting rights to the estimated 40,000 migrants who have settled since the Accord signing.

In March, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the 2024 provincial elections would not go ahead with the restricted rolls.

Earlier this month, another Caledonian Union politician Gilbert Tyuienon warned that dialogue would end should Goa be taken to court for expressing what the party membership felt.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Cook Islanders go to the polls tomorrow to choose a new 24 member Parliament.

Voters will have four parties — and a movement calling for a collegial approach to government — to choose from.

Cook Islands politics has been dominated for years by the Cook Islands Party led by the current Prime Minister Mark Brown — a man who is very confident of holding on to power.

• READ MORE: Other Cook Islands elections reports

He believes his government has done a very good job keeping the country together in very trying circumstances over the past two or so years.

There are 69 candidates in all contesting the poll, and one, marine scientist Teina Rongo, hopes this election will be third time lucky for him.

Rongo wants to be in Parliament to correct what he sees as faults in the country’s approach to the environment and education.

He said the sectors are interconnected with the education system not properly reflecting Cook Islands Māori values.

‘Disconnected from environment’
“We are disconnected from our environment and I think part of the reason is because we have an education system or a curriculum that does not teach these things to our children,” he said.

“We have a more New Zealand-based curriculum than a Cook Islands one that teaches in the context of the Cook Islands.”

Te Tuhi Kelly moved to the Cooks some years ago and recently got permanent residency.

He has set up his own political party, the Progressive Party, for which he is the only candidate standing.

A human resources specialist, he said he was motivated to stand by what he saw as corruption in government and nepotism.

“I don’t have any issues around putting nieces, nephews, uncles, cousins and aunties into roles, as long as they can do it and as long as they can perform,” he said.

Teina Bishop is a veteran in Cook Islands politics and he said what he has learned is party politics is very divisive and that’s why his group is styled as a movement.

Collegial approach
He wants the One Cook Islands Movement to foster a more collegial approach to politics, bringing everyone together.

He agreed it meant they were essentially independents, “an independent movement with a purpose”.

Bishop said it is very rare for one party to win a clear majority, so the One Cook Islands Movement candidates, if elected, were well placed to be in government.

The new party in the contest this year is the United Party, and uniting the country is their mantra.

Leader Teariki Heather said the way to do this was by investing in the people, and not spending on buildings that were unnecessary — such as, he said, cyclone shelters on islands that did not experience cyclones.

He envisages slashing the wages MPs get by 45 percent while increasing the minimum wages by 25 percent in Rarotonga and more in the outer islands.

Prices for imported foods have soared, with cartons of chicken nearly doubling in price in Rarotonga and double that again in the Pa Enua.

Minimum wage increase
“So our plan is to increase the minimum wage and that will hopefully keep our people there, but also the increase in the cost of living [needs] to be more affordable for them,” he said.

United can also boast former New Zealand netball legend Margaret Matenga as one of its 17 candidates.

Cook Islands elections have typically been contests between the Cook Islands Party and the Democrats, although this time round this could well be shaken up by the newcomers.

Democrats deputy leader William “Smiley” Heather is another claiming Mark Brown’s government is ignoring the plight of the people who are struggling to cope with the soaring cost of living.

He said his party would redirect money that he said the government was putting towards development on Rarotonga.

“We believe the previous government is looking to build all these new buildings, $60 million — why are we spending money on that when our people are suffering, running out of money,” William Heather said.

Pandemic challenge
Mark Brown replaced Henry Puna as Prime Minister just before covid-19 hit, so this will be the first time he has led the party into an election.

He said the pandemic had been one of the most testing times, especially given the reliance on tourism, but his Cook Islands Party had handled it successfully.

Brown dismissed criticism of the way government was spending as unfounded.

He said a lot of their focus has been on those who had needed support through this time, “we put out a big package on covid economic support for over a two-year period, now we are focussing on recovery, bearing in mind that we are coming back from a contracted economy.”

The Cook Islands Party is promising small increases in the pension and the minimum wage.

The Electoral Office said all results should be available within several hours of the close.

• Voting booths open at 9am on August 1 — Tuesday New Zealand time — closing at 6pm.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

A man was held by Papua New Guinean security personnel in Hela Province on Saturday after he was found to have in his possession K1.56 million (about NZ$715,000) in cash carried in a suitcase.

The man, who police identified as a local, allegedly told security personnel that the money was “to fund the polling”.

Papua New Guinea’s general election begins today.

• LISTEN TO RNZ PACIFIC: Koroi Hawkins speaks to PNG correspondent Scott Waide
• Papua New Guinea voters head to the polls to choose from 3600 candidates
• ‘Vote wisely – not with cargo cult mentality’ PNG election eve warning
• Titanic power struggle tipped for PNG’s ‘game changer’ election
• Other PNG election reports

However, when he was questioned further, he recanted his initial statement and said the cash was “for his company”.

Police Commissioner David Manning said that investigations continue into the cash possession and what it was meant for.

Security sources said they were tipped off about the cash in the flight for Komo.

About 30 men disembarked and were searched by security personnel.

Clutching a suitcase
During the search, security personnel noticed the suspect clutching a suitcase as hand luggage.

When security personnel opened the suitcase, they found the bundles of cash in K50, K100 and K20 notes.

They took the suspect to Komo police station and then transferred with the cash to Tari police station.

It is expected he will be taken to Mt Hagen where he will be charged by police.

Police will continue their investigations.

Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Papua New Guineans, your future is in your hands, vote wisely.

As the campaign trail wound up its last hours at the weekend, voters were being urged to keep their future in mind when choosing and voting this election starting tomorrow.

Alvin Gia Huk, an independent candidate, and runner up in the 2017 National General Elections for the Mendi-Munihu Open seat in Southern Highlands Province is encouraging voters to not repeat the mistakes made in the past when electing people who didn’t have their interest at heart.

He said voters needed to make wiser decisions for long term benefits for their children, the district and the province as a whole.

• READ MORE:  Titanic power struggle tipped for PNG’s ‘game changer’ election
• Other PNG election reports

“Don’t follow money and materials today and spend the next five years being neglected of your basic right to services. You have the power to change your course in the next week, to receive what is rightfully yours and have a better quality of life,” he said.

Among other policies, he said a change in voters’ attitudes was what he had been promoting and encouraging throughout the campaign period.

“I have been educating voters since last elections to not vote with a cargo cult mentality or based on family lines, tribal ties and vote for quality”.

He admits it has been a challenge breaking the cargo cult mentality but he sees some progress from the previous elections.

Voters have become more educated and aware of what they deserve and what qualities they want in their leaders.

The PNG elections run from July 4 to 22.

Asia Pacific Report’s coverage of the PNG general election is being boosted by partnerships with media groups such as the independent Inside PNG, The National, PNG Post-Courier and RNZ Pacific. 

On the eve of Papua New Guinea heading into its 2022 national general elections, the bearer of one of the highest offices in the country has tragically died.

Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil died in a head-on vehicle collision along the Bulolo Highway in Morobe Province on Wednesday night.

With his death, the people of Wau-Bulolo and PNG have lost a patriotic and vibrant leader, who had also been a prime ministerial hopeful.

• READ MORE: PNG Deputy PM killed in road accident
• Personal tribute by independent PNG journalist Scott Waide

As investigations continue from Wednesday night into the cause of the incident, police said the driver of the vehicle that collided with Basil’s told them that he had attempted to avoid fallen rocks on the Wau-Bulolo Highway when he swerved into Basil’s vehicle at Sumsum village, Bulolo.

The driver has been identified as Mathew Barnabas, originally from Madang and married to a local woman from Banglum, also in Bulolo.

Killed in the accident were Basil and his close protection officer (CPO) Sergeant Neil Maino.

Northern Command Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Peter Guinness has confirmed that Barnabas had been charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death and four counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.

Rocks ‘blocked road’
“It is alleged that when he [Barnabas] allegedly approached a section of the highway, fallen rocks had rolled over and blocked the road, Assistant Commissioner Guinness said.

He attempted to avoid the rocks and went into the other lane when he collided with the vehicle Mr Basil was driving.”

It is alleged that the suspect had been travelling at high speed and with small rocks like gravel on the road, his attempt to avoid the collision failed when the vehicle swerved into Basil’s vehicle, ACP Guinness said.

Barnabas is currently being treated for a chest injury sustained from the accident.

“A passing PMV truck helped rush the victims to Bulolo health centre for medical treatment,” ACP Guinness said.

Police Commissioner David Manning also confirmed that Basil had been driving at the time of the accident.

“From preliminary reports, Basil was driving the vehicle and was in the company of his two close protection officers and a publicity officer,” Manning said.

“They left Bulolo around 7pm and the accident occurred around 8pm.

A tribute by PNG journalist Scott Waide.

Passing PMV helped out
“It was fortunate that a passing PMV was able to assist and transported them to Bulolo where they were received and emergency medical attention was provided.

“Unfortunately, Mr Basil suffered extensive injuries, and as to the extent of that, a post-mortem will be able to ascertain how and what caused his demise.”

Sergeant Maino was confirmed dead an hour before the announcement of the passing of Basil, Commissioner Manning said.

“It is unfortunate [that Basil] succumbed to the injuries and he was confirmed clinically dead at 11:30pm,” he added.

Three roadblocks at Gabensis were removed by police who appealed for calm.

Morobe provincial police commander Superintendent Jacob Singura said police officers from Lae had been deployed to monitor the situation in Bulolo and along the highway.

PPC Singura also said that police had removed roadblocks and barricades set up by angry locals along the highway.

“A roadblock at Markham Bridge was also removed yesterday by police and I am now calling on everyone to refrain from such activities since the incident is before the police and investigation is still ongoing,” he said.

Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Papua New Guinea’s policemen and women around the country have been ordered to arrest and charge anyone in possession of illegal firearms — which carries life imprisonment under the amended law — from the May 19 deadline.

Police Commissioner David Manning, who is also the Registrar of Firearms, said that the directives were now being enforced.

Manning is urging all police officers around the country to enforce the law and implement the Firearms Amendment Act 2022 that was tabled and supported by all members of the 10th National Parliament recently.

• READ MORE: Other reports on the PNG elections

“I gave a two-week amnesty period for people to come forward and surrender their firearms to the nearest police station,” he said.

“I am now appealing to anyone who has any information about the existence of any such illegal firearms to please come forward and assist your police force to remove these individuals and firearms from our communities.”

Papua New Guinea faces a general election starting in late July and security is an issue.

Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Journalist and publisher Maria Ressa has called on tech and social media giants to practise “enlightened self-interest” amid a global call for platforms to step up in the fight against disinformation.

“The world that you’ve created has already shown that we must change it. I continue to appeal for enlightened self-interest,” said Ressa, chief executive and founder of Rappler, in an online lecture for the Facebook and the Big Lie series.

Ressa, a veteran journalist and Nobel Peace laureate who will be receiving the award this Friday, has been studying, reporting on, and sounding the alarm against the use of social media platforms as a means to spread lies and hate.

• READ MORE: Rappler’s Maria Ressa, Russia’s Dmitry Muratov win 2021 Nobel Peace Prize

The Rappler boss herself has been the subject of harassment online and of legal cases against her in the Philippines.

Platforms like Facebook, said Ressa, give the same weight on posts, whether it is a lie or a fact, in a bid to increase user engagement.

While it has meant more revenue for the platforms, it also means that posts that spark emotion — whether or not they are based on fact — gain the most traction online.

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen had earlier revealed that the algorithm for instances, puts weight on “angry” reactions more than regular likes.

‘Moderate the greed’
“In the Philippines, we say ‘moderate the greed.’ [These platforms] are part of our future, that’s why we’re partners,” she explained.

The stakes are even higher in countries like the Philippines, which will be electing a new president in May 2022.

“Why we must fight disinformation. It weakens, and ultimately subverts, democracy, by undermining the factual basis of reality, by denying the standards of truth.”

— #FightDisinfo

“We cannot not do anything because we in the Philippines have elections on May 9. If we do not have integrity of facts, we won’t have integrity of elections,” warned Ressa.

Platforms, after all, are anything but clueless and helpless.

Facebook, for instance, put more weight on “news ecosystem quality” or NEQ after employees found that election-related information were spreading on the platform in the days following the US elections in 2021.

The NEQ, according to The New York Times, is a “secret internal ranking it assigns to news publishers based on signals about the quality of their journalism.”

The lies asserted that the elections were rigged and that Donald Trump, then US president, was the true winner.

The ‘big lie’ persists
he “big lie,” as it has since been called, persists to this day.

Ressa said she woud be asking Facebook “behind the scenes and in front,” via Rappler’s partnerships, to turn up the NEQ locally.

Increasing the weight of the NEQ, at least in the US, meant that for a while, mainstream media accounts — The New York Times, CNN, and NPR — were more prominent on the Facebook feed than hyperpartisan pages.

“The foundational problem is that facts and lies are treated equally, which is what has poisoned the information ecosystem,” added Ressa.

Duterte, who won the 2016 elections by a wide margin in a plurality, is among the first national candidates to effectively use social media in a Philippine election.

Social media hasn’t just changed how regular citizens act and candidates campaign, it has also changed sitting leaders’ tactics.

“Leaders in the past that would take over, their first challenge is always how to unite people. Now, with social media because of the incentive schemes, we’re seeing leaders awarded if they divide,” said Ressa.

More manipulation tools
“Illiberal governments have gotten more tools to manipulate people,” she added. Rappler investigations later found that pro-Duterte networks used fake accounts to spread lies and disinformation well into his term as president.

Rappler started out as a Facebook page in mid-2011 and has since grown to be among the leading news sites in the Philippines. The news organisation faces at least seven active pending cases before different courts in the Philippines.

These are on top of online attacks over its reporting on the Duterte administration, including its bloody “war on drugs” and allegations of corruption among the President’s allies.

Ressa and a former researcher were convicted in June 2020 for a cyber libel law that hadn’t even been legislated when the article first came out.

Ressa is the first Filipino individual awardee of the Nobel Peace Prize and is the only woman in this year’s roster of laureates.

Ressa won the Peace Prize alongside Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov.

They won the prize “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

Republished from Rappler with permission.

Prime Minister James Marape has assured Papua New Guinea that the 2022 National General Election will go ahead as scheduled, reports the PNG Post-Courier.

He dismissed fears that the election will be deferred due to concerns over funding and the electoral roll, which is yet to be updated, with only seven months to go before the issue of writs.

“Do we have time? I concur that time is running out for us to work. We have seven months left before the writs are issued.

• READ MORE: Other PNG elections stories

“We can squeeze a work program in by all sectors of government to ensure that we arrive in the 2022 election in June and July,” he said.

Marape said the update of the common roll or electoral roll was an important requirement to progress good elections in 2022.

He said the government is conscious about that and would ensure that adequate funding was secured to get all the necessary preparations for the elections in place.

“In the past we do have heavy census, heavy NID (national identification) exercises and heavy common roll updates that consume a lot of money.

For example, to do common roll updates, they come up with budgets of K200-K300 million (NZ$80-NZ$120 million), the NID exercise consumes K300-K400 (NZ$120-NZ$160 million) and the census also has a funding submission to that tune,” Marape said.

“We do not have the luxury of funds to conduct different census or common rolls.

“We are trying to do it in a cost efficient manner in which we get to know our population.

“We will a do headcount and from one population data we could migrate that into our census.

“In the September-October period, every district and province is informed to prepare to assist our ward members update the population of the 6000 wards that we have nationwide.”

Ward members can update baseline population headcount from household to household. They are are closest to the people.

“The PNGEC (PNG Electoral Commission) team, from this population data base, will verify those who are 18 years and above to be migrated to the common roll and that will take place in December, January, February and March, for the common roll verification and update,” Marape said.

“By April-May that data will be ready to be used for the election.”

He said this during question time when responding to questions from Esa’ala MP Davis Steven.

Heavy rain early today failed to deter more than 1000 Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) supporters who gathered in front of the Government building in Apia — some travelling hours to get there — to protest against what they claim to be the “disintegration” of Samoa’s constitution.

Despite the sporadic heavy showers, people marched in unison singing traditional songs to rally against the judiciary’s ruling to install the new Fiame Naomi Mata’afa government.

People held up posters with messages proclaiming “Uphold the Constitution” and “Constitutional Government not Judicial Government” as they waved Samoan flags.

• READ MORE: Other articles about the Samoan elections

The Former Minister of Health, Faimalo Kika Stowers, led the march with other HRPP figures and former MPs mixed among the crowd.

While announcements said the march would start at 10 am, the movement of more than 200 people left the Fiame Mata’afa Faumuina Mulinuu II (FMFMII) Building before that time.

