[1][2][3] The FijiFirst party, led by Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, won a landslide victory, winning 32 of the 50 seats.

[5] The elections had originally been scheduled for March 2009, but were delayed because politicians did not agree to the People's Charter for Change, Peace and Progress.

After the Fijian military coup of 5 December 2006, the new interim prime minister Jona Senilagakali announced that elections would take place held "hopefully in 12 months, two years".

[8] He informed a visiting regional delegation on 30–31 January that elections would have to wait until a census had been completed, a new voters' roll compiled, and boundaries of electoral districts defined.

[12] In mid-June 2007, Bainimarama gave in to demands from the European Union, Australia and New Zealand to hold polls by 28 February 2009;[13][14] he also requested assistance with election preparations.

[20] Ousted Vice-President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi remarked that the next election would likely be won by "a Fijian-dominated political party" (meaning indigenous-dominated), and asked what the military would do in such a case.

He dismissed what he called "irresponsible demands and proposals of selfish individuals and groups that run counter to the Charter and the road-map".

Crucial to answering that question is seeing whether everyone is allowed to compete, and the media and civil society are able to operate in a minimally unimpeded manner.

"[31] Finally, on 23 March 2014, the Fiji government announced that the elections would take place on 17 September of that year, a day to be declared a national holiday.

[32] The elections were held using the open list form of party-list proportional representation using the D'Hondt method in one nationwide constituency consisting of 50 seats.

Some shortcomings were however noted, such as a restrictive media framework which limited Fijian journalists' ability to "examine rigorously the claims of candidates and parties", a short timeframe for the election and a complex voting system.