Premila Kumar in Parliament [Source: Fiji Parliament]

Local municipal elections will be carried out only after reforms are undertaken.

Minister responsible Premila Kumar says the 1972 Local Government Act is outdated.

Clarifying the issue in Parliament, Kumar says that elections of local councils will only be possible once the law is updated and this will only be done in consultation with the public.

“This government will do the various reforms that is required. You cannot actually conduct the election under the local government act of 1972, impossible, we can’t. It has to match with the electoral system we are having now with single boundary.”

Kumar admits while the transparency of some councils leaves much to be desired, they have worked to ensure audited finances are submitted and anyone found dealing in corrupt practices taken to task.

She made the comments contributing to the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee report on the 2014 audit of municipal councils, the content of which was debated in Parliament last week.