[File Photo]

People have a right to political participation without any restrictions and that needs to be ensured at all times.

Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Director, Ashwin Raj says they need to ensure that voters are able to cast their vote without being dictated to by anyone.

He says this also was evident in the previous Election.

“I mean, last elections we had this very incredible situation, where a village chief decided nobody’s going to vote because the government had not built a particular bridge or a road.”

Raj also raised concerns over patriarchy and historic links to voting.

“And this is why we talk about, you know, entrenched patriarchy, you know, certain, you know, sort of, you know, family history of their propinquity to certain political parties. You know, you get instances where people say, well, historically my family has always voted for this party. So the rest of you are expected to vote for this party.”

Raj also urges that such needs be raised with the relevant authorities as this needs to be critically looked at.

Raj also states that everyone has a right to free expression however, it should not result in the advocacy of hatred or the incitement to violence on any of the prohibited grounds for discrimination prescribed in the laws.