[Photo: Parliament Facebook Page]

Questions regarding whether voting should be compulsory in Fiji surfaced as lawmakers and political representatives debated the proposed National Referendum Bill 2025.

During a parliamentary committee hearing this week, National Federation Party General Secretary Kamal Iyer raised concerns about voter turnout and whether mandatory participation should be part of any future referendum process.

The bill seeks to establish a legal framework for national referendums, allowing citizens to vote directly on major issues, including potential constitutional changes.

The National Federation Party says it will be difficult to enforce compulsory voting and may not produce the desired outcomes.

“That is the common perception out there. But it’s for the government, for any candidate, or in this case, people campaigning for and against the referendum, to impress the voters. I don’t think compulsory voting will compel anybody to vote.”

Committee member Faiyaz Koya questioned whether a referendum result could be considered legitimate without strong public participation, noting declining voter turnout in recent elections.

“What if you had a bad turnout and you didn’t get enough people to come and vote on it? Is that a true reflection of the will of the people? So, bearing that in mind, do you believe that it should be, with respect to any referendum, there should be mandatory voting?”

In response, NFP Iyer argued that making voting mandatory may not necessarily address voter disengagement.

“So, I think with or without compulsory voting, it’s the vote apathy that’s created.Other people get bored.People just don’t want to vote.They’re not interested.”

He pointed to historical trends, noting that while Fiji once recorded high turnout under compulsory voting, participation has steadily declined over time due to voter apathy and changing political dynamics.

The discussion comes amid broader scrutiny of the referendum bill, which aims to guide how national votes are conducted in Fiji.