The right to vote is an expression of the will of the individual as recognised in the Fijian Constitution and must be exercised without fear of reprisal and recrimination.

Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Director Aswin Raj has clarified the right to vote after one of the dailies had a lead story titled ‘No Road, No Vote’.

Raj says that any person in a position of authority whether they be religious leaders, village heads, trade unionists or political party leaders have no right to make decisions or impose unilaterally on people who look up to them.

“By no means am I saying that people have no rights in their various collectivises whether it be in the village setting or any other setting for that matter to discuss issues that are germane to them and they have every right to express their disaffection when it comes to service delivery. But for the head of a particular collectively to make a decision unilaterally saying that, look we have decided that we won’t be voting, I think is quite contradicting to this fundamental right which is an individual right.”

He says that people need to exercise their right to make decisions solely and not be forced into decisions on voting.