The Fijian government has initiated the legislative process to amend the 2013 Constitution. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka made this announcement outside Centenary Church in Suva.
The existing Constitution allows for amendments, but these require a Bill to be passed in Parliament with a minimum of three-quarters support from Members of Parliament.
Rabuka stated, “The government is putting in place legislation or bringing a bill to Parliament to enable the process to begin.” His comments came in response to insights shared by Australian National University’s Constitutional Law Professor Anthony James Regan, who noted the excessive concentration of power within the Prime Minister and Attorney-General roles under the current Constitution. Regan’s comments were made during a seminar at Fiji National University last Thursday night in Suva.
Rabuka remarked that any power must be exercised through Parliament and expressed appreciation for Regan’s observations, labeling them as enlightening. He highlighted concerns regarding the legitimacy of the Constitution’s promulgation process, suggesting that it did not adhere to predetermined protocols. Rabuka emphasized that the powers granted to the Prime Minister and Attorney-General under the 2013 Constitution are “unusual,” with the Prime Minister mentioned 111 times and the Attorney-General 66 times within the document.