Many of the attendees told the Samoa Observer that they were marching in support of former prime minister Tuila’epa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi’s government.

“HRPP have done amazing things for Samoa and we will continue to stand for [it],” an elderly man in his 80s from Moataa said.

Buses full of civilians
Buses full of civilians of all ages, from as far as Samatau, offloaded in front of the Government building from 8 am.

Meanwhile, at the Malae o Tiafau, large tents and hundreds of chairs had been set up to shelter the demonstrators.

The Samoa Observer understands that the Supreme Court had cancelled all matters initally scheduled for Monday as a safety precaution for judges.

A heavy police presence was seen at the ground floor of the building.

The Samoa Observer understands this was to ensure that no disturbances took place for the new government that is now housed in the FMFMII building.

Today’s rally comes after the party’s supporters participated on Friday in a vehicle convoy protest against the judiciary.

Soli Wilson is a writer for the Samoa Observer. This article is republished with permission.

Samoa’s Parliament will convene tomorrow as originally planned

The Supreme Court has issued orders to uphold the original proclamation, dated 20 May 2021, by the Head of State of Samoa to convene the country’s 17th Parliament following the April 9 general election.

The orders of the court were signed and issued today in an unprecedented urgent Sunday sitting by Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese with Justice Tafaoimalo Tologata Leilani Tuala-Warren and Justice Vui Clarence Nelson.

• READ MORE: Samoa Supreme Court hears FAST party challenge over shock edict

The court orders declare the original Proclamation of the Head of State as lawful while stating that any subsequent or conflicting declarations were not aligned with the Constitution, and also went against recent judgments of the court.

Speaking to the media outside court, former Attorney-General Taulapapa Brenda Heather-Latu confirmed the court orders had addressed a challenge filed by Latu Lawyers on behalf FAST party, challenging the late night proclamation by the Head of State to suspend the opening of Parliament.

“Those were basically the two orders.”

Is Samoa in a constitutional crisis? https://t.co/ILl6ohKEQM

— Te Ao with MOANA (@TeAoWithMOANA) May 22, 2021

Asked if the nation could expect another move to “sabotage” Parliament convening in the next 12 hours, Taulapapa said her clients, the FAST party, stood prepared for anything further developments.

FAST party ‘prepared’
“Our clients are prepared to address anything else that might come up, and continue to rely on God’s grace.”

A special sitting of the Supreme Court was held 11am today following an application by FAST lawyers led by former Heather-Latu challenging a late night proclamation by the Head of State issued by email from the Government Press Secretariat at 9.09pm last night.

The second proclamation issued within 48 hours by Samoa’s Head of State HH Tuimalealiifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II sent a wave of shock through the nation, as it proclaimed a suspension on his original writ, and postponed Parliament from convening tomorrow morning.

The court also directed that a copy of the orders be given immediately to the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.

Meanwhile, in another twist to yesterday’s proclamation, RNZ Pacific reports that the Head of State has departed his official residence in Apia’s Vailele and returned to his village of Matautu-Falelatai on Upolu’s south-west coast.

The move has included a police guard, reportedly for his safety.

Last week, a bus load of matai from the village arrived at his residence in the capital to offer their support after some threats had been made against him on social media.

RNZ Pacific correspondent in Apia, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, said the Tuimaleali’ifano left Vailele yesterday after making the latest proclamation.

“And moved to his village. He’s now there and operating from his village of Matautu-Falelatai. And now you see police officers are there protecting him.”

The Head of State’s village is nearly two hours from the capital, Apia.

Sina Retzlaff is a Samoa Global News website journalist.

So it’s clear: the @nytimes seems to be doing a better and more committed job of covering the Samoan election than the whole NZ media. (Excepting Radio NZ Pacific–which is tasked with Pacific, and which still doesn’t have someone in Samoa). #Embarrassing #nzpol #palota2021 https://t.co/moVXQJI9kP

— Damon Salesa (@DamonSalesa) May 22, 2021

Samoa’s Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal by the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) against the Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned the appointment of a sixth woman Member of Parliament, Ali’imalemanu Alofa Tu’u’au.

This paves the way for the sitting of Parliament (Fale Fono) on Monday as proclaimed by the Head of State.

The decision by the panel of three judges – Justice Tafaoimalo Leilani Tula Warren and Justice Fepulea’i Ameperosa Roma – was delivered by the Chief Justice, Satiu Simativa Perese.

• READ MORE: Other Samoan election reports

Proclamation has been issued be Head of State to convene Parliament on 24th May 2021.

Viia le Ali’i ua maua se iuga lelei.
Now to the oath ceremony. pic.twitter.com/reeyjA7WGn

— Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson (@lagipoiva) May 21, 2021

The decision

• The applications by the first and second appellants for a stay of execution of the judgment of the Supreme Court dated 17 May 2021 are dismissed;
• Costs are awarded in the amount of $5000 against the first and second appellants in favour of the respondents, to be paid within 30 days of the date of judgment.

The appellants were Ali’imalemanu Alofa Tu’u’au and the Office of the Electoral Commissioner.

The respondents were the Faatuatua I le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST Party) and Alataua West MP Seu’ula Ioane, who defeated Alimalemanu in the April 9 election.

After the decision was delivered, FAST deputy leader La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao paid tribute to FAST’s legal team and upport from across the country.

He also acknowledged HRPP and caretaker Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi.

The Head of State, His Highness Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II has issued the writ to declare the official opening of XVII Parliament on Monday next week. https://t.co/D9iYHWXs3X

— Samoa Observer (@samoaobserver) May 21, 2021

‘We’re after all one family’
“Despite the differences in our beliefs and difficulties we faced as we went through these challenges, we after all are one family,” said La’auli.

He also acknowledged the Head of State for convening Parliament (Fale Fono) on Monday.

As seen in the court house since last Monday, after every FAST victory in court, the supporters burst out in song, hymns and prayers of thanksgiving outside court.

The victory now confirms the FAST party’s majority in Parliament and launches major evelopments in Samoa’s modern political history:

• Samoa will now have its first female Prime Minister in Fiame Naomi Mataafa as the FAST Party leader; and
• The FAST victory unseats one of the longest serving Prime Ministers, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi who held the office for 22 years in his Human Rights Protection Party’s (HRPP) 40-year rule.

Lagi Keresoma is a Talamua Online journalist.

US President-elect Joe Biden’s pledge to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement is “fresh air” news for Pacific Islands countries, say some commentators.

The US formally left the Paris pact a day after the US elections last week – a year after the Trump administration gave notice it was quitting.

However, the same day Biden promised that his incoming administration would restore US commitment to the agreement.

• READ MORE: New Biden era heralds global climate politics switch with US rejoining Paris
• More US elections reports

The UN agency that oversees the agreement expressed regret over the Trump administration action, saying: “There is no greater responsibility than protecting our planet and people from the threat of climate change.”

Biden posted a tweet saying that the US would restore membership in “exactly 77 days”.

Biden’s victory will also help make the issue of human rights violations in West Papua more prominent.

This is because Biden and the Democratic Party have greater concerns about raising human rights issues, says international relations academic Dr Teuku Rezasyah of Padjajaran University.

Human rights pressure
“As a democratic country, [the United States] often argues, it gets pressure from within the country to pay attention to human rights aspects in Papua,” said Dr Rezasyah.

Last week, a renewed call was made for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua by the UK government through the Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), Nigel Adams.

“The UK supports a visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) to Papua,” the statement said.

“Officials from the British embassy have discussed the proposed visit with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and continue to encourage the Indonesian Government to agree on dates as soon as possible.”

Today, the Trump Administration officially left the Paris Climate Agreement. And in exactly 77 days, a Biden Administration will rejoin it. https://t.co/L8UJimS6v2

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 5, 2020

The former Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Heather Wheeler, attended the Pacific Island Forum in August 2019.

“It is our longstanding position that we regard Papua and West Papua provinces as being part of Indonesia and consider dialogue on territorial issues in Indonesia as a matter for the Indonesian people,”Adams said.

Pacific leaders have congratulated Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris for their success.

Ardern welcomes Biden
In Wellington, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was important for New Zealand to have tight connections with the US on big global issues – including trade, covid, and climate change – and she would pursue a strong relationship with Biden.

In Fiji, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is reported to have become the first world leader to publicly congratulate US President-elect Joe Biden on his victory – despite there being no clear winner on Saturday morning when he did so.

RNZ Pacific reports that Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said he admired Biden’s patience as results had trickled in and his calming comments assuring people their votes would be counted.

Brown also praised Biden’s unifying speeches, describing them as “inspirational” to the American people and many internationally.

Northern Marianas Governor Ralph Torres, a Republican and staunch supporter of Trump, said his administration hoped it could work with the incoming Biden-Harris administration for the betterment of the people of the US and the islands.

Torres recognised the historic milestone of leadership for women in the US with the election of Harris.

“We look forward to working with them and their Democratic administration, just as we did with President Obama and his administration to great success,” Torres said.

Presidency for ‘all’ Americans
NMI Democratic Party chair Nola Hix said they were confident that the Biden-Harris team would be a presidency for all Americans.

American Samoa’s Congresswoman, Aumua Amata Radewagen, a Republican, expressed the need for bipartisan work across the political spectrum.

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape congratulated Biden yesterday and mentioned Harris, who would be the first woman and first Black and Asian-American person to serve as vice-president.

He thanked departing President Trump for his support, particularly for sending former Vice-President Mike Pence to APEC 2018 in Port Moresby, and for signing a $US2.3 billion deal with Australia, New Zealand and Japan to improve PNG access to electricity and the Internet.

“The US election was an event that captivated the world, including PNG, with our people glued to their TV screens and internet to get the latest updates,” Marape said.

In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison congratulated Joe Biden and Kamila Harris, wishing them “every success” in office.

“The Australia-US Alliance is deep and enduring and built on shared values. I look forward to working with you closely as we face the world’s many challenges together,” he said.

However, The Guardian reports that Biden’s election would increase diplomatic pressure on Australia to step up its commitments on climate change.

Laurens Ikinia is a Papuan Masters in Communication Studies student at the Auckland University of Technology who has been studying journalism. He is on an internship with AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

Two former New Zealand prime ministers have called for an end to polarisation and the need for “healing” as the US presidential election remains in limbo.

Both former Labour PM Helen Clark and ex-National PM Sir John Key talked up the “television spectacle” in newspaper columns today with Key admitting that he “finally gets” why many voters like incumbent President Donald Trump.

Key said he had spent an hour watching one of Trump’s many rallies in Pennsylvania rather than “a few clips on the news”.

• READ MORE: Even if Biden has a likely win, leading a deeply divided nation will be difficult
  
• Al Jazeera live updates – US presidential election still in limbo
• US vote too close to call as Trump falsely claims victory
• Ilhan Omar easily wins reelection to the House of Representatives
• Nightmare ‘haunts US dream’, says leading NZ newspaper

“While some of Trump’s behaviour was unbecoming of a President, and the speech itself bereft of substance, for the first time I could see why 5000 people had bothered turning up on a freezing afternoon to watch him,” he wrote in The New Zealand Herald.

“Trump was their guy.

“He stands against all of what they believe is wrong with the world and, in particular, the Washington ‘swamp’.

“He is the outsider unafraid to say it as he sees it, which is how his audience sees the world. He identifies their favourite villain, China, repeatedly calling it out.”

He called on the next President to “get the nation’s mojo back”.

‘Compassionate leadership’ needed
Also writing in The Herald, Helen Clark said one thing was very clear from the election – “the United States is a deeply polarised country”.

But she predicted that a Biden presidency had a chance of turning this situation around.

“The fractures which run along political lines are a reflection of not only long-standing inequalities, particularly along ethnic lines, and widely divergent world views, but also of the impact of technological change and globalisation which have seen once secure and unionised jobs diappear, leaving whole communities and regions behind.”

Clark said Biden would have the skills for “calming emotions within the country and making it clear that he would pursue policies inclusive of all Americans”.

She also warned: “A superpower racked by division and self-doubt about its core values and its place in the world is a destabilising force in global affairs at a time when collaborative and compassionate leadership is sorely needed.”

Joe Biden is now poised to win the US presidency. The mail-in votes in Wisconsin and Michigan have overturned Trump’s election night leads.

Biden won Wisconsin by 0.6 percent, and is clearly going to win Michigan. He leads there by 1.2 percent with 97 percent in, and the remainder is likely to heavily favour Biden. Those two states give Biden 253 Electoral Votes.

Pennsylvania does not expect to count all its mail until Saturday AEDT. Trump currently leads by six points with 83 percent in. New York Times analyst Nate Cohn says the remaining mail votes should be more than enough for Biden to overturn that deficit.

• READ MORE: Al Jazeera live updates – Biden wins more votes than any US candidate in history
• US vote too close to call as Trump falsely claims victory
• Ilhan Omar easily wins reelection to the House of Representatives
• Nightmare ‘haunts US dream’, says leading NZ newspaper

If Biden wins Pennsylvania, he wins 273 Electoral Votes, three more than the magic 270. That’s without Arizona and Nevada, where Biden is clearly favoured.

Owing to the large numbers of mail ballots, counting in some states has been very slow. What we know is that Donald Trump won Florida, Texas, Ohio and Iowa.

With the exception of Florida, these states were regarded as only winnable for Biden if he won by a landslide.

Trump is narrowly ahead with almost all votes counted in North Carolina. In Georgia, the New York Times needle gives Biden a slender 0.5 percent percent lead, largely because the remaining votes are from metropolitan Atlanta.

Massive swing
Trump’s win in Florida, where he leads by 3.4 percent with 96 percent in, was caused by a massive swing to Trump in Miami-Dade county. Biden only won Miami-Dade by 7 percent, compared to Hillary Clinton’s almost 30 percent margin in 2016.

This county has many Cuban Americans, who far preferred Trump the second time. Trump also greatly overperformed with Hispanics in Texas.

Biden held the narrowly Clinton states of New Hampshire and Minnesota. The AP and Fox News have called Arizona for Biden. Biden won Nebraska’s second Congressional District.

Biden is likely to hold Nevada and Maine.

While Trump currently has leads in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, early votes by mail are likely to heavily favour Biden when they are counted in the bigger population centres.

If Biden wins two of these three, he would win the Electoral College by a minimum of 270-268 with Arizona, Nevada and Nebraska’s second.

Biden currently leads Trump by 49.8 percent to 48.5 percent in the national popular vote. However, Democratic strongholds such as California take four weeks after election day to count all their votes.

Popular vote lead
Biden’s popular vote lead is certain to grow in the coming weeks.

For the most part, the polls understated Trump’s performance, particularly in Florida, Ohio and Iowa. The final Selzer Iowa poll was the big exception, giving Trump a seven-point lead.

A clue to the closeness of the result was a three-point jump in Trump’s net approval with likely or registered voters in a week, to -6.9 percent. It was likely Trump would do better with higher personal ratings.

In the Senate, Republicans lead Democrats by 47 to 46 with seven races uncalled. One Senate race in Georgia will go to a run-off, and the other one could too if Republican David Perdue fails to clear 50 percent.

Democrats are likely to win the Arizona Senate, but Republicans Susan Collins and Thom Tillis are likely to hold Maine and North Carolina respectively.

Pending the one and possibly two runoffs in Georgia, Democrats are likely to gain just one net Senate seat. If Republicans hold both Georgian seats, they would retain a 52-48 Senate majority – a disappointing result for Democrats, who had been given a 75 percent chance to win the Senate by FiveThirtyEight.

In the House, Democrats have so far lost a net three seats, but would retain a majority with 232 of the 435 seats, down from 235.

Editor’s note: We will continue to update these figures as the vote continues over the coming days.

Dr Adrian Beaumont is honorary associate at the School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

There is a mood circulating among some New Zealand circles that it would end badly for the Green Party in 2023 should it negotiate a part within a now-powerful Labour-led government.

The argument goes: that should the Greens negotiate roles within the new government, that their voice and policies would be watered down, rendered irrelevant by the large, expanded, Labour Party.

That Labour’s success in being able to govern alone would mean the Green Party’s place and purpose would be seen to be irrelevant.

• READ MORE: More reports and analysis on the NZ elections

It boils down to a resistance to govern for fear of being seen as mediocre.

But the counter-argument suggests: should the Green Party bow to the above narrative – to shy away from an opportunity to assert its core environmental and climate policies, to abandon the ability to inject itself into the new Executive Government’s priority policy settings – then it would relegate itself into legislative insignificance and potential political oblivion by 2023.

It would also pay-waste to the ministerial experience, gains and momentum that its members of Parliament established during the 2017-20 term.

