Climate resilience, poor standards of living and local infrastructure are high on the agenda for Fijians preparing to head to the polls.
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The Fijian Election Office is sending teams to remote areas and outer islands to enable voters to cast ballots in villages where there aren't enough people to set up a polling station.
Almost 78,000 Fijians registered for pre-polling and will be able to cast their ballots at more than 600 locations.
However, voter turnout is concerning officials, with less than 70 per cent of those registered showing up to pre-polling locations to vote.
More than 690,000 Fijians are eligible to vote, with election day scheduled for Wednesday.
More than 340 candidates from nine political parties are vying for a spot in parliament, which will be increased by four seats to 55 at this election.
Sixteen per cent are women, a significant drop from nearly a quarter in 2018.
Australian parliamentarian Helen Haines toured Fiji, speaking to female candidates about how to run a grassroots campaign, as well as those who wanted to get involved in politics but hadn't nominated.
Women are fighting for more representation in business and better education and healthcare.
"The key issues expressed were around representation for women and having a seat at the table," Haines told AAP.
"There were also a number of women from rural and remote areas who wanted women to represent their communities when decisions were being made."
Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama has been in power for 15 years, eight democratically, and is seeking to use his economic management to springboard into another four years of government.
The budget's forecast of 12.4 per cent annual growth is the highest on record, with further growth of 9.2 per cent forecast in 2023 and five per cent in 2024.
But the Lowy Institute's Pacific island program director says another cyclone or natural disaster could affect Fiji's strong tourism-led recovery.
"There are concerns about debt following COVID and cyclones in the Pacific, but the general view is that Fiji debt is manageable at this time," Meg Keen told AAP.
Bainimarama is running with the tripartite slogan "Jobs. Convenience. Security."
He and his FijiFirst party's infrastructure centrepiece is a cross-country highway linking Nadi - where the main island's international airport is located - to the capital Suva on the island's southeast.
Bainimarama says it will pump up the local economy through job creation, greater access to services and opportunity for businesses, especially through increased tourism.
The former leader of the military became prime minister in 2007 after instigating a coup the year prior, ousting then prime minister Laisenia Qarase.
Bainimarama established the FijiFirst party in 2014, took his prime ministership to an election and came out with a majority.
He repeated his victory in 2018 but his majority was chipped down from 32 seats to 27 despite Fiji's parliament growing by one to 51.
The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) gained an additional six, boosting its number to 21. The final three seats are held by the National Federation Party.
SODELPA leader Viliame Gavoka has strongly tied himself to Christian principles, branding same-sex marriage "an abomination" and expressing his party's vehement opposition to it.
"Fiji is a God-fearing nation and the word of God is our guide and our light for the protection and wellbeing of our people," local media has quoted him as saying.
Fijians may also be left waiting beyond election night to see who forms government in the event no party has a majority and needs to enter a coalition.
SODELPA is at risk of being abandoned by some supporters after Gavoka ousted Sitiveni Rabuka to take over the leadership in 2020.
Rabuka, a former prime minister who led two military coups in 1987 before being democratically elected to lead Fiji between 1992 and 1997, started the People's Alliance political party after Gavoka became leader.
The party's manifesto, released in the lead-up to the election, puts a focus on restoring human rights - such as media freedom - it says the government has stripped, reviving the sugar industry, boosting the agriculture sector, keeping social welfare and lowering the retirement age from 60 to 55.
SODELPA failed in an attempt to deregister the breakaway party.
The run-up to the election for the People's Alliance has been bumpy with its deputy leaders Lynda Tabuya and Dan Lobendahn charged by the Fiji Anti-Corruption Commission following allegations of vote buying.
There have been accusations the charges were politically motivated.
Unity Fiji party leader Savenaca Narube has since branded the anti-corruption commission "a political weapon" being wielded by the government.
The People's Alliance has pledged to phase out the commission within the first 100 days if it takes office.
A campaign blackout begins on Saturday afternoon.
This article was made possible through the Melbourne Press Club's Michael Gordon Journalism Fellowship Program.
Australian Associated Press
