WELLINGTON, May 11 (Xinhua) -- General election in Fiji has been generally smooth when it's entering the fifth day of voting Thursday, with election chief rejecting opposition's accusations of voting fraud.

    But Supervisor of Elections Semesa Karavaki admitted the week-long ballot had suffered administrative errors.

    According to local news service the Fijilive, Karavaki denied claims that a large number of ballot papers had disappeared.

    But local newspaper The Daily Post said confusion has continued to surround polling stations, even as it passed the half-way.

    It reported that more than 1,000 people were turned away from several polling stations across the country because there were no ballot papers.

    Others could not vote because officials did not have the electoral rolls for the relevant constituencies.

    Several hundred ethnic Indian voters in Sigatoka could not vote because their names were found in the electoral roll for the Nadi Rural Indian constituency.

    Mahendra Chaudhry, Fijian Labour Leader who as Fiji's first ethnic Indian prime minister was ousted in a coup in 2000, has claimed that excessive ballot papers had been printed, opening the way for tampering with the result.

    But Karavaki denied the claims, saying all ballot papers were under police guard.

    Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase also dismissed Chaudhry's complaints.

    Chaudhry's ethnic Indian-dominated Fijian Labour Party, vying against the ruling United Fiji Party (SDL) for the 71 seats in parliament, is bidding to regain the power it has twice lost in nationalist indigenous coups.

    Qarase has led the South Pacific country since being appointed in the aftermath of the coup. He was re-elected when a nationalist coalition won elections in 2001.

    Qarase said that indigenous Fijians, who make up more than 55 percent of the population compared to Indo-Fijians, accounting for less than 40 percent, were not ready to accept an Indo-Fijian prime minister.

    But Chaudhry refuted the claim, saying he "is ready to be the Prime Minister."

    Meanwhile, Qarase's SDL has been under fire from military commander Voreqe Bainimarama on a plan to offer amnesties to those involved in the 2000 coup.

    Even though the army chief has assured of the military's support for the general election, he was reluctant to say good words about the election.

    "I have already said that the election office and the government didn't prepare well enough for this polling," said Voreqe Bainimarama regarding to the errors of the ballot.

    "It's too late now," said Commodore Bainimarama Wednesday.

    To avoid any suddenness, the country's most senior police decided to meet in Suva on May 13 to develop a 12-month strategy to maintain the situation following the end of election.

    Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes said the move is to look at various scenarios.

    "A number of these will be cut out once we know the result of the elections. But in the meantime we're keeping it broad," said Hughes.

    The Police will then meet military officials next week to reach a cooperative arrangement between the two security organizations.

    Election observers from the University of the South Pacific predicted it could take two to three months for the volatile political situation to settle after a result is announced on May 18.

    Hughes agreed with the view, saying the challenge is when the outcome is known, "whether they'll accept the result." Enditem