It can be argued, the Greens have proven that the Red-Green tag-team works. Unlike Winston Peters’ New Zealand First, the Greens have experienced an increased share of electoral and party list support, despite one-spectacular own goal, and despite being in government as a smaller party within the 2017-20 Labour-led Government.

Redefining MMP history
That is redefining MMP history.

Let’s examine that phenomenon.

Traditional Green support (that withdrew in large numbers during the 2017 election campaign) returned in part in 2020 perhaps to assist their Green Party to survive. The effect: the Green Party avoided the sub-five percent dry horrors and indeed secured a generational-shift with Chloe Swarbrick’s impressive win in Auckland Central.

As such, the Greens have made history, defining a maturing of New Zealand voter behaviour where, as a third party, have increased voter support after presiding over significant ministerial portfolios in partnership with a large party-led government.

The Greens should avoid the cautious, strategic trap. Should the Greens shy away from negotiating, then they will likely commit themselves to a future of legislative irrelevance.

That scenario would see its natural partner party Labour – under Jacinda Ardern, an environmentally and climate change sensitive leader – hoover up good and sound Green Party policy and make it its own.

It appears, Labour does not want to do that.

Consensus building
Labour leader and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern indicated on election night and over the weekend, her wish to embark on consensus building. Her call on Sunday to Greens co-leader James Shaw set out a pathway ahead toward negotiations.

While refusing to get ahead of herself on the elements of discussions between Labour and the Greens, she clearly indicated an intention to develop a consensus around policy, and use common ground as a basis of dialogue.

Those are strong negotiation points that the Green leadership, caucus and membership can leverage from.

Also, both Labour and the Greens share a need to cement in a consensus-driven red-green bloc, a movement of significance, that could reshape Aotearoa New Zealand society, policy-sets, and the political and economic environment for the next two Parliamentary terms.

This was a bloc of significance in determining the make-up of Government in 2017, it played a significant part in Labour’s connection to environmentalism in 2020, and will prove absolutely necessary once Labour’s main opponent, the National Party, re-invents itself to campaign as match fit and as a centre-right cabinet-in-waiting in future election cycles.

This, one get’s a sense, is what drives the Prime Minister’s pursuit of consensus building at a time of absolute power. That, in turn, offers the Green negotiators a powerful lever beyond what the numbers would suggest – ie; mutual interest.

It’s likely, Labour knows the 2020 election result is the zenith of its political successes.

Labour not a broad-tent party
Labour is not a broad-tent party. In Jacinda Ardern, it has exceptional leadership. In Grant Robertson, it has solid, assuring, strategic financial leadership. It has a deep and deepening pool of political talent in ministers that stretch well beyond the top-five.

It has a ministerial line up that now has significant ministerial experience. It has a pool of caucus members ready to express their commitment to Executive Government representations.

One gets the strong sense it is the party, with the politicians, with the policy sets… for this time. Interventionism, Keynesian economics shaped for the 2020 decade, and a government with the energy to get things done.

The most enduring criticism of the Ardern-led government is the pace of incrementalism. And that, is something that the challenges of these times can demand be addressed.

It is also an idiosyncrasy of which the Green Party can challenge with considerable honest broker-ship. One gets a sense that the elements of a unified red-green bloc could well sustain voter enthusiasm through this term and potentially 2023-2026.

Labour’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern’s post-election media stand-ups demonstrate she knows this.

Jacinda Ardern’s wish to build consensus across the centre-centre-left, acknowledges the success of the Green Party’s election campaign. She also has indicated an interest to have discussions with the Maori Party should special votes shore up its election night win in Waiariki.

Cooperation with Māori Party
Her comments appear to signal to Māori that the Ardern-led Labour Party wants to work with, and cooperate with, every Māori  MP that the Māori electorate voters send into Parliament.

So is the host of Green Party MPs really reluctant to join their successes with Labour’s landslide?

It appears not.

While significant debate is occurring within the party’s membership – again that should the Greens enter into a coalition, then that will end badly for them in 2023 – the Green leadership has indicated an eagerness to negotiate.

Co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson have been clear, there is much work yet to do beyond what they achieved during the 2017-20 term (despite New Zealand First’s centre-right hand-break) and are keen to have their ministers and caucus talent play their rightful part.

Additionally, Chloe Swarbrick’s impressive performance winning Auckland Central demands recognition of significance. A strong signal of resolve and commitment to the generation Swarbrick represents, would be to promote her to the executive so as to initiate her to the demands of ministerial politics and governance. One get’s the sense Chloe will become a highly significant element of future governments, and now would be the perfect time for her to engage in that journey.

Meanwhile, after specials, with a slightly expanded caucus (potentially including the impressive activist Steve Abel), the Greens can definitely broker relevancy on party-based constituency issues, principles, while rolling their collective sleeves up to develop policy throughout the term.

Larger slice of research budget
Indeed with a larger slice of a Parliamentary Service research budget, the Green caucus can truly embrace opportunities for fact-based environmental activism, and work with like-minded ministers to get real gains for their voters, members, and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Such opportunity does not call for reticence. In other words, the opportunity is reality, the dangers are, at this time, abstract. With political planning, such perceived dangers can be rendered irrelevant and relegated to very last-century thinking.

After all, voters do vote for a party’s policies on the understanding that should they be able to inject those policies into government then real change will be achieved. To shy away from that democratic mandate would be an abuse of the support that the Green Party has been given.

Selwyn Manning is editor of Evening Report  and a frequent contributor to Asia Pacific Report.

The pre-election polls suggested it might happen. But the fact that Labour and Jacinda Ardern have provisionally won an outright majority and the mandate to govern New Zealand alone is more than an electoral landslide — it is a tectonic shift.

You can see the full results and compare them with the 2017 election here.

This is also not a result the mixed member proportional (MMP) voting system was designed to deliver.

• READ MORE: ‘ We will … govern for every New Zealander’, says Ardern after Labour victory
• Jacinda Ardern promised ‘transformation’
• More NZ election stories
• Preliminary election results

The challenge for Ardern and Labour now will be to translate that mandate — and the fact that their natural coalition partner the Greens have performed strongly too — into the “transformational” agenda promised since 2017.

For now, there is much to digest in the sheer scale of the swing against National and the likely shape of the next Parliament.

The Conversation’s panel of political analysts deliver their initial responses and predictions.

Labour rewarded for its covid response
Dr Jack Vowles, professor of political science, Te Herenga Waka/Victoria University of Wellington:
It’s an historic MMP result, and that is down to one thing: covid-19. Labour and Ardern made the right calls. Comparative analysis of covid responses internationally shows it’s not just a matter of what you do, it’s a matter of whether you do it soon enough.

Labour did that and have been rewarded electorally.

The polls were largely in line with what looks like the final result will be — the Greens have done a bit better, as has Labour, and National appreciably worse. It’s unlikely they can claw that back to where earlier polls had them. Special votes will be roughly 15 percent of the total and they are likely to go more in Labour’s and the Green’s direction, as they did in 2017.

The swing away from National is pretty dramatic. If it is indeed the first single party majority under MMP and it is very unlikely to happen again for a long time. The big question is whether Labour wants to do a deal with the Greens when they don’t have to.

It might be in their interests to do so in the long run — in 2023 Labour probably will not be in such a strong position. If they have a good relationship with the Greens it might stand them in better stead, but it’s a tough strategic call.

As for New Zealand First, according to analysis of the Reid Research polls over the past months, most of their vote has gone to Labour. And that is simply another reflection of this being a covid election.

Labour was rewarded for protecting New Zealanders, particularly the most vulnerable — and that is in the traditions of the Labour Party.

Labour win masks smaller victories
Dr Bronwyn Hayward, professor of politics, University of Canterbury:
With a record 1.9 million people casting an early vote, this was always going to be an election with a difference. Younger voters also enrolled in historic numbers, with a significant increase in those aged 18 to 29 enrolling across the country.

A generation’s hopes and aspirations now hang in the balance.

Labour’s victory offers the party command of the house, an unprecedented situation in an MMP government. But it masks some other remarkable achievements. The Māori Party’s fortunes have risen, with very little national media coverage.

ACT has been transformed from a tiny grouping of 13,075 party votes in 2017 to win an astonishing 185,723 party votes this year.

The Greens defied a dominant mantra that small parties who enter governance arrangements are eclipsed in the next election. They maintained their distinctive brand and should bring ten MPs into the House.

The epic struggle for Auckland Central by Chlöe Swarbrick (Green) and Helen White (Labour) has pushed up both the Green and the Labour vote — a microcosm of the wider shift to a progressive left electorate bloc.

The challenge now is for Labour to decide to open this victory to support parties. What happens next matters as much as the election itself.

Will a Labour government led by the most popular prime minister in New Zealand’s history be incrementalist or transformative in tackling the biggest challenges any government has faced in peacetime?

The Māori  Party returns
Dr Lindsey Te Ata o Tau MacDonald, senior lecturer in politics, University of Canterbury:
Last night demonstrated that Māori voters continue to waver between the Māori Party via its electorate MPs and Labour via the party vote.

On one side there is the legacy of Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples, and the founding generation of “by Māori, for Māori, with Māori” in the post-settlement era. Rawiri Waititi, who may well take Tamiti Coffey’s seat in Waiariki, is the living embodiment of the success of that struggle.

The other side is exemplified by Koro Wetere’s triumph in 1975 in creating the Waitangi Tribunal. These two stories — struggle via protest and gradual legislative change — were deeply intertwined in Labour’s grip on the Māori seats until 2003.

Then, in one grand racist gesture, Labour proved itself a colonial government by taking the last Māori land, the foreshore and seabed, by statute.

Māori voters have not forgotten the deep betrayal of that removal of their property rights. Hence the close races tonight for those who truly inherit the mantle of the Māori party’s founders, such as Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

John Tamihere’s close run in Tāmaki Makaurau is more just politics, Auckland style, as usual. He may be wondering why he didn’t go with ACT, which has brought in interesting new Māori talent.

What happened to the ‘shy Tories’?
Dr Jennifer Curtin, professor of politics and policy, University of Auckland:
Two aspects are interesting in this post-MMP history-making election. The first is that Labour has made significant gains in the regions. It is now not solely a party of the cities — it looks to have claimed seats that have long been forgotten as bellwethers (Hamilton East and West), as well as those provincial hubs in Taranaki, Canterbury, Hawkes Bay and Northland.

This suggests that while New Zealand First had been gifted the Provincial Growth Fund to deliver regional economic growth to the regions, it was Labour that reaped the rewards of this largesse.

While covid-19 is definitely part of the reason for Labour’s success, the support is likely to have come from across the political spectrum, bringing its own challenges.

This leads into the second interesting point. Judith Collins reportedly did not share internal polling with her caucus, but public polls suggested National support was in the 30% region. Collins argued the result would be higher, that there were shy Tories who would turn out for National.

In fact, this result suggests it was “shy lefties” the polls had failed to capture. And it appears undecided voters decided National was not for them this time.

With such a mandate, Ardern must deliver
Dr Richard Shaw, professor of politics, Massey University:
The Prime Minister asked for a mandate and she got it. Final numbers won’t be known for a couple of weeks, but the headline result was one last seen in New Zealand in 1993: a political party in possession of a clear parliamentary majority.

All the same, Jacinda Ardern will be chatting with Green Party leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw (and perhaps the Māori Party, depending on events in Waiariki) about how Labour and the Greens might work together in the 53rd Parliament. Perhaps a formal coalition, but more likely a compact of some sort.

She doesn’t need the Greens to govern and their leverage is limited. But a lot of people who voted for Labour would not have done so under other circumstances (no Ardern, no covid). At some point they will return home to National.

Labour will already be thinking about 2023 and Ardern knows she will need parliamentary friends in the future.

But right now Ardern has a chance to consign the centre-right to the opposition benches for the next couple of electoral cycles. There is a chasm between the combined Labour/Green vote (57 percent) and National/ACT (35 percent).

ACT had a good night but the centre-right had a shocker. National now has a real problem with rejuvenation. With a low party vote, and having lost so many electorates, their ranks will look old and threadbare in 2023.

This election is tectonic. Ardern has led Labour to its biggest victory since Norman Kirk, and enters the Labour pantheon with Savage, Lange and Clarke.

Once special votes are counted, Labour could be the first party since 1951 to win a clear majority of the popular vote.

It has won in the towns and in the country. It won the party vote in virtually every single electorate. Labour candidates, many of them women (look for a large influx of new women MPs), have won seats long held by National.

Last night Labour was looking like the natural party of government in Aotearoa New Zealand. Ardern has her mandate — now she needs to deliver.

Dr Richard Shaw, professor of politics, Massey University; Dr Bronwyn Hayward, professor of politics, University of Canterbury; Dr Jack Vowles, professor of political science, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Dr Jennifer Curtin, professor of politics and policy, and Dr Lindsey Te Ata o Tu MacDonald, senior lecturer in politics, University of Canterbury. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

The Māori Party looks set to secure a place back in New Zealand’s Parliament after three years out in the cold.

Rawiri Waititi has won the Māori electorate of Waiariki, taking it back for his party from Labour’s Tamati Coffey.

Waititi won the seat by 415 votes, however, that could change depending on special votes.

• READ MORE: ‘ We will … govern for every New Zealander’, says Ardern after Labour victory
• Jacinda Ardern promised ‘transformation’
• More NZ election stories
• Preliminary election results

Labour made a clean sweep of the seven Māori electorates at the 2017 election, meaning the Māori Party had no representation in Parliament.

Coffey had won that seat from former Māori Party co-leader Te Uroroa Flavell, who retired from politics after his defeat.

It was all or nothing for the Māori Party – with low polling numbers, winning an electorate was their only realistic chance at getting back into Parliament.

Earlier on in the election campaign, hopes had been pinned on party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer in Te Tai Hauāuru.

Then a Māori Television/Curia Market Research poll on October 12 showed the race for Tāmaki Makaurau was close – Labour’s Peeni Henare – the incumbent in the electorate – was at 35 percent of the candidate vote, closely followed by the Māori Party’s John Tamihere on 29 percent.

‘Awesome campaign’
Waititi told RNZ it was “an awesome campaign”.

He says it shows there is a mood and appetite for the Māori Party to have a voice in Parliament.

“It may come down to special votes but look I’m confident that tonight’s results are favourable to the Māori Party. Usually early votes favour Labour and the Greens and in this particular instance it didn’t.

“It’s going to come down to specials, it’s going to be a tight race but what it does say is the Māori Party now has the waka on the water and you know it doesn’t end here. We’re preparing for the next three years.”

Coffey would not concede when spoken to with 93 percent of the vote counted – at that point he was about 300 votes behind.

“It’s not over until it’s over. In the last election I benefited from special votes and I think that actually we need to wait until those come in until we draw definitive results from tonight’s election.”

He received 450 special votes at the last election.

Coffey said he was not disappointed given the overall result for Labour.

Tight fight for Waiariki
But the fight for Waiariki was always going to be tight, he said.

Waititi said: “We ran a strong ground campaign and we ran a very Māori campaign … we’ve also run a very strong social media campaign. The numbers are telling us that 2023, the game is on.

“There’s huge issues here in the Waiariki … around housing, mental health, education. But I think the biggest thing is, is starting to challenge the systemic racism in the actual parliamentary system that keeps our people in second place.

“The electoral law I think is something that really needs to be challenged by all of the Māori representatives in Parliament because it really keeps our people in second place.”

New Zealand’s Labour leader Jacinda Ardern received a rapturous reception when she walked on stage at the Auckland Town Hall this evening.

With more than three-quarters of the votes counted in the general election, Labour is on 49.0 percent and can govern alone.

Speaking to Labour supporters, she said New Zealand had shown the Labour Party its greatest support in at least 50 years.

• READ MORE: Labour has numbers to form next government
• New Zealand election results
• Other election stories

“We’ve seen that support in both urban areas and rural areas, in seats we may have hoped for but equally those we may not have expected.”

She thanked volunteers, supporters, MPs in an “endless campaign”.

She also thanked those who may have not supported Labour before and said they would not take their support for granted.

“We will be a party that governs for every New Zealander.”

‘Increasingly polarised world’
She said everyone was living in an “increasingly polarised world”, but she hoped this election had shown New Zealand that this was not who we were and that as a nation we could listen and debate.

“Elections aren’t always great at bringing people together, but they also don’t need to tear one another apart,” she said.

“So again, I say thank you. This has not been an ordinary election and this has not been an ordinary time.

“Tonight’s result has been strong and it is clear that Labour will lead the government for the next three years.”

She said there was much work to do, but the country will build back better after the covid crisis.

She said there was a need to invest in the infrastructure that set New Zealand up for generations to come.

