(Suva) The gap between the two main parties narrowed in Fiji on Saturday, after a tumultuous night during which one of the candidates for the post of prime minister in the framework of these legislative elections was summoned by the police.
Sitiveni Rabuka, a 74-year-old former prime minister and twice coup leader, is contesting the post of prime minister with incumbent candidate Frank Bainimarama, also a former military leader, who rose to power in a putsch sixteen years ago. year.
Members of the opposition, led by Mr. Rabuka, fear that a first vote count was disrupted by problems overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, which blocked the display of results for four hours.
The coalition led by his party, the People’s Alliance, won 44% of the vote on Saturday morning against 42% for the formation of Frank Bainimarama, Fiji first.
Almost half of the 2071 polling stations had then transmitted their results. The final verdict is expected on Sunday.
Mr. Bainimarama has remained silent since the launch of the ballot on Wednesday, unlike his main rival who complained of ” anomalies ” and who asked Friday, without success, the intervention of the army.
The latter has a “general” constitutional responsibility to maintain stability.
As a result, Mr. Rabuka was summoned by the police in the evening along with his party’s general secretary, Sakiasi Ditoka. No indication was provided of any charges against them.
“This way the government is doing, we’re talking about a climate of fear. That’s how they instill fear,” Rabuka told AFP later, saying the move was a government intimidation strategy.
Police were mobilized overnight and roadblocks set up.
Nearly a hundred international observers monitored the election and found no significant problems.
Malfunctions have indeed affected the vote count display application but they do not mean that the counting system itself has been corrupted, is explained in their report.
This vote is perceived as a test for the young and fragile Fijian democracy and has a significant international dimension: Frank Bainimarama is rather close to Beijing, while Sitiveni Rabuka would like to move away from it.
Four prime ministers have been overthrown in coups over the past 35 years, some led by current candidates for the post of head of government.