Only four of the eight political parties were present at the issuing of the Writ for Election by President Major General Retired Jioji Konrote this morning.

The four included FijiFirst Party, SODELPA, Freedom Alliance Party and Hope Party.

FijiFirst Party Leader Voreqe Bainimarama told FBC News they will begin campaigning for the election now that the writ is issued.

“I presume all the political parties are ready for this. I had just informed a couple of officers in there that we can’t afford to go back to 2000 so you vote for the right party.”

Freedom Alliance Party Leader Jagath Karunaratne praised the process involved to get everyone to witness the writ for election being issued adding IT was his first time to experience this.

He says the party has finalized 38 proposed candidates to contest the general election and hope to confirm all the details before their deadline in the next 14 days.

“Now it’s a matter of getting other logistics organized in the sense that we need to get their requirements by the party and also the requirements by the Political Parties Decree so that’s what is happening right now to getting things finalized and at the same time we have been having ongoing discussions with other parties for a long time so I’m hoping that something is finalized as soon as we can.”

Meanwhile, SODELPA Leader Sitiveni Rabuka who wasn’t present at the event as he had to attend his court case at the Suva Magistrates Court says the party is ready.

“We’re fully ready now. We have our list of nominees, they just have to bring in their final papers for the cutting of our nominations of them.”

Meanwhile, Unity Fiji Party Spokesperson Liga Gukisuva says they weren’t present due to their board meeting while Fiji Labour Party Parliamentary Leader Aman Singh says they’re busy preparing for the upcoming General Election.