“Our plan is already in action and already working, but after this result we have the mandate to accelerate this response and our recovery and tomorrow we start.

“Now more than ever is the time to keep going, to keep working … let’s keep moving.”

Cliff-hanger for Māori Party
Shortly after 10pm, opposition National leader Judith Collins told party faithful she had phoned Labour leader Jacinda Ardern to congratulate her on the election result.

With more than three-quarters of the votes counted, Labour was on 49.0 percent, National on 27.0 percent, the Greens on 7.6 and ACT is on 8.1 percent.

New Zealand First was on 2.6 percent, The Opportunities Party on 1.4 and New Conservatives on 1.5 percent, while the Māori Party is on 1 percent and Advance NZ on 0.9 percent.

However, in Waiariki, there was a desperately close race between Tamati Coffey and the Māori Party’s Rawiri Waititi. If Waititi wins, then he will return the Māori Party to Parliament.

National MP Gerry Brownlee was looking likely to lose his Ilam seat in Christchurch, which he had held since the seat was created in 1996.

There are some clear leaders in some electorates, but others are extremely close.

This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.

The last opinion poll before Saturday’s general election on Saturday last night put Labour on 46 percent and National on 31 percent. Both are down 1 percent.

Behind is ACT on 8 percent and the Green Party on 8 percent, up two.

New Zealand First is up on 3 percent, according to the 1 News Colmar Brunton poll.

• READ MORE: Final leaders debate – a showdown, then a love-in

It would mean Labour would get 59 seats, 40 for National, 11 for the Greens and 10 for ACT. Labour would need the Green Party to form a government on these results.

In the preferred prime minister stakes, Jacinda Ardern is on 55 percent and Judith Collins is on 20 percent.

More than 1.5 million people have already voted.

The poll was conducted by landline and mobile phone between October 10-14.

What the commentators think
Former National MP Jonathan Coleman thinks Labour will not be pleased with the result.

“I think people might be quite surprised they have gone to 46 percent,” he said.

New Zealand First’s slight increase might “make things interesting”.

“New Zealand First voters might be the sort of people who don’t necessarily tell pollsters how they are going to vote, so I wouldn’t say this is exactly how it’s exactly going to play out on election night.”

But former Green Party policy director, now consultant, David Cormack, said today’s results were “effectively an exit poll”.

“We’ve had such a large chunk of the electorate already vote, so I think this is going to be the most accurate representation of what is going to be the final result.”

Coleman said polls had been incorrect in the past, but Cormack said this was best poll he had seen in a long time.

‘Terrifying scenario’
“We get out of the terrifying scenario of Labour governing alone. The Greens look well comfortable.”

Coleman thinks opposition leader Judith Collins has done an excellent job with the leadership of National.

“Judith has an opinion and many people will back her on that. She’s had to make some calls, I think at times she’s been let down by people on her team who should have backed her up.

“They should have at least stayed quiet because that’s what you do. You back the leader if you want to win.”

Cormack is standing by his call that NZ First will be gone at the election.

But Coleman said Winston Peters had surprised in the past and said there could be twists and turns before the election results were known.

The previous political poll – published by 1 News Colmar Brunton on October 8 – had support for Labour steady on 47 percent, National on 32, ACT on 8, the Greens on 6 and NZ First on 2.

This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.

National Party leader Judith Collins has described obesity as a weakness and says people should not “blame systems for personal choices”.

She was asked about her view on obesity during a radio interview yesterday and was today asked about that by media on the New Zealand election campaign trail.

Collins said people who were obese needed to take some personal responsibility.

READ MORE: Other Asia Pacific Report election stories

When told that some had called her comments heartless, Collins said: “Do you know what is heartless? Is actually thinking someone else can cure these issues. We can all take personal responsibility and we all have to own up to our little weaknesses on these matters.

“Do not blame systems for personal choices.”

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that one in three New Zealanders over the age of 15 are obese.

Those living in areas of socio-economic deprivation are also more likely to be obese than those living in the least deprived areas.

Obesity prevalence by ethnicity
In addition, the statistics show the prevalence of obesity among adults differs by ethnicity, with 67 percent of Pacific, 48 percent of Māori, 29 percent of European/other and 14 percent of Asian adults obese.

About one in nine children aged two to 14 years old are obese.

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern was also asked about obesity today.

“I think on an issue like this, people are, we are all, products of our environment. You can’t deny that and so we do have to look at all the multiple factors that contribute to obesity issues in New Zealand.

“I think if you are so simplistic simply to call it an issue of personal responsibility, then it’s never going to be an issue that we collectively resolve.”

She thought it demonstrated that “under National we won’t see any progress on the issue”.

“If it’s just a view that they’ve got no role to play and that there’s no difference that government can make on these issues, then it does tell you that on one of the most significant health issues we have you’ll see nothing from the opposition on it.”

Peters on ‘tsunami of obesity’
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was asked about the issue as well.

“There’s a tsunami of obesity problems coming down our track, it’s a critical matter and our health system faces a nightmare unless we get going right here and right now to do something about it.”

Asked if it was a matter of personal responsibility or external factors, he said: “It’s a combination – frequently it’s external factors, frequently it’s some people sadly [have] got two or three jobs – their chances of actually stopping to … follow good dining practices is not affordable. They are flat out with takeaway meals and what have you.

“We can all condemn them and say what we like but the reality is, they’ll have sadly truncated lives and many illnesses which are avoidable and I’d like to think that this country has a seriously practical dialogue about it rather than just condemning people.”

This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.

With just under three weeks until the election, Newshub’s new political poll shows the gap is closing between Labour and National, but Labour could still govern alone.

The Newshub Reid Research Poll had Labour at 50.1 percent – down 10 percent on the last poll – but well above National at 29.6 percent.

ACT is on 6.3 percent and the Greens are at 6.5 percent. NZ First is at 1.9 percent.

• READ MORE: NZ election and opinion polls

On those figures, Labour would have 65 seats in Parliament, National 38, and the Greens and ACT eight each.

As for the minor parties, the New Conservatives are polling at 2.1 percent, the Māori party at 1.5 percent and The Opportunities Party at .9 percent.

In the preferred prime minister stakes, Jacinda Ardern is on 53.2 percent and Judith Collins is on 17.7 percent.

Last week’s TVNZ Colmar Brunton poll had Labour at 48 percent, National on 31 percent, ACT on 7 percent, Greens on 6 percent and NZ First on 2 percent.

Newshub’s last poll in late July had on 60.9 percent and National at 25.1 percent.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will face National Leader Judith Collins in the second leaders debate on Wednesday night, this time on television Three.

The election date is October 17.

New Zealand reported two new cases of covid-19 today, both in managed isolation.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said there were no new cases in the community.

One of the new imported cases is a person who arrived on a flight from Germany on September 21 via the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. The other arrived in New Zealand on a flight from the Philippines via Taiwan on September 23.

This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.

Full independence will be top of the agenda pledges Ishmael Toroama, the newly elected president for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

Straight after his declaration yesterday at Hutjena in Bougainville, President-elect Toroama, a former rebel commander during the Bougainville civil war of the late 1980s, said he was looking forward to consulting with the PNG government to drive home the will of Bougainvilleans for independence.

But immediately after the return of writs for all seats, he said he would roll out a 100-day plan following the forming of his cabinet.

• READ MORE: ougainville president-elect Ishmael Toroama – rebel, peacemaker, farmer
• Father, daughter team win seats in Bougainville general election

“After the return of the writs, I will then see and fully understand who the people have voted in and start allocating ministries,” he said.

“This goes to the members who have retained their seats. I will screen and check them out whether they have participated well in their previous ministries or not in order to give them ministries.”

President-elect Toroama also highlighted that he would like to rearrange the public service within the first 100 days to put in place strategies to help the people of Bougainville.

He said this election, which had been held just after the independence referendum, was about the same issue – independence – which he said had been going on for quite a while now.

Independence the right of the people
“In fact, in this election independence has been the right of the people, for them to be democratically free … the vote has just been spelled out to bring us to some kind of numbers but consultation with the national government is still around.”

He said he was sizing up and looking at his government to play that vital role in embracing the people’s will to talk about independence.

“It gives us a good opportunity to select those who have voted us into Parliament so that we can pursue and strengthen the development happening in Bougainville through consultation.”

Toroama has also extended an “olive oil branch” to rival candidates if they wanted to work with him to create a peaceful Bougainville.

“They are most welcome,” he said. “They are leaders on their own rights and it is something for us to sit down and discuss and see what we can come up with and fit those people who’ve run the race with me.”

‘Corruption-free’ administration
The National’s Miriam Zarriga reports that President-elect Ishmael Toroama is expected to be sworn in tomorrow in Buka before he forms a caretaker government and sets in motion his plans for a “corruption-free” administration.

The 51-year-old former Bougainville Revolutionary Army commander was declared the winner on 51,317 votes after the 23rd elimination on Tuesday night, beating former Central Bougainville MP Simon Dumarinu who had 33,088 votes.

“I am honoured to get this seat. I salute our good Lord for making things happen,” he told The National from Buka yesterday.

“It is my great honour to serve my people of Bougainville,”

The writs of the 2020 Bougainville election are expected to be returned to the Speaker Simon Pentanu in the House of Representatives today, marking the end of the election, and the end of the previous administration.

Toroama will then pick a male and a female elected member to be part of his caretaker government.

They will be sworn in by Justice Sir Kina Bona, the resident judge in Buka tomorrow.

Victory dedicated to Francis Ona
In an early interview with the PNG Post-Courier yesterday morning, Toroama battled tears as he remembered the late Francis Ona and Joseph Kabui’s dream for Bougainville as he was preparing to be declared president-elect.

President Toroama, in the company of his three children, said he would honour the late Ona’s dream which he held on to – and this was independence and restricting the use of alcohol.

Toroama said as he was closely associated with Ona and two things he always talked about were alcohol and independence.

“One of the two things the late Francis Ona always talked about with me and my team was alcohol drinking,” he said.

“It was something I said [that I would] do if I take the seat and that would be to make sure that alcohol will be served only in hotels, that’s one thing mi laik mekim long behalf blong em taim mi kisim seat.

“I will use my powers to stop this! And the other one [Ona talked about] is independence. I want to say that we are still struggling along the way but every struggle we make, there is a victory, every fight that we fight there is always a victory, without a fight, there is no victory!

“So I must say, what we struggled for, there is hope for achievement now, and this will be high on agenda when we start consulting with the national government forward.”

Toroama paid tribute to the late reclusive leader Francis Ona and said he could now implement Ona’s dream which was independence for Bougainville.

He also paid tribute to the late Joseph Kabui, whom he also served.

Congratulations from Marape
The Post-Courier reports that Prime Minister James Marape had congratulated Ishmael Toroama on his success.

“Congratulations of the highest order to Ishmael Toroama. Your win was conclusive and I offer my support to work with you to deliver on my commitments to Bougainville,” Marape said.

“Let me appreciate also the hard efforts of outgoing President Dr John Momis for his undying and untiring efforts for people empowerment both in Bougainville and greater PNG. Your legacies and ideologies will live on.”

This composite article is drawn from reports from The National and PNG Post-Courier with permission.

Let me start by putting my education cards on the table. I think public money should fund public schools. If you want to have a private school that’s fine but do it with private money.

I also think that our current model of funding schools that came out of the Tomorrow’s Schools neoliberal “reforms” has resulted in rich public schools and poor public school and that’s just wrong.

OK – now to the decision announced by Associate Finance Minister and Green Party Leader James Shaw that a privately run Green School will get more than $11 million out of the $3 billion set aside for infrastructure in the covid-19 recovery fund.

• READ MORE: Shaw apologises for signing off on funding for ‘green’ private school

Politically this is an own goal.

If you go to the Greens Education Policy page you will read:

• State schools should be funded so they are not reliant on donations, fees, or fundraising;
• Public funding for private schools should be phased out and transferred to public schools; and
• Public-private partnerships should not be used for building or running schools.

To argue that the money for the Green School is not coming out of the Education Budget but the Covid-19 Recovery Programme fools no one.

Betrayal raises issue of trust
It’s clearly a betrayal of policy and raises the issue of trust. Can we trust what else is written on their website is actually their policy?

I note that National’s Nicola Willis has been quick to label it hypocrisy and I can’t say she is wrong. However Willis is also guilty of hypocrisy on this issue because you can’t be pro public funding of private schools and cry foul when it happens.

Chris Hipkins washing his Pontius Pilot hands in public with his nothing to-do-with-me statement, simply reveals Labour’s neoliberal heart is still beating.

Did Finance Minister Grant Robertson also disapprove of this funding of a private school. If so why did it see the light of day?

Should we have green sustainable learning in our education system ?

Hell yes!

Shovels ready for school gardens
But in the curriculum for every school. Many schools around the country have got their shovels ready to create school gardens for example. Eleven million dollars would go a long way to creating them.

As I see it, the Greens have been effective on the Climate Change and on Poverty fronts, but they have also made decisions that have left me genuinely puzzled – such as giving up their Question Time slots in Parliament to National, shrugging their shoulders over the Water Bottling issue and now financially supporting a private school.

One sure way to lose an election is to keep scoring own goals and this was a classic.

Bryan Bruce is an independent filmmaker and journalist. The Pacific Media Centre is publishing a series of occasional commentaries by him during the NZ election campaign.

Senior Labour MP Grant Robertson has rejected opposition National’s suggestion that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern step back from announcements on covid-19 alert levels so close to a New Zealand election.

National Party leader Judith Collins says it should be health officials, not the Labour leader, announcing changes to alert levels.

Collins is calling the election to be postponed to November, or next year, and has said there should be more transparency from the government.

READ MORE: Al Jazeera coronavirus live updates – Russia to roll out vaccine within two weeks

• PNG announces record number of new covid-19 cases

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said that if Jacinda Ardern did not front up to answer questions at media conferences there would be the opposite reaction and she would be accused of hiding away.

“It comes back to the point that we are still the government, we have an important job to do in making sure we get on top of this outbreak,” he said.

“It’s [Ardern’s ] job to lead the country through this. Dr Bloomfield is there as the lead health official, she’s doing her job as prime minister and I feel that’s what New Zealanders expect of us.”

‘Ridiculous nonsense,’ says Robertson
Any suggestion that the government had known there was community transmission before this week’s events were “ridiculous nonsense” he told RNZ Morning Report.

Yesterday Collins stated that her health spokesperson wasn’t getting all the information he needed while deputy leader Gerry Brownlee seemed to imply that the government was hiding information.

Brownlee has questioned the timing of official messaging on masks and testing.

“What makes me really annoyed about this, it’s not about us as politicians,” Robertson said.

“Mr Brownlee and Judith Collins are effectively accusing Ashley Bloomfield of being involved in some kind of collusion or cover-up with the government. He’s an independent public servant who actually can’t fight back so it’s complete nonsense and also incredibly irresponsible.”

“We are all here committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well – why on earth would we do that.”

National Party leader Judith Collins told Morning Report that she was not suggesting that officials knew something more about the latest Covid-19 earlier and didn’t tell the public.

‘Simply pointing to the fact’
“I have not accused Dr Bloomfield of anything, and as for Ms Ardern I’m simply pointing to the fact … it contemplates the fact that successive governments have been very careful in the way they exercise their power [prior to] an election given the fact there is an election coming.”

On Brownlee’s comments yesterday, she said: “He was simply stating some of the information that’s been provided to us.”

She said Robertson’s accusations were “outrageous”, and her call for transparency was about National’s health spokesperson, Dr Shane Reti, to be involved in Cabinet discussions on Covid-19 and for him to get the latest information as soon as possible.

“He has been asking for a briefing on the health situation since early yesterday morning, promised it by Minister Chris Hipkins before noon, we are still waiting for that.

“It is important in opposition to be able to ask questions without being browbeaten when we ask those questions and it’s also important for us to come in behind – where we can – the government, but it’s difficult to do it if we don’t have that information.”

Collins said it was Ardern’s call whether or not to delay the election, but the Electoral Commission has indicated it was doable.

Robertson said the government would be making a decision on Friday afternoon on whether or not there are further alert level restrictions or whether they can be eased.

“At that point in terms of issues like the election date and so on we will be able to resolve those.”

National’s response disheartening – Greens
Greens co-leader James Shaw said he was “disheartened” to see National casting doubt about the government’s covid-19 response.

He said New Zealand was able to stamp out community transmission before because of an absolute commitment and trust in good science and good government, and “now is not the time to abandon either”.

“To create confusion and suspicion quite frankly could result in reduced trust from our communities in the very institutions we rely on most to keep us all safe.

