By 3 News online staff
The polls have opened in Fiji's first election since Frank Bainimarama seized power in 2006 and put the country under eight years of military rule.
In Suva, long lines have already formed at polling booths. More than half a million Fijians are registered to vote - 50,000 of them have already cast advance votes.
Today is a paid public holiday in Fiji, to encourage everyone to get out and vote. Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has issued a warning to employers, saying those that do not prioritise voting time for staff could face a $50,000 fine or up to 10 years in prison.
The polls close at 6pm tonight. Counting will start immediately but it could take up to seven days to get a final result.
The multinational observer group says it's pleased the election is looking like it will be free and fair.
However, the Coalition for Democracy has raised concerns about the system being used on the ballot paper, which contains a grid of 249 numbers instead of candidate names.
3 News
source: newshub archive
