The Catholic Church in Fiji has been conducting workshops for Catholic politicians.

Head of Catholic Church, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong says it is the church's role to train politicians to have an informed conscience and mind.

"You must see that our politicians are coming from varying experiences. Not many of them are trained politicians or lawyers. So it's important that we provide them such a platform from the Catholic Church"

The Archbishop says this is and will be an ongoing exercise for the church.

"We want government to do a better job and that's why church has to be prophetic. That's why we have to form our Catholic politicians in terms of the catholic teaching."

Here is Asia-Pacific Journalism's guide to 10 important things to know when casting your vote.

The guide covers the following questions.

1. What is the proportional voting system?
2. What is the Electoral Decree?
3. How many votes can a voter caste?
4. What is an open list system?
5. Do you vote for a constituency?
6. Is there a voting threshold?
7. How many parties are there?
8. How will a government be formed?
9. Who is observing the election?
10. Can you vote if you do not live in Fiji?

See the answers

Thomas Carnegie is a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies student journalist at AUT University. He is reporting on the Asia-Pacific Journalism course and is Fiji elections coverage editor for Pacific Scoop

Source

• Pacific.scoop
• Fijione.tv
• Image: Screenshot Pacific.scoop

Davis asked, "In reporting in Fiji which version gets told the most? Which is the prevailing orthodoxy on events in Fiji? Bainimarama the torturer or Bainimarama the reformer?"

"On the evidence," he said, "demonising the dictator is the dominant narrative of much of the regional media, and especially a clique of so-called Pacific specialists in Australia and New Zealand."

Davis said that he thought much of what is said about Fiji in the international media is woefully short of integrity or judgment. "Indeed, we live in a truly parallel universe when it comes to media coverage … alleged versions of the truth so polarised that your ordinary reader, viewer or listener can be excused for having no idea what to believe."

"What disturbs me," he said "is that so many of my fellow journalists seem willing to embrace those agendas and portray the country in a way vastly at odds with reality."

Smith-Johns called on the media to act responsibly and to understand "that as a developing nation, we need to take in cultural and socio economic factors against the size of our population. The media must realize that for a developing country like ours, information given needs to take into consideration the socio-economic situation of the country. The media must also realize how influential they can be when citizens speak a variety of languages and messages can be interpreted through poor reporting and a race to get a front page story."

Source

• Croz Walsh's Blog - Graham Davis
• Croz Walsh's Blog - Sharon Smith-Johns
• Image: Matatauvavale