The NGO Coalition on Human Rights has warned that recent proposals reportedly submitted by the Great Council of Chiefs to Fiji’s Constitution Review Commission risk rolling back fundamental rights and undermining democratic norms. In a statement released today the Coalition said it was “deeply disappointed” by measures that, if adopted, would narrow citizenship identity, strip out anti‑discrimination protections and remove the constitutional safeguard of a secular state.
According to the Coalition, the chiefs’ proposals include restricting the term “Fijian” to iTaukei people only, removing explicit protections against discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation, and repealing the Constitution’s secular character. The group described those recommendations as “a distressing retreat from democratic principles” and warned they could open the door to exclusion and discrimination across Fiji’s multi‑faith, