Adi Sivia Qoro, the consultant and president of Unity Fiji, has emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive and sincere review of the 2013 Constitution. She expressed concern over the manner in which the Constitution was established, highlighting that the original draft, prepared by Yash Ghai’s Constitution Commission, was dismissed by the prior government in favor of their own version, which was enacted in September 2013.
According to Adi Sivia, the process that led to the current Constitution was fundamentally flawed due to insufficient public input from the Fijian populace. She criticized the brief consultation period, arguing it failed to accurately reflect public opinion and raised doubts regarding whose interests the Constitution genuinely serves.
She also noted the detrimental impacts of Fiji’s historical coups, which have undermined the nation’s democracy, social fabric, and economic stability. Adi Sivia warned that these events have regressed the country’s development and that a flawed Constitution cannot rectify the resulting damage.
“It brings into question the credibility of the nation’s democracy, the negative social implications that we are currently witnessing, and the economic welfare of our people,” she stated. “More than anything, it sets the country back by many years in terms of its development.”
She highlighted the complexity of amending the Constitution, pointing out that the amendment provisions make it one of the most challenging constitutions globally to revise. “Many people have referenced this! It significantly affects the democratic rights of the citizens and their involvement in shaping their own Constitution. This should be a critical topic for citizens to discuss openly and seek a way forward,” Adi Sivia concluded.