Fiji Teachers Union president Muniappa Goundar is one of at least eight people in the current administration to contest the union’s 2-day election at 22 venues across the country this week.
The incumbent will go into a three-way race to retain his presidential seat, one of 10 spots up for grabs when elections expected to involve 4,917 FTU members starts on Friday 16 April.
Fiji’s Supervisor of Election Mohammed Saneem who will also be officiating as a presiding officer at the election said the additional day for voting is to encourage more members/teachers to participate.
At FTU’s last election in 2019, a little over 10% of members turned up, a turnout the FEO office hopes will not be repeated this year.
Friday’s voting will take place between 3pm and 5pm and between 9am and 3pm on Saturday at designated venues. Teachers/members in maritime areas are voting via postal ballot, which opened last Friday on 9 April 2021. These members comprising approximately 92 teachers are reminded that their votes must reach the Fijian Elections Office no later than 4 pm this Thursday, 15 April 2021.
Votes will be done either manually via ballot papers and ballot boxes, etc, or touchscreen machines – with the latter restricted to three venues only in the Central Division, at Rishikul, FTU head office and Vunimono High.
List of Polling Venues:
NASINU (Rishikul Santan College) – 386; NAVUA (Vashist Muni College) – 151; SAVUSAVU (Khemendra Central Primary School) – 129; LAUTOKA (Lautoka Special School) – 498; TAVUA (Tavua Primary School) – 147; NADI (Nadi Sangam College) – 416; SUVA (FTU Head Quarters) – 623; TAILEVU (Korovou Primary School) – 98; NADROGA (Sigatoka Methodist Primary & Loma Primary & Tuva Primary School) – 230; LABASA (St Mary’s Primary School & Dreketi Primary School & Daku Bhartiya Primary School, Seaqaqa Central Colege) – 785; LEVUKA (Levuka Public Primary) – 132; BA (Ba Sangam Primary) – 416; RAKIRAKI (Penang Sangam Primary & Vunikavikaloa Arya Primary School) – 234; TAVEUNI (Taveuni Central Primary) – 100; BUA (Korokadi Primary) – 115 and REWA (Vunimono High – 457)
Positions to be contested:
President (1) – Muniappa Goundar, Newal Umarao and Sunil Kumar; VP (3) – Nakul Deo Barman, Sanjay Abhinash Raman, Shareen Chand, Pranesh Praveen Sharma, Arvind Kumar and Ajeshn Nand; GS (1) – Agni Deo Singh and Arun Prasad; Assistant GS (1) – Sheik Mohammed Masud, Ranesh Ishwar Lingam; National Executive Committee Member (3) – Madhur Prakash, Ravinesh Prasad, Pranesh Kumar, Pratosh Kumar; Publicity Officer – Govind Sami Padayachi, Brij Bhan Singh
