Adi Sivia Qoro, a consultant and the president of Unity Fiji, has emphasized the necessity for a comprehensive and genuine revision of the 2013 Constitution. Her primary concern revolves around the origins of the Constitution, noting that the initial draft by Yash Ghai’s Constitution Commission was disregarded by the prior government, which implemented its own version that became law in September 2013.
She believes this legislative process was fundamentally flawed due to the lack of meaningful public participation from Fijians. The short consultation period was insufficient to capture authentic public sentiment, raising doubts about whose interests the Constitution serves.
Adi Sivia highlighted the detrimental impact of past coups on Fiji’s democracy, social fabric, and economy, warning that these events have regressed the nation significantly, and that a flawed constitution cannot remedy this damage. She stated, “It brings into question the credibility of the nation’s democracy, the negative social implications we are currently witnessing, and the economic welfare of our people.” She further remarked that the situation has set the country back in terms of development by numerous years.
Regarding constitutional amendments, she noted that the amendment provisions make the Fiji Constitution one of the hardest to amend globally. “This has significant implications on the democratic rights of the people and their involvement in the creation of their Constitution. Citizens should openly discuss this and seek a way forward,” she added.