The Fijian Elections Office will now wait for parliament to pass amendments to the Electoral Registration of Voters Act.

This follows a court ruling that there is no legal requirement for the use of birth certificates to register as a voter.

The government has already indicated that it will make changes to the relevant laws to require voters to register under their names as stated on birth certificates.

Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem says the FEO will be guided by those outcomes.

“The court has found what the definition of the law is and the court also highlighted that there is a need for clear guidance which is now being proposed in parliament. So the Fijian Elections Office will move forward trying to receive clear guidance from parliament on the execution of its duties.”

Member of Parliament, Niko Nawaikula had filed a court action after he was removed from the National Register of Voters and consequently had his parliamentary seat declared vacant.

This was done after he revealed in the House that while Nawaikula is the name he is commonly known by, and the name under which he is registered as a voter, it is not the name on his birth certificate.

The court later ruled that he be re-instated as a voter and keep his parliamentary seat.