“This could lead to less willingness to pitch in to stamp out the virus. This puts us all at risk.

“I would urge New Zealanders to continue to do what we do best: work together as a community, and use our common sense”, Shaw said.

Economic response
If restrictions continue the government will look at what economic support package can be provided and decisions would be made on Friday, Robertson said.

The government might potentially tap into the $14 billion it had put aside, he said.

Robertson said the wage subsidy had been a very successful way of “getting money out the door” but the government is working with officials on other options as well.

“Our focus will immediately be as it always has been on keeping people in work, making sure there is some confidence and some cash flow for businesses.”

The wage subsidy extension, small business cash flow scheme, the covid-led support scheme and income relief scheme were still in place.

Robertson said there was no indication at the moment from the health minister that further resources required for testing.

This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.

• All RNZ coverage of Covid-19
• If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs) or call your GP – don’t show up at a medical centre.

Bougainville is heading to the polls today amid its first case of the covid-19 in the
fourth general election of Papua New Guinea’s autonomous region since 2001.

While this election is critically important in the region’s push for independence from mainland PNG, it comes at a time when there is much distress brought on by the deadly global coronavirus.

Bougainville reported its first covid case from a 22-year old male student who had traveled from Port Moresby on July 29.

READ MORE: Contact tracing begins for first Bougainville covid case

Test results returned last Friday – more than a week later – from swabs taken in Buka found the young man positive, sending health and covid-19 response teams to look for him in Arawa in Central Bougainville to isolate and quarantine him.

Although he has been identified, relatives of the young man had initially resisted health teams making contact with him in Arawa Town.

Bougainville’s Health Secretary Clement Totavun told The Bougainvillean that the issue was resolved on Monday, and the health team was allowed to talk to the patient and collected further swab from him.

“We’ve also started the process of isolating him at his family home, while we are continuing contact tracing with all the other 54 passengers he had travelled with on the flight into Buka and others he may have come in contact with.”

Port Moresby case
Totavun said the case was a Port Moresby case since the young man was only given a medical clearance certificate to travel and was never tested until he reached Buka.

“We have a Standard Operating Procedure at our airport that any passengers travelling in should be tested and that is where we picked up the case,” he said.

“Our health teams are moving around in Central Bougainville to make contact tracing and collect more samples that will be sent away for testing, either at the Port Moresby or Goroka Institute of Medical Research, or overseas in Singapore or Melbourne in Australia.

“We want to encourage people to come in for testing and we also want to increase our contact tracing and testing to find out if we have a community or local transmission in the region.”

The increased contact tracing and testing will ensure any further victims are attended to early.

Bougainville already has two GeneXpert machines, one in Buka and another in Arawa, that can run tests for the covid-19, but Secretary Totavun said they were waiting for trainers from Port Moresby this week, who would train local health technicians on how to use the machines before they could be deployed in covid-19 testing.

“We want to strengthen the testing operation in Buka first, because that is where we already have an equipped test site or laboratory in place, and there’ll be trained technicians soon after we get help from trainers from Port Moresby, along with cartridges for the GeneXpert machine. After Buka we can then expand the use of the GeneXpert testing across the region.

Face masks encouraged
“We are also encouraging the use of face masks in public crowded places because that is a tool that can protect us against transmission of the covid-19.

“There are not enough supplies of the personal protective equipment (face masks) in Bougainville.

“We were given a small number from the Department of Health in Port Moresby so we’re limiting that to only frontline health and security workers dealing with the covid-19. When we get more supplies we will share it with other key government agencies involved in the covid operation.

“But the public are encouraged to sew their own if they can, or buy from those that can sew and wear them whenever they are out in public crowded places.”

Totavun said people in Bougainville should remain calm because authorities were on top of the situation and were stepping up their efforts in contact tracing and increasing tests to determine the status of the region if there is community transmission.

“There should not be panic. People must remain calm because our first case is asymptomatic, meaning the patient has not shown any signs of the covid-19.

“People should also refrain from spreading rumours and be sceptical because covid-19 is real.

Awareness for people’s hygiene
“Our awareness is and still remains that people must always wash their hands, do not touch their face with their hands, cough into your elbows, keep your distance from others and stay at home if you have nothing to do in public.”

Controller of the Bougainville Covid-19 State of Emergency Francis Tokura, who is also Deputy Commissioner and Chief of the Bougainville Police Service, has issued two separate orders on Monday, in response to the first case of the virus and the election which gets underway today.

Emergency Order #7 relates to Standard Operating Procedures to be employed during polling.

Supplementary Order #10 refers to restrictions on people movement within the region.

Emergency Order #7 includes the following provisions:

• Office of Bougainville Electoral Commission (OBEC) officials, security personnel, candidates and scrutineers to have personal protective equipment (PPEs) like face mask, clinical hand gloves, hand sanitisers and alcohol swipes in all polling locations;
• OBEC officials and security personnel to ensure there is hand washing before entering and leaving polling booths, use of hand sanitisers before entering and leaving polling booths, compulsory wearing of face masks by all polling officials in all polling areas, social distancing of 1.5-2 meters is observed by polling officials, security personnel and everyone taking part in the election, use of alcohol wipes by polling officials and voters in voting compartments;
• Polling to be conducted in locations where there is adequate space to implement social distancing requirements;
• Not more than three voters allowed into the polling booth at any one time;
• Covid-19 awareness posters to be displayed alongside official polling posters at all polling locations;
• If a sick person is reported at a polling location, the Assistant Presiding Officer or a member of the polling security team should notify the respective District Covid-19 Response Teams; and
• Polling to start at 8am and close at 6pm daily from Monday to Friday only.

Bougainville’s extended State of Emergency will lapse on August 14.

Extension sought
The Covid-19 Task Force and Secretariat wants a further extension that will last until the end of elections on September 1.

But that has to go before Parliament for approval.

The House of Representatives at Kubu has risen and the Bougainville Executive Council has been revoked and there’s only a 6-Minister Caretaker Government currently in place until a new government is returned.

Bougainville’s fourth government is expected to be in place on September 15 when the election writs are returned to the Speaker of Parliament.

Meanwhile, if the second extension of the SoE period lapses on August 14, Health Secretary Clement Totavun explained that Bougainville would fall back under the cover of the National Pandemic Act 2020, passed by the PNG National Parliament earlier.

TVNZ have made the decision to exclude the Māori Party from their election debates.

The argument being forwarded by TVNZ is that the Māori Party is polling too low to be included.

However, TVNZ is the state broadcaster and the state broadcaster carries larger obligations to New Zealand’s political process and to Māori.

READ MORE: Minor parties hit out at exclusion from multi-party debates

So the decision seems to fly in the face of the broadcaster’s wider obligations.

The seven Māori electorates barely get news oxygen as it is, and while the Māori Party are currently polling 1 percent, a small increase in that number alongside an electorate win would bring two MPs into Parliament.

But those pathways to power aside, the Māori Party represents the only uniquely Māori political aspiration running this election, and banning their leaders from participating in Leader debates seems more 18th century colonialism than 21st Century public broadcasting.

The Māori Party have challenged TVNZ’s decision on this, but if it isn’t overturned, the Leadership debates look set to be a very Pakeha Party discussion which is especially dangerous to Māori seeing as they are the ones who feel the bite of a recession far worse.

Also in the post-covid virus recovery, Māori political aspirations will be silenced.

TVNZ should be ashamed as the public broadcaster.

Martyn Bradbury is the editor of The Daily Blog. This commentary was first published by Waatea News and The Daily Blog.

For decades, the feared Ampatuan clan held sway in the impoverished province of Maguindanao in Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Through a ruthless private army and a reported “propensity for beheadings”, the clan cultivated a culture of impunity. Now, however, reports David Robie, a courageous judge has challenged the horror by jailing the masterminds of the 2009 Ampatuan massacre for life.

SPECIAL REPORT: By David Robie in Manila

The families of the 58 victims – 32 of them journalists or media workers – had waited for 10 years for justice in the Philippines.

After so long, what is another couple of hours?

The Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao on 22 November 2009 was the world’s worst single attack on journalists and the worst elections-related violence in a country notorious for electoral mayhem.

READ MORE: The Ampatuan massacre – what happened and why

With the judge almost two hours late in arriving at the fortified special courtroom in Camp Bagong Diwa, a police barracks with a jail annex in Manila’s satellite Taguig City, fears were expressed for her safety.

The 101 accused (although three were missing and cited for possible contempt of court) for the heinous crime, dressed in yellow jail tees, were housed in in a barred cage sandwiched between lawyers and some 200 heavily armed police guards and waiting.

The lawyers for both prosecution and defence were waiting.

The media crews for the CNN Philippines live broadcast anchored by celebrity Pinky Webb were waiting.

The CNN Philippines live newsfeed on the Ampatuan judgment.

Live television
The public, glued to their television sets or live streaming from CNN and the state-run People’s Television, were waiting.

In the end, the historic judgment took only 52 minutes.

Many of the victims’ families burst into spontaneous applause for the jailing of the ringleaders; others wept for joy with the convictions. While other families of some of the accused were relieved with the acquittals.

Judge Joycelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon Trial Court Branch 221 announced to the court that she could deliver the shortened verdict rather than the full 761-page judgement or “it could take all day”.

In fact, broadcaster Peter Musngi reckoned it would have taken “43 uninterrupted days” to read the full judgement. Both prosecution and defence lawyers agreed to the short reading with the full judgment being made available online – read it here on Rappler.

Judge Solis-Reyes sentenced the 28 principal accused – including three brothers of the powerful Ampatuan warlord clan from Mindanao – to life in prison without parole and ordered them to pay a total of more than 155 million pesos (almost NZ$5 million) in changes to the heirs of 57 victims killed in the massacre.

The judge reduced the “official” death toll from 58 to 57 because the body of photojournalist Reynaldo Momay was never found. This means that the Momay family was not granted compensation even though it was commonly known that he was with the journalists who were killed and never been seen since. There was also dental evidence linking him found at the multiple murder scene.

Appealing sentences
Some of those jailed announced last week that they are appealing against their sentences, and the prosecution is also appealing over the acquittals and the judge’s Momay finding.

While it has been a long wait for justice for the victims, it had also been a long wait for the judge herself. Judge Solis-Reyes had shelved her own plans for career advancement so that she could see the notorious case through to judgment.

She was forced to brave death threats and political pressure over the case. At least three witnesses were killed during the course of the trial.

The judge had earlier admitted in interviews that she had wanted to pursue a career in broadcast media and had studied journalism at the Lyceum of the Philippines.

Describing the atmosphere in the courtroom with 400 people packed in to hear the verdict of the century” on December 19, Tempo columnist Jullie Y. Daza wrote that the judge “deserves the nation’s gratitude for her dedication and deportment”.

“All I can say is,” she added, “you’re priceless, Your Honour.”

Judge Solis-Reyes broke down her summary into 1. Those guilty beyond reasonable doubt; 2. Accessories; 3. Those released on the basis of reasonable doubt; 4. Those facing arrest warrants.

Police officers acquitted
Forty-three people, including leaders of the Ampatuan clan, were convicted of mass murder or being accessories, and 58 other accused – many of them police officers – were acquitted in the infamous case.

Sentenced to reclusion perpetua, or up to 40 years in prison without parole – effectively life – on 57 counts of murder were prominent clan members Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr; his brothers, former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Datu Zaldy “Puti” Ampatuan Sr, and Anwar Ampatuan Sr, former mayor of Shariff Aguak town.

Another brother was acquitted. Two other prominent members of the clan – nephews Anwar Ampatuan Jr and Anwar Sajid Ampatuan – and 23 others were also found guilty of the multiple murders.

Fifteen other accused – almost all of them policemen – were convicted as accessories to murder and sentenced to between six and 10 years in prison.

It took 10 years, 424 trial days, to hear the testimonies of 357 witnesses against 197 who were originally charged.

During the long-running trial, six accused were acquitted and the clan patriarch, Andal Ampatuan Sr, also accused, died in prison from a sudden heart attack in 2015, aged 74.

One of his daughters, Rebecca, told the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) that her father had six wives and 40 children. The PCIJ closely followed the case for a decade with a series of special reports in The Maguindanao Chronicles.

The killings in 2009 sent shockwaves around the world because of the brazenness of the attack. The victims, including 20 women, were kidnapped and clubbed before they were executed, mutilated and buried in shallow graves.

Mass graves
The backhoe digger, using a government machine, who excavated and filled the mass graves, was among the convicted accessories.

The ambushed electoral convoy had been taking the registration papers to enable challenger Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu to contest the governorship of Maguindanao in defiance of threats by the Ampatuans. He was not with the convoy, but his wife, Genalyn, was shot 17 times: “They shot her on her breasts, her private parts. Such unimaginable cruelty.”

He subsequently won the election in a landslide in 2010 and has since been elected to the Philippine national Congress.

The mass murders were widely condemned around the world by governments, global media freedom organisations and human rights groups. The US ambassador at the time, Kristie Kenney, described the killings as “barbaric” and then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the brutal political violence in the southern Philippines.

The Malacañang presidential palace welcomed the convictions last month, saying the rule of law had prevailed in closing one of the darkest chapters of Philippine history.

“The Maguindanao massacre marks a dark chapter in recent Philippine history that represents merciless disregard for the sacredness of human life, as well as the violent suppression of press freedom,” said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, who ironically was once one of the lawyers for the Ampatuans.

“This savage affront to human rights should never have duplication in this country’s history.”

Editorial opinions cautious
However, most editorial opinion in the nation’s media and human rights groups greeted the “historic” judgment with caution.

“Justice at last, but …” summed up the headline on a Philippine Star editorial, warning “a victory has been achieved, but the pursuit of justice is far from over”. Said the Star:

“Amid the rejoicing are the disappointments and concerns about what might happen next. With 56 defendants cleared, including two members of the Ampatuan clan, there are valid concerns raised by the victims’ families that violence remains a serious threat in the clan’s turf.

“Most of the guns believed owned by the Ampatuans and their private army remain unaccounted for. The claim is believed to continue enjoying control over substantial funds and other assets.

“Harassment of witnesses, victims’ relatives and prosecution lawyers are possible. At least three witnesses were killed in the course of the trial.

“There are 80 suspects still to be brought to justice, and an appeals process that could take another decade to complete. There is the equally complicated task of going after the assets of the Ampatuan clan.

“There are other criminal cases – about 200 of them – still being pursued, including complaints for corruption and obstruction of justice, as well as cases related to the murders and disappearances of witnesses.”

‘Terrible crime’
The Philippine Daily Inquirer noted in an editorial that this daily newspaper – along with other media – had “faithfully reported on the terrible crime that thrust the Philippines squarely on the map for the single deadliest attack on journalists in the world.

“In bearing witness, we strived mightily to ‘piece together the bloody shards of the crime’, and to find the words to ‘approximate the horror’.

But the Inquirer added that there were significant lessons to be learned – and acted upon – in spite of the hope stirred by Judge Solis-Reyes’ guilty verdicts, such as the “endless delay” caused by defence motions that reflected the “dismaying state of the judicial system”.

“And journalists and media workers remain in peril in the fast-shrinking democratic space.”

Philippine Star columnist Ana Marie Pamintuan described the Ampatuan clan as “Monsters Inc.” and was candid in a wide-ranging article about the challenges ahead after the judgment.

One challenge is to “catch the 80 suspects who remain at large and bring them to justice”. Another is the expected “spirited fight for their acquittal” on appeal for those who were convicted.

“Let’s hope the road to final judgment won’t take another 10 years,” warned Pamintuan.

Another huge challenge is the legal fight to have the Ampatuans’ massive wealth forfeited by the state, and payment of civil damages to the victims’ families.

Property freeze orders
Freeze orders have been issues by the courts on bank accounts, real estate property and other identified assets of the Ampatuan clan.

“Prosecutors believe, however, that substantial amounts of cash have been stashed away by the clan the old fashioned way – not in banks where there is a paper trail, but perhaps in boxes, chests or baul [a Tagalog word meaning a traditional clothes trunk], buried somewhere or concealed within walls the way South American narcos do with their mountains of dirty money,” says Pamintuan.

“In one of the poorest regions in the country, the Ampatuans thrived, driving around in convoys of luxury vehicles with their private armies, living it up in fortified mansions. How do local executives in third-class municipalities and impoverished provinces, with their modest salaries, manage to accumulate that kind of wealth?”

The last challenge – and probably the toughest – is how to “eliminate the environment that creates monsters and breeds impunity”?

Etta Rosales, former chair of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, described the Mindanao environment as like the “wild, wild west”, warning it remained “compromised injustice” until the private armies and political dynasties were rooted out.

While the Ampatuan massacre remains the worst example of this environment, there are many other regions of the Philippines where the local population are ruled by patronage and fear.

The implications for press freedom in the Philippines have not been lost on students and tertiary journalism schools.

‘Already afraid’
Writing on Rappler, Diwa Donato, a political science graduate from Saint Louis University, Baguio City, who has dedicated 13 years of her life to campus journalism as an advocate for youth empowerment, press freedom and democracy, says she will never forget the day of the massacre. She was aged 10 at the time – and she was “already afraid to continue my dream of pursuing journalism”.

“The Philippines remains one of the deadliest countries for journalists in Southeast Asia,” she says.

“The fight of professional journalism will always be the fight of campus journalism. We celebrate the Ampatuan massacre verdict, hope for justice, and continue to address the struggles of press freedom.

“For now, democracy and press freedom have won. But we do not fight to win, we fight to be free. There is more to be done.”

National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) chair Nonoy Espina also fears for the future.

“The culture of impunity for crimes against journalists means that massacres like the one in Ampatuan can happen again,” he says. “Without justice, the bloodshed will continue.”

The NUJP played a key role in independent investigations and keeping a watch on government, also sponsoring family members of slain journalists to get to Manila for the trial.

Ruthless warlords
The Ampatuans were the warlords of Maguindanao and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

“Even Andal Ampatuan Jr’s ruthlessness and sociopathic violence served a purpose,” admits Pamintuan. “Cops and soldiers who were assigned to the ARMM talk of the Islamic separatists being terrified of incurring the ire of Andal Jr because of his reported propensity to decapitate and mutilate anyone who crossed him.”

“There are other political warlords still out there – running their own fiefdoms like gangsters, naming streets and villages and government projects after their family members, freely using public money for private purposes and controlling every aspect of the local criminal justice system.”

Yes, a victory, but the fight to end impunity in the Philippines has just begun.

Professor David Robie, director of the Pacific Media Centre, has been in the Philippines on a research sabbatical.

• The Maguindanao Chronicles: Shamefully rich, clan has 35 houses, fleet of wheels
• National Union of Journalists of the Philippines on the Ampatuan massacre 10 years on – before the judgment
• Children bear the brunt 10 years since the Ampatuan massacre

Café Pacific video of the Ampatuan trial guilty verdicts.

Journalism students across Australia collaborated in an immense project to cover the weekend’s federal election.

Organised through The Junction, a website showcasing and promoting student journalism, the coverage featured in-depth stories profiling every candidate in each electorate throughout the election build up.

Seventeen universities, hundreds of students and 80 staff across the country were involved in the project.

READ MORE: Morrison leads Coalition to ‘miracle’ win, but how do they govern now?

It culminated in a live three-hour broadcast of election night on Saturday. The broadcast was produced from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and featured political analysis, commentary from notable pundits and 31 live crosses to student reporters across the 17 universities.

It was live streamed on Facebook and broadcast on Melbourne TV station Channel 31 and relayed to Adelaide and Perth, as well as the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia’s network of radio stations.

Incredible Achievement

The Junction editor and director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne, Dr Andrew Dodd, said the project was an incredible achievement.

“All of the people involved right around the country have just done an incredible job. It surpassed expectations,” he said.

“We’ve had all these universities working on their electorates, covering them and getting to know them really well so there is just this incredible reservoir of stories on the website.”

He said Saturday’s live broadcast was near perfect and went up against some heavy competition.

“We went head-to-head with the ABC at the time when it was the most watched channel in the country.”

Diverse voices
However, he said the project was more about adding new and diverse voices to the market place.

“I think that was evident by the kinds of faces and the voices that the broadcast included, lots of diversity, lots of young perspectives.”

He said the project’s main objective was to hone the skills of young journalists and expose them to the dynamics of the electoral system.

“Collectively, when journalism schools across Australia work together we have the biggest newsroom in the country.”

Invaluable experience
RMIT Bachelor or Communications student Jesse Burns, who was a presenter on Saturday’s live broadcast, said the experience was incredibly invaluable.

“Still being a student, there is so much to learn not simply around presenting itself, but also working with producers, technicians and graphics. I had a team of 15 people on the night working specifically with me.”

He said nerves are inevitable on such a big production but they can also be useful.

“Nervousness shows you care. So for me, I just tried to harness those feelings and I think that helped me present the best I can.

“Any opportunity like this should always be jumped at. Whether that be producing, presenting or even just updated the twitter feed, it’s all such great experience and one that will hold students in good stead going forward.”

• AUT’s Pacific Media Centre is the only New Zealand partner with The Junction,providing a portfolio of stories from the Asia-Pacific region.
• More Junction stories

As tensions intensified between incumbent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and challenger Prabowo Subianto over the expected results in the Indonesia election last week, the rival camps scrambled on their own to prove that their respective candidate was the rightful winner of the poll.

The Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin ticket, which is predicted to win the election as shown by the quick-count results, has even decided to up the ante against Prabowo’s victory claims, as the campaign team publicly opened their own process of final vote counting.

The campaign team also alleged that Prabowo, who had declared himself the new president, citing his own camp’s internal real count, has manipulated the public by not using complete data on the vote counts.

READ MORE: Indonesian election exposes ethnic, religious divides

Jokowi’s camp has employed around 250 people working on three different shifts, 24 hours every day to count the C1 vote tally forms from polling stations across the country in a “war room”, located in Gran Melia hotel in South Jakarta.

The room, which featured TV screens showing real-time vote counting, is open for everyone who wants to monitor the real vote count, Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin campaign team executive Moeldoko said.

“We have nothing to hide here and we want everything to be open, so there won’t be doubts or scepticism anymore […] our mechanism and standards for the real count are also accountable,” Moeldoko said on Sunday.

Similar to the real count by the General Elections Commission (KPU), the team working in the facility counts votes based on a digitised version of the C1 forms, which record the final vote count of each polling station at the district level, from hundreds of thousands of polling booths across Indonesia.

Real time data
The witnesses at all polling stations sent the photo of C1 forms to the team, established under the Witness Directorate of the campaign team, which would input the data in real time. The coordinator of witnesses in each district was responsible for overseeing and clarifying the data sent by the witnesses.

As of 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, the team had input around 23.8 million votes from 119,216 polling stations, or 14 percent of the 813,350 across Indonesia.

The data so far showed that Jokowi-Ma’ruf lead with 56.16 percent against Prabowo-Sandiaga’s 45.84 percent.

Early vote counts conducted by a number of pollsters, including the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Cyrus Network as well as Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) showed the Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin ticket had 54 to 56 percent of the vote against Prabowo-Sandiaga Uno’s 44 to 46 percent.

In a controversial move, the former Army general declared his victory hours after the election and said the camp’s internal real count showed that he had won the race with 62 percent of the vote from over 320,000 polling stations across the country.

Prabowo-Sandiaga Uno campaign team spokesman Andre Rosiade explained that the real count was derived after their witnesses sent the photos of C1 forms to the Prabowo-Sandiaga campaign team as well as to the headquarters of political parties in the coalition.

Witness Directorate deputy director Lukman Edy, however, said the team had found that Prabowo’s claim was not supported by reliable data and in the revealed cases, the rival camp did not put the results from all polling stations in the province into the equation.

Quick-count results
In Lampung, for instance, the war room has gathered around 50 percent of votes, which put Jokowi in the lead with 57.6 percent against Prabowo’s 42.33 percent. The tally was already similar to quick-count results by pollsters, such as SMRC which put Jokowi at 57.7 percent.

“[Prabowo’s camp] put our votes at 40.91 percent while they won with 59.09 percent [in Lampung]. After we looked into it, turns out they only used data from 30 polling stations,” Lukman said.

A similar situation happened in Jakarta, with Prabowo’s campaign team declaring victory in the province by only counting 300 out of thousands of polling stations, he said.

Prabowo-Sandiaga Uno campaign team spokesperson Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said the team did not think too much about the analysis done by Jokowi’s camp, and said they would keep focusing on monitoring the real count. The KPU is expected to announce the final results on May 22.

Meanwhile, in what could be seen as an attempt to diffuse tensions, Jokowi has appointed Luhut Panjaitan — a retired Army general — as his envoy to engage in talks with the Gerindra Party patron.

According to Luhut, he and Prabowo had talked on the phone, describing their conversation as “full of laughter” with “a little bit of nostalgia”.

“Pak Prabowo is a good man […] I know him as a very rational man who can think clearly,” Luhut told journalists on Monday, “So I just want to suggest that he does not listen too much to those whose ideas are somewhat baseless.

“I truly want Pak Prabowo to leave behind a legacy as a leader who participates in strengthening democracy in Indonesia and respects any decision by the KPU,” Luhut said.

Marguerite Afra Sapiie is a Jakarta Post reporter.

• Other Indonesian election stories

A quick count conducted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and Cyrus Network indicates that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has been reelected to the presidency in Indonesia, with the Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin ticket winning 55.8 percent of the vote against Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno’s 44.2 percent.

“Today we can conclude that Pak Jokowi and Pak Ma’ruf Amin is ahead of Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno based on our quick count results,” CSIS executive director Philips Vermonte said.

“The position will not change.”

READ MORE: A thousand Indonesias at stake in one election

In contrast, challenging retired general Prabowo Subianto claimed he had “already won“.

Prabowo claimed victory hours before quick-count surveys officially ended, in a repeat of a similar declaration he made in the 2014 presidential race – which he lost.

He claimed a “real count” from more than 320 polling stations had placed him in the lead with 62 percent of votes.

He added that he had consulted statistics experts who said the figure would “not differ much” from the final count.

‘We have already won’
“We will avoid taking any unconstitutional actions because we have already won,” Prabowo told the media at his residence in South Jakarta.

Melanesian leaders of the two easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua had called for a boycott of the election and demanded independence.

For the quick count, the pollsters surveyed 2002 polling stations across the country’s 34 provinces.

As at 5:03 pm last evening, local time, data from 86.7 percent of the polling stations surveyed had been received. The margin of error from the quick count is 1 percent.

A quick count conducted by Jakarta-based pollster Charta Politika also shows similar results with Jokowi-Ma’ruf winning 54.3 percent against Prabowo-Sandiaga’s 45.7 percent, with 83.8 percent of 2000 polling stations surveyed.

The results were in line with the most recent polls, which showed Jokowi holding a comfortable double-digit lead over the Gerindra Party chairman.

Karina M. Tehusijarana is a Jakarta Post journalist.

• Al Jazeera coverage of the Indonesian elections
• Violence-wracked West Papua region calls for independence
• Other Asia Pacific Report Indonesian election stories

Former Solomon Islands Prime Minister Ezekiel Alebua says that while last week’s general election was peaceful, he claims it was also among the most corrupt.

The main source of election corruption was the 2018 Electoral Act which had many flaws, he said in an interview with the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.

Alebua said the Act was either “ill-conceived” or “intentionally drawn up” to enable former MPs who passed the Act to retain their Parliamentary seats.

READ MORE: Transparency Solomon Islands exposes MP’s slush fund – RNZ

He cited cross-constituency voting and the use of the Rural Constituency Development Fund (RCDF) as among the major flaws.

“People are being asked to use their right to vote anywhere they like, but the people didn’t use their rights responsibly,” he said.

“People from different provinces who don’t know the candidates from other provinces. They also didn’t attend their campaigns, they went and voted in different provinces. The government is also responsible for the return of many former MPs through the RCDF.”

He also used an example from the election campaign period, when other candidates wanted to hire vehicles that were bought with constituency funds by former MPs.

Government assets
This was prevented, however, by the supporters of the former MPs.

Alebua said it was not right because the vehicles were government assets.

“I don’t have any other option but to describe this election as the most corrupt,” he said.

Alebua is recording his observations on the 2019 national general election and will pass them on to the Solomon Islands Electoral Office for consideration in future elections.

Others around the country have shared similar opinions as Abebua.

Joe Silvester from Lau Baelelea in Malaita Province said although the election was peaceful it was not fair and needed to be investigated.

• More Solomon Islands elections stories

Benny Wenda was granted political asylum in the United Kingdom 16 years ago – following an escape from custody while on trial in West Papua.

In exile, he has led the campaign for the self-determination that his countrymen say they have lacked since Indonesia gained internationally-recognised control of West Papua through a disputed referendum vote 50 years ago.

WATCH VIDEO: SBS Skype interview with Benny Wenda

Wenda told SBS News from London, that he is calling for a mass boycott of Indonesia’s upcoming elections to again bring attention to a decades long independence struggle.

“This is a critical time for our people because the election for a colonial occupied force is not legitimate,” Wenda said.

“From now on we will not take part in Indonesian elections because we are not Indonesian.”

“We are Melanesian. We are the Pacific islanders… People are fed up – enough is enough,”he said.

Indonesian elections
On April 17 – more than 190 million registered Indonesian voters will go to the polls for presidential and general elections.

Favoured incumbent President Joko Widodo is being challenged by former military general Prabowo Subianto.

Subianto is also the son-in-law of long-time former President Suharto – who led Indonesia for three decades.

Southeast Asia analyst Damien Kingsbury said both candidates have adopted “nationalist” sentiments in their campaign so far.

“There are both populists that are operating on a populist agenda,” he said.

“Jokowi is trying to broaden his appeal out to the middle ground of Indonesian voters. Prabowo is appealing much more to a base.”

Professor Kingsbury said despite making up some recent ground, Subianto is well behind President Widodo in most polling.

“The polls have been showing that Jokowi is running at around the 50 percent mark in terms of popularity,” he said.

“Prabowo is running at around the 30 percent mark with a significant number of undecided voters.”

This is the second time the two rivals will face off after President Widodo defeated Subianto in elections five years ago.

According to the West Papua National Committee, hundreds of thousands of West Papuans boycotted those elections in 2014.

West Papuan militants back boycott
Indonesia’s control of West Papua has long been a flash-point for ongoing low level conflict between Indonesian forces and Indigenous Papuan militants.

Indonesia recently deployed 600 soldiers to protect the building of a major highway in West Papua, in response to the killings of 19 Indonesian road workers. The road project was a signature promise that President Joko Widodo made to the region.

In following clashes with militants, Indonesia’s military said three of its soldiers were killed along with up to 10 rebels.

But despite this escalation, Professor Kingsbury said West Papua had essentially been a “non-issue” in the election campaign.

“Both candidates believe that that Melanesian West Papuans should accept they are Indonesian.” he said.

“[They believe] the separatist movement [in West Papua] is essentially a criminal organisation.”

In a statement seen by SBS News, the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM) declared its intention to support the push to boycott 2019 elections.

“The TPNPB-OPM never recognised the existence of the Colonial Government of the Republic of Indonesia in Papuans Customary Lands,” the statement reads.

• Read the full report, watch the video at SBS
• Indonesia bans foreign media from covering elections in West Papua
• Other West Papuan coverage

The role of women in every segment of society is vital and this is slowly been reflected through more women contesting political spaces in Fiji.

This year recorded the highest number of women contesting the country’s general election compared to previous elections – and also the highest number elected.

The new 51-seat Parliament includes 10 women, five in government and five in the opposition.

READ MORE: 2018 Fiji elections – the ‘fake news’ catchphrase of this ballot but beware

The highest polling woman, SODELPA’s Lynda Tabuya – a talented lawyer and former beauty queen described by media as a “breath of fresh air”, being the fifth highest of the successful MPs.

Speaker of Parliament Dr Jiko Luveni says this the success of women is “wonderful news” and she is expected to continue as Speaker.

A total of 56 women from all 6 political parties contested this year hoping to represent women and their issues in political debate.

Amelia Qalituraga, 40, of Banaras Lautoka, is delighted that more women stood for election despite politics being a male-dominated field in this country.

Grassroots support
While casting her vote last Wednesday, she expressed hope that women in Parliament would be able to help out women at grassroots level, especially over the minimum wage rate.

“Working as a cleaner at the rate of $2.70 an hour hasn’t been any easy for me and my family,” she says.

“Na veika ga keimami kerea jiko vei ira na marama era na curu I Palimedi me ra rogoci keimami kei na neimami gagadre,” she added. (The only thing we want from women representatives is to listen to our needs and voices.)

With the rise in sexual assault and rape cases victimising women, Qalituraga hopes that women in Parliament will be able to make a change.

“Na levu ni sexual assault kei na rape sa yaco tu ni kua, au sa vavinavinaka saraga ni na rawa ni rogoci na neimami gagadre.” (With the rise in sexual assault and rape cases against women, I believe that women in political spaces will be able to listen to our concerns now).

Krishneel Vikash Chand, a 21-year-old student at the University of Fiji, says “only a woman will be able to understand the needs of other women and their issues”.

“I think it’s good to have more women in politics because it gives women more empowerment,” he adds.

Better represented
Chand says the idea of women being part of the decision making process would allow women to be better represented and ensure their voices are heard.

Despite the positive response from most people about women competing in political spaces,  some prefer men to address their issues rather than women.

Madhuri Nair, of Field 40, Lautoka, likes the idea of women empowerment but prefers men to address women’s issues.

“I think it’s good that more women are participating in political spaces, however, I want men to solve women’s issues because sometimes women don’t think nicely.”

Despite the mixed responses from people around Lautoka, it is clear women at the grassroots level want their voices heard and issues to be addressed.

• Premila Kumar, Selai Adimaitoga, Veena Bhatnagar, Mereseini Vuniwaqa and Rosy Akbar are included in the 27-member FijiFirst-led government while Social Democratic Liberal Party members Lynda Tabuya, Ro Teimumu Kepa, Salote Radrodro, Adi Litia Qionibaravi and National Federation Party member Lenora Qereqeretabua are included in the 24-member opposition.

Koroi Tadulala is a final-year student journalist at the University of the South Pacific. This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement between USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

• Other Fiji election stories

“Fake News” was the catch phrase of the 2018 Fiji Elections – the second democratic elections since Commodore, now Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, carried out Fiji’s fourth coup in 2006.

That FijiFirst with 227,241 (50.02 percent) votes won the elections with just over half of 458,532 votes cast, giving it 27 seats, is testimony to how nervous it was going into the elections.

The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) won 181,072 votes (39.85 percent), close to 40 percent of the vote and gets 21 seats in parliament, doing better than it did in 2014, while the National Federation Party completes the makeup with 33,515 votes (7.38 percent) and three seats in the 51-seat Parliament.

“SODELPA – It’s strong indigenous propaganda supported by some deliberate misinformation contributed to a much improved performance, compared with 2014,” said the pro-government newspaper Fiji Sun today in its analysis of the elections.

This was a quaint way of accusing SODELPA of indulging in fake news by the government’s self-confessed propaganda organ.

In his statement on winning the elections yesterday, published in the Fiji Sun, Bainimarama took the unusual step of accusing the other national daily newspaper, The Fiji Times, of colluding with the opposition in a thinly veiled attack on SODELPA.

“These same disruptive politicians of old, aided and abetted by The Fiji Times did not care to tell you the truth – the truth that iTaukei (Native) land is not only safe like never before under our Constitution but as total land holding has grown under FijiFirst,” he said in a statement.

‘Dishonest politicians’
“In fact it was only under the leadership of these same dishonest politicians that iTaukei land was actually and permanently alienated.

“Their lies and deception knew no boundaries, as individuals, whole communities and religious sentiments were slandered and belittled in an atmosphere of political deceit. They were willing to create economic chaos and undermine our economic future in their greed to win government,” Bainimarama said in his statement from New Zealand, where he was attending his brother Sevenaia’s funeral.

The 48-hour media blackout period – extended until Saturday, November 17, to allow for 22 polling venues to be opened for 7,458 people who were affected by floods – made it easy for social media trolls to make mischief.

At a press conference during the election, Ashwin Raj, the CEO of the Media Industry Development Authority (MIDA), admitted to being caught out by the ferocity of fake news and the social media.

In an interview with ABC’s Pacific Beat programme. Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) co-chair Bernadette Carreon put her finger on the problem.

She said the vacuum left by the media blackout had led to fake news and misinformation being shared.

“The media is not allowed to publish any information regarding the election and so there have been reports of some fake websites coming up during the blackout and we call it fake news because it could potentially influence the voting,” she said.

Fact checking
“Media or the readers cannot fact check because the media is not allowed to air any news or information about the election process.”

That fake news dominated the media at the Fiji Elections Office (FEO) for more than two days was hardly surprising – as nothing could be reported on the campaign or the candidates.

It has been reported on Twitter that FijiFirst, from the financial declarations last month, spent $1.9 million on advertising and $80,000 on social media as of 30 September 2018. (See image)

However, the media blackout and fake news did not have any influence on the Monday before the elections when SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka faced the High Court for the appeal by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) against charges of corruption which were initially dismissed.

The appeal was subsequently dismissed as well to loud cheers from his supporters.
The media scrum was a sight to behold as Rabuka emerged from courtroom victorious accompanied by his protégé Lynda Tabuya.

With more than 2000 people singing Fijian songs in harmony he was escorted down the steps of Parliament which backs onto the court house.

It appeared to be in defiance of the government which have for so long subdued the Fijian people and their natural exuberance.

Sigh of relief
It clearly signalled the portent of what was to come two days later in the elections, and one shudders to think of what could have happened that day had he lost the court case.

But, for now a collective sigh of relief in Fiji, relief that stability continues with murmurings of corruption, relief that a strong opposition is in place, and 10 women have made to Parliament making up 20 percent of the seats, but it bodes for uncertainty in the 2022 elections.

As Professor Jon Fraenkel from Victoria University of Wellington, a visitor and speaker at the University of the South Pacific, told the Australian Associated Press (AAP) on November 14.

“Many indigenous voters are wary of the endless polarisation and mind games of FijiFirst, and there is also considerable anti-Muslim sentiment targeted at the Attorney-General and his many appointees.”

A third term in government is difficult for any party and the warnings are already been written on the wall for FijiFirst – the people have spoken and will again.

Sri Krishnamurthi is a journalist and Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies student at Auckland University of Technology. He was attached to the University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme, filing for USP’s Wansolwara News and the AUT Pacific Media Centre’s Asia Pacific Report.

The courthouse media “scrum” when SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka was cleared by the High Court last Monday to contest the 2018 Fiji general election two days later. Video: SK/PMC

Yesterday marked the end of the 2018 Fiji General Election.

It marked the end of a period that culminated in two weeks of intense campaigning.

In the heated battles, parties clung onto strategies they calculated would woo the important component in the election process — the voters.

However that panned out, campaigning reached unprecedented levels of attacks, some personal at times.

The attacks inched their way onto the various social media platforms, raising the profile of this particular election.

In the end though, before the writ for election was handed over by the chairperson of the Fijian Electoral Commission, Suresh Chandra, to the President of our nation, Jioji Konrote yesterday, the masses had spoken.

The FijiFirst party got 227,241 votes when the final results were tallied. Their highest votes were from the Western Division, accounting for 91,902 of their total count.

The Voreqe Bainimarama led-party received 65,901 votes from the Central Division, 34,291 votes from the Eastern Division and 31,073 votes from the Northern Division.

The party received 4074 votes through postal ballots.

The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) polled the second highest votes in this year’s polls, making up 39.85 percent of the total votes cast with 181,072.

Their highest votes were from the Central Division where they collected 67,255 votes.

The Sitiveni Rabuka led-party gathered 43,813 votes from the Western Division, 35, 013 votes from the Eastern Division and 30,919 votes from the Northern Division. SODELPA received 4072 votes through postal voting.

The National Federation Party recorded 33,515 votes when the final results were released yesterday.

Out of this, 12,025 were from the Western Division, 10,941 from the Central Division, 5457 from the Eastern Division and 4336 from the Northern Division.

The Biman Prasad led-party received 756 votes from postal voting.

The results meant FFP came off with 27 seats of the 51-member Parliament, while SODELPA came off with 21 and NFP with three to make up the 24-member Opposition.

It was good to note that the new Parliament includes 10 women, five in government and five in the opposition. Congratulations certainly are in order for Mr Bainimarama and his party.

He has the huge task of bringing together a nation that has been split in this election.

His challenge would be to understand the needs of the 227,094 voters who did not vote for his party. For now, all battles must be put on the backburner for the good of the nation.

The challenge for individual voters is to cast aside differences, and unite for a common goal, to move our nation forward.

The masses have spoken.

They have given Mr Bainimarama and FijiFirst the mandate to govern for the next four years.

We must embrace that fact.

That is the beauty of democracy.

Republished from The Fiji Times, 19 November 2018.

It’s official. FijiFirst has narrowly won the 2018 general election in Fiji, raking in 227,241 votes (50.02 percent) from 2173 stations counted and securing a second four-year term in office.

FijiFirst dominated the polls in the later counting ahead of the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) in an earlier tight contest. SODELPA finished in second place with 181,072 votes (39.85 percent).

The National Federation Party (NFP) finished in third place with 33,515 (7.38 percent) followed by Unity Fiji with 6,896, Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality with 2,811 votes and Fiji Labour Party (FLP) with 2,800 votes.

EARLIER REPORT: FijiFirst wins second four-year term

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, FijiFirst leader, finished off on a strong footing, raking in 167,732 votes in the results by candidate tally.

“I’m proud to become your prime minister once again,” Bainimarama told FBC News from Auckland where he has been attending his brother’s funeral.

Ratu Sevanaia Laua Bainimarama, a jazz musician living in the Bay of Islands, died in the early hours of Tuesday morning – the day before the general election. He was aged 61.

SODELPA’s Sitiveni Rabuka came in second with 77,040 votes followed by Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum with 17,271 votes.

National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad finished off with 12,137 votes, followed by the leading woman candidate Lynda Tabuya with 8,795 votes.

Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem announced the results at the National Results Centre this afternoon after the final results were released on the FEO elections app.

Official results handover
The official elections results were then handed over to Electoral Commission Chairman Suresh Chandra.

“After receiving the results of the 2018 general election, the Electoral Commission will now retire and calculate the seat allocation for the 51 seats for the next term of Parliament,” Chandra said.

Wansolwara News reports the Electoral Commission later announced the allocation of the 51 seats in Parliament.

As anticipated, 27 seats will be taken up by the ruling FijiFirst Party, 21 seats to the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) and three seats to the National Federation Party (NFP).

Below are the elected members of Parliament:

FijiFirst Party:
1. Voreqe Bainimarama
2. Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum
3. Alipate Nagata
4. Parveen Bala
5. Mahendra Reddy
6. Vijay Nath
7. Premila Kuma
8. Joseph Nand
9. Viam Pillay
10. Inia Seruiratu
11. Mereseini Vuniwaqa
12. Osea Naiqumu
13. Sanjay Kirpal
14. Alvick Maharaj
15. George Vegnathan
16. Semi Koroilavesau
17. Jone Usamate
18. Ashneel Sudhakar
19. Rohit Sharma
20. Selai Adimaitoga
21. Jale Sigarara
22. Ifereimi Waqainabete
23. Rosy Akbar
24. Alexander O’Connor
25. Vijendra Prakash
26. Veena Bhatnagar
27. Salik Govindra

SODELPA:
1. Sitiveni Rabuka
2. Lynda Tabua
3. Ro Temumu Kepa
4. Niko Nawaikula
5. Atonio Naiqama
6. Mosese Bulitavo
7. Anare Jale
8. Peceli Vosanibola
9. Viliame Gavoka
10. Jese Saukuru
11. Ratu Suliano Matanitobu
12. Simione Rasova
13. Mitieli Bulanauca
14. Ro Filipe Tuisawau
15. Inosi Kuridrani
16. Aseri Radrodro
17. Mikaele Leawere
18. Adi Litia Qionibaravi
19. Salote Radrodro
20. Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu
21. Tevita Navurelevu

NFP:
1. Biman Prasad
2. Pio Tikoduadua
3. Lenora Qereqeretabua

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement between USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s FijiFirst party has triumphed in the general election and will govern for a second four-year term after winning most votes

FFP polled 227,241 votes – just over half the total votes – followed by the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) in second place with 181,072 votes (39.85 percent) while the National Federation Party (NFP) came third with 33,515 votes (7.38 percent).

SODELPA and NFP will again form the opposition for another four years.

Other parties gained less than the 5 percent threshold needed to gain seats in the 51-seat Parliament.

Wansolwara News reported earlier that it was understood that after the official handover of results from the Fiji Elections Office, the Electoral Commission would announce the allocation of seats in Parliament before the Writ of Election would be presented to President Jioji Konrote later today.

Fiji’s Supervisor of Elections has hit out at four political parties for making claims that the tabulation process for the provisional results of the 2018 General Election was “not transparent”.

Without mincing his words at a press briefing tonight, Mohammed Saneem urged leaders of the political parties – Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA), National Federation Party (NFP), Unity Fiji and Fiji Labour Party (FLP) – “not to play around with elections” and “be honest”.

Claims of a breach in the Protocol of Results process surfaced after a joint statement was sent to the Electoral Commission on Thursday alleging that political party agents and candidates were not shown documents from which the provisional results were posted on the national results tally during the tabulation process.

There were further claims from political parties that incorrect data was also recorded on the FEO App, particularly for votes recorded at the Namosi Village community hall for some of their party candidates.

Responding to these issues, Saneem presented original copies of votes recorded at that particular voting venue and openly compared those with the election records presented by party agents at that polling venue.

There were notable differences in the data collected.

“The parties claim that No. 571 on their record is zero; the Protocol of Results says 571 has one vote, the pink slip for 571 has one and the FEO App has one. For 591 (Biman Prasad), according to the parties, he has five votes.

According to the original, he has four votes, the pink slip has four votes and the FEO App has four votes.

For 688 (Bainimarama), their records say 36, the original pink slip says 96 and the FEO App has 96,” he explained to the media and representatives from the international multinational observer group.

“The Namosi Village community hall is a pre-poll station and that means counting for this station was actually done at the count centre (in Suva). We have evidence, properly justified and signed by agents and staff, nothing is being hidden.

Party records ‘incorrect’
“The records of those parties are extremely incorrect. They were highly inaccurate results projected here for the sake of publicity and this is why the FEO is urging all members of the public to rely on the FEO information as the most accurate for this general election.

“We will pause and provide the political parties that have got agents present here with the records from the results management system as well as the protocols of results and we will reconcile to make sure that everybody in the results centre has the same amount of data including the data on the app.

“I hope this settles the entire question about attempts to create doubt about the results.”

Saneem further clarified that the Fijian Elections Office had three verification processes before data is accepted into results software or results management system.

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement between USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

• Fiji election poll observers give thumbs up

With the final results from 1715 (79 percent) of the 2173 polling stations now counted, who will form the next Fiji government is still too close to call, although the trend since earlier announcements — and the preliminary results announced on Thursday —  indicate a narrow win for FijiFirst.

As of 1pm today, FijiFirst had 49.93 percent of the vote, SODELPA 39.96 percent and National Federation Party (NFP) 7.36 percent. The other parties had a combined total of 2.74 percent, well below the 5 percent threshold to win a seat.

What has been most disappointing is the low voter turnout. The atrocious weather did not help but in itself is an insufficient reason.

READ MORE: Counting still going on with final result due Sunday

There are likely to be a mix of reasons but their relative importance will remain unknown. They could perhaps have chosen not to vote because they are happy with the status quo under FijiFirst.

They could have expected FijiFirst to win, so why bother? They could have been overwhelmed and confused by the many pressures to vote from FijiFirst and the pressures and rumours from the Opposition.

Or they could have thought the election result would not improve their lives whatever the outcome.

So what can we deduce from the results so far?

‘Work in progress’
Bainimarama’s FijiFirst seems likely to win 27 seats, SODELPA 20 and NFP 4 seats in the 51-seat chamber.

The aim of the 2013 constitution in abolishing race-based elections which favoured the chiefly Taukei appears to be a work “still in progress”. SODELPA is essentially a Taukei party with 43 of its 51 candidates Taukei, 4 Indo-Fijians and 4 Others.

NFP, a traditional Indo-Fijian party, had made serious efforts to be more multiracial. Nineteen of its 51 candidates are Taukei, 29 Indo-Fijians and 3 Others.

FijiFirst is the most balanced party with 26 Taukei, 23 Indo-Fijian and 2 Others. It even has two chiefs! But no paramount chiefs.

Two heads of Confederacies, Ro Teimumu Kepa (Burebasaga) and Naiqama Lalabalavu (Tovata), are SODELPA candidates. The Kubuna headship is at present vacant.

A Rotuman, Pasepa Lagi, out-polled Bainimarama and all other candidates in Rotuma.

A casual examination of voting by the type and location of polling station shows race and parochial interests to still be very evident.

Village voting
People voting in Taukei villages generally voted SODELPA, no doubt due to the influence of village heads (turaga ni koro). This pattern did not seem to be influenced by whether or not the FijiFirst government had spent money on local development.

So much for the social media and opposition claims that FijiFirst was buying votes. Those in (mainly Indo-Fijian) settlements voted FijiFirst or NFP.

In urban areas, voting also seemed to be greatly influenced by race, and to a lesser extent by economic wellbeing.

Three types of polling stations deserve special mention. Those located in military areas voted overwhelmingly for FijiFirst (which reduces the prospect of another coup); police areas were about equally divided between FijiFirst and SODELPA, and Corrections were predominantly SODELPA.

One further initial observation is the different distribution of candidate preferences.  Bainimarama was the first choice  with 36.8 percent for FijiFirst votes.

SODELPA’s Rabuka only accounted for 17 percent with other candidates scoring higher than with FijiFirst.

Interestingly, Ro Teimumu Kepa only won 1.2 percent of SODELPA votes.  This suggests more parochially-orientated voting for  SODELPA and perhaps what could be called more nationally-orientated voting with FijiFirst.

But individual SODELPA candidates may have been better known in particular locations.

The geography of how people voted in 2014 and 2018  by polling station would make a very good topic for a master’s thesis. There are certainly enough hypotheses to test.

Retired University of the South Pacific development studies professor Crosbie Walsh is a New Zealand-based academic. His articles are published by Asia Pacific Report with permission.

The ruling FijiFirst party has taken a narrow lead in the Fiji general election final results today ahead of the opposition Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) after 1401 of 2173 stations were counted.

As of 5am today and with 772 stations yet to be counted, FijiFirst has so far topped the results by party with 131,629 votes compared with SODELPA’s 115,150 votes.

The National Federation Party (NFP) trails in third place with 19,312 votes followed by Unity Fiji with 4239, Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality (HOPE) Party with 1725 votes and Fiji Labour Party with 1664 votes so far.

FijiFirst leader Voreqe Bainimarama has maintained a strong lead ahead of SODELPA’s Sitiveni Rabuka in the official results by candidates, raking in 97,352 votes so far compared with Rabuka’s 47,764 votes.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is in third place with 9840 votes followed by Biman Prasad on 6975 and Lynda Tabuya with 5170 votes.

Alipate Nagata has placed in the top 10 results by candidates with 4117 votes ahead of Niko Nawaikula with 3820, Ro Teimumu Kepa with 3571 votes and Mosese Bulitavu with 3561 votes so far.

Some notable changes so far with the final results include an increase in the number of stations being counted.

Provisional results and early counts from the final results were from 2170 stations. However, the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, has since clarified that there are now 2173 polling stations after the inclusion of three more polling stations to account for the postal ballots.

Voting today
Wansolwara’s Laisenia Nasiga reports that registered voters who cast their votes on polling day (Wednesday, November 14) at the 22 polling venues that were later adjourned as a result of bad weather will still have to vote today.

According to Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem, 7498 people were expected to cast their votes at these 22 polling venues.

“If a voter’s finger contains indelible ink, they will still be allowed entry into the polling venue to mark their ballot paper. The voter will then have to ink another finger,” Saneem told a press briefing in Suva yesterday.

“Any voter who has already voted at these locations will be allowed to vote again. All votes that were received from these places on Election Day will be cancelled. They will not be counted.

“We will be using freshly printed ballot papers as well as new ballot boxes to facilitate elections at these venues and voters can come and vote between the hours of 7.30am to 6pm.”

The final election result is expected tomorrow.

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

• ‘Exercise your right to vote,’ says Saneem
• Final election result expected tomorrow

Official poll results for the Fiji 2018 general election are trickling in slowly as the Social Democratic Liberal Party leads the race by party after 527 of 2170 stations were counted.

SODELPA raked in 44,501 votes so far by party as of 6.27am today.

It was followed by FijiFirst with 37,469, National Federation Party with 5897, Unity Fiji with 1494, Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality with 552 and Fiji Labour Party trailling with 452 votes so far.

Leading the official results by candidates, FijiFirst leader Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama has maintained the top spot with 28,033 votes so far, followed by SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka with 18,356 votes, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum with 2598, Lynda Tabuya with 2530 votes and NFP leader Biman Prasad with 2269 votes from the 527 stations counted so far.

Anare Jale follows closely behind with 2173 votes, Ro Teimumu Kepa on 1516 votes, Alipate Nagata with 1385 votes and Ratu Suliano Matanitobua with 1365 votes. Simione Rasova sits on 1124 votes, followed by Niko Nawaikula with 1073 votes and Peceli Vosanibola with 1020 votes so far, ahead of Mere Samisoni’s 1007.

Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem said they had started to release the final results tally on to the FEO App, which is compatible with mobile smartphones and can be downloaded from Google Play or Apple Store.

“There seems to be a misconception that this is a recount. Please note, it is not a recount but results that have now been physically transmitted to us from the polling places in protocol of results,” he said.

Data entry

“This data-entry process will continue until we have completed data entry from all the locations. So it is not a recount, it is data-entry starting from zero once again.

“There seems to be a misconception that the 584 venues would have to be recounted. No they will not be recounted. After 584 venues that were not included in the provisional results, there are three poll stations we are still counting, probably 360 or so venues that are yet to be counted, that is why the data this morning [yesterday] could not have all the information.

“Some 220 plus polling stations that did not transmit the results to us via mobile phone because some of those areas were in low-connectivity areas, and in some areas the staff directly transmitted the printout signed copy of the count results instead of calling us to let us know.”

Saneem said they would continue to update the FEO App with final results once counts were verified.

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

The Fiji general election campaign blackout period is expected to end at 6pm tomorrow after the final votes are cast by 7498 voters at 22 polling venues that had to close on election day as a result of bad weather.

Final results tabulation was continuing today.

Initially, heavy rain and strong winds made 23 polling venues inaccessible to voters, prompting the Fijian Elections Office and Electoral Commission to announce the adjournment of voting in those affected areas on November 14.

READ MORE: Counting continues after Fiji poll

The closure of those 23 polling venues meant 7852 voters were unable to cast their ballots at the time.

As of yesterday, Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem said there were now 7498 voters yet to cast their votes at 22 polling venues.

He said any breaches to the Electoral Act regarding the blackout period would be reported to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Saneem also clarified that the release of provisional results could potentially influence the decision of voters who have yet to cast their votes.

However, he said the release of the provisional results also showed how transparent the election process was.

Saneem also addressed concerns about voters whose day of worship fell on Saturday, the day set for the polling to commence for the adjourned polling venues, saying they were looking into this issue.

In response to a statement released by four political parties, namely Social Democratic Liberal Party, Fiji Labour Party, National Federation Party and United Fiji Party, claiming the tabulation process was not transparent as political party agents and candidates were not shown the documents from which the provisional results were posted on the National Results Tally, Saneem said those parties misunderstood the tabulation process.

“When they came for the (election) training we told them that tabulation on the provisional results would be done by mobile calls by our officials from the fields. In order to verify the process, we will be doing the data entry here and the parties can follow through from the field themselves,” Saneem said.

“The final result is where the parties are given the photocopies of the documents used for data entry.

“A printout is also given to them post-entry of the results. The provisional results, we’ve always said, would be phone call results entered directly into the system and updated as required by law so I think it is all a failure to understand the electoral process.”

Saneem said they could not speculate a specific time for the completion of counting but assured the public they “will do it as early as possible”.

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

The Fiji Elections Office (FEO) has entered a new phase towards the results of the 2018 elections by stopping the release of progressive results this morning.

With the targeted 70 percent of the vote counted, the final data entry can now be input with the final results to be released once that has been completed, Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem said.

“We have reached that benchmark, but this does not mean that counting has stopped, this does not mean that we will be counting again, this does not mean that the results will only be for 70 percent of the polling places,” said Saneem.

READ MORE: Fiji’s Banimarama maintains commanding provisional lead

“So, the provisional results that we have been announcing all night are actual results from those polling places and we are stopping that this morning, because we have received up to 70 percent of the results and voters are now able to understand the dynamic of the results of the election.”

Saneem said votes had been counted at all polling venues where votes were cast yesterday, except at the 23 polling venues where polling had been adjourned because of inclement weather causing flooding.

The FEO were yet to receive the results from 224 polling stations while 1586 were counted by 7am this morning.

Saneem said there were valid reasons for not receiving phone calls with the results.

Materials packed
“The other thing is some presiding officers have directly packed their materials, so they did not call, that does not matter because we have reached our target of more than 70 percent for provisionals,” Saneem said.

“The total voters that we have received in those polling stations is 370,450 and with that we have now roughly 61 percent turnout in the Central Division, 53 percent in the Eastern Division, 59 percent in the Northern Division and 60 percent in the Western Division,” he said.

“We still have to receive pre-poll counting data which is about 360 or so polling station that are yet to be counted in pre-poll and the 224 that are have not sent us the provisional data.”

The final results will be used to allocate seats for the new Parliament.

When the provisional results were stopped, FijiFirst had a majority of 191,266 (51.63%), SODELPA had 140,963 (38.05%) and National Federation Party 27,769 votes, with all seemingly winning seats in the new Parliament.

Other parties have not reached the threshold of 5 percent to win seats.

Sri Krishnamurthi is a journalist and Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies student at Auckland University of Technology. He is attached to the University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme, filing for USP’s Wansolwara News and the AUT Pacific Media Centre’s Asia Pacific Report.

• Polling for 22 venues that needed to be suspended yesterday will now be carried out on Saturday from 7.30am to 6pm, the FEO announced.
• Other Fiji elections stories

Like a possum in headlights, the Fiji media authorities appear to have been caught out by social media trolls and fake news, admits Ashwin Raj, chairperson of the Media Industry Development Authority (MIDA).

Fake news, a term made infamous by US president Donald Trump, has proved to be the bane of the elections in Fiji – and the authorities had not anticipated having to deal with the ferocity of it.

“It is a completely new terrain, last elections (2014) we weren’t talking about fake news; social media is now saturated with this stuff,” Raj told a media conference in Suva yesterday.

READ MORE: Report fake page to Facebook plea from Fiji Times editor

“This is now a completely new phenomenon. Obviously we know who the culprits are, why they are doing it and what they are doing.”

The extension of the media blackout to allow for 23 venues and 7,852 voters to vote at a date yet to be announced meant people had to be vigilant not to be taken in by social media trolls or fake news.

“Wait for official authorised results that will come from the Fijian Elections Office (FEO), be very mindful that people will take to the social media and spread rumours about lawlessness and instil fear, so it very important that we go to the official sources,” said Raj.

“We’ve had members of various political parties who actually forwarded to us news items, which in their estimation constitutes fake news and has coloured a certain perception about the various political parties.

‘Everybody is concerned’
“We’ve also had concerns from the mainstream media that have been brought to our attention. One of the things that have come out of this is that everybody, despite their political differences, ideological disposition, political proclivities are actually concerned about the proliferation of fake news.

“What that has done in terms of the campaign, public knowledge and so on; if anything, this is why we must resort to the mainstream media as the veritable site of truth.

“This is why we need something like the 48-hour blackout period. This is why we need the mainstream media that is going to be the voice of reason, help the public delineate fact from fiction,” said the verbose Raj.

He said force of law would be brought to bear on those who indulged in the dark arts of social media.

“We are in the process of investigating, until we have concluded that process, I’m not going to make a series of statements in relation to that. We will be reporting it to the relevant agencies in due course,” he said.

“There is a whole bunch of stuff going on. There are elements in it that simply constitute criminal acts, when you threaten somebody with sexual assault because you disagree with their political views.

“When you threaten the life, safety and security of people that is simply a criminal act. Then there are other things that are basically fiction and the sort. That can be easily discredited if people produce facts.

Blackout period
“So, the transgressions vary.”

He reminded the people of the ongoing blackout period.

“We are still in the blackout period, the public needs to remember that 7,852 voters in 23 polling venues have yet to cast their votes it is imperative that people do not give any credence to fake news.

“This is where the role of media is very important is dispelling any fiction that might be out there, particular so when it comes to the results,” said Raj.

Nothing could have prepared them from the effects of a tyrant social media.

Sri Krishnamurthi is a journalist and Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies student at Auckland University of Technology. He is attached to the University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme, filing for USP’s Wansolwara News and the AUT Pacific Media Centre’s Asia Pacific Report.

Caretaker Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has maintained a strong lead early today in Fiji’s general election, polling 140,631 votes from 1552 of 2170 stations being counted at the National Results Centre in Suva.

Opposition SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka has so far raked in 65,650 votes followed by Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum with 15,252 and Biman Prasad on 10,461 at 5.50am.

In a surprising twist, Lynda Tabuya has climbed a few votes up, sitting on 7197 votes so far followed by Alipate Nagata with 5270 and Ro Teimumu Kepa with 4699 votes.

Parveen Bala closes in with 4429 followed by Mosese Bulitavu with 4176, Atonio Lalabalavu with 3198, Niko Nawaikula with 3095, Viliame Gavoka on 2929 and Savenaca Narube with 2439.

The provisional results by candidates were released via the Fijian Elections Office FEO App, which is compatible with smartphones and can be downloaded from Google Play and Apple Store.

In terms of provisional results by party from the 1552 stations counted so far, FijiFirst Party is still in the lead with 190,233 votes (51.79 percent). Other results out of the FEO App as of 5.50am today include:

Social Democratic Liberal Party – 139,130 (40.19%)
National Federation Party – 27,631 (7.52%)
Unity Fiji – 5723 (1.56%)
Fiji Labour Party – 2408 (0.66%)
Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality – 2225 (0.61%)

The announcement of provisional results will end at 7am but counting will continue until the final results are tallied and released from the National Results Centre at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva.

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

Caretaker Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama took a strong lead in the Fiji general election last night, raking in 55,203 votes from 651 of out 2170 stations counted so far.

This compared with opposition SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka’s 25,659 votes and Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s 5849 votes.

The provisional results by candidates released via the Fijian Elections Office FEO App, which is compatible with smartphones and can be downloaded from Google Play and Apple Store, also showed 3647 votes for Biman Prasad, 2626 votes for Mosese Bulitavu and Lynda Tabuya with 2607 votes.

Ro Teimumu Kepa trailed by a few votes with 1970, Alipate Nagata with 2054, Atonio Lalabalavu with 1711 votes and Parveen Bala with 1779 votes.

In terms of provisional results by candidates from the 521 stations counted, FijiFirst Party leads the race with 75,158 votes (51.26 percent). Other results out of the FEO App as of 10.40pm include:

Social Democratic Liberal Party – 57,182 (30 percent)
National Federation Party – 10,439 (7.12 percent)
Unity Fiji – 1968 (1.34 percent)
Fiji Labour Party – 1022 (0.70 percent)
Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality – 848 (0.58 percent)

Blackout period
Speaking to local media tonight, Media Industry Development Authority chairman Ashwin Raj said the blackout period was still in effect as more than 7000 voters were yet to cast their votes after 23 polling venues had been closed because of bad weather.

“The blackout period gives voters that moment to reprieve so they are able to cast their vote without pressure.

“Both mainstream, social media and the civic space have been saturated with campaigns so what we need is that space to make up your mind about who you want to vote for,” Raj said.

“In essence, those 7852 (voters) have yet to cast their votes. We are still in the blackout period and what that essentially means is that we are going to be in the blackout period until the day of polling [for those voters from the 23 affected polling venues].

“We will wait for the Electoral Commission to announce when the polling day is going to be [for those 7852 voters].”

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.

The count is on in the Fiji general election and early indications tonight point to a close race between the opposition Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) and the ruling FijiFirst Party.

As the 2018 election came to a close 6pm today, all eyes were on the announcements being made from the National Results Centre at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva.

At 8.36pm, Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem announced the first set of provisional results, which were also available for public viewing via the FEO App for smartphones.

Saneem said the FEO App could be downloaded from Google Play or Apple Store and accessed on smartphones.

The first set of provisional results were released from 11 out of 2170 stations counted and saw SODELPA’s Sitiveni Rabuka taking the lead with 236 votes followed by Atonio Lalabalavu with 155, Jone Seniloli with 144, Mitieli Bulanauca with 117 and Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama on 108.

Around 9pm, Deputy Supervisor of Elections Karyl Winter provided the second update on the provisional results for the 2018 General Election.

From the 39 stations counted, provisional results by parties were:

Social Democratic Liberal Party – 2275 (47.39%)
FijiFirst – 2204 (45.91%)
National Federation Party – 209 (4.35%)
Unity Fiji – 51 (1.06%)
Fiji Labour Party – 35 (0.73%)
Humanity Opportunity Prosperity Equality – 156 (0.70%)

At the third provisional update at 9.26pm with 213 of 2170 polling stations processed, SODELPA was still slightly in the lead on 45.8 percent followed by FijiFirst on 45.4 percent:

The Fijian Elections Office will provide updates of provisional results every half hour until midnight, and every hour from then on until 7am tomorrow.

This article is republished under the content sharing arrangement of USP’s Wansolwara student journalism newspaper and AUT’s Pacific Media Centre.