The Registrar of Political Parties in Fiji, Ana Mataiciwa, has announced the rejection of the application for the NextGen Alliance Party’s registration due to insufficient membership numbers across several divisions. Although the party submitted a total of 7,716 names, only 4,458 were verified, which is below the necessary threshold of 5,000 members required for registration.
In her evaluation, Mataiciwa highlighted the specific deficiencies in verified memberships: the Central Division needed 2,000 members but only had 1,828, the Western Division fell short with 1,482 verified members against a requirement of 1,750, and the Northern Division recorded just 882 members when 1,000 were needed. However, there was a positive outcome in the Eastern Division, where 266 verified members surpassed the minimum requirement of 250.
Mataiciwa emphasized the importance of compliance with legal standards to ensure transparency and accountability within Fiji’s electoral process. She confirmed that representatives from the NextGen Alliance Party have been duly informed about the shortcomings that led to the decision.
The law allows the proposed party to appeal the Registrar’s decision within 14 days of the formal notification. The Fijian Elections Office reiterated its dedication to supporting applicants in navigating the registration process, affirming its role in maintaining the integrity of the political system.
The NextGen Alliance Party initially submitted its registration application on November 21, 2025, demonstrating its intent to engage in Fiji’s political arena. Though faced with this initial challenge, the appeal process provides a pathway for the party to rectify the identified issues and continue working toward achieving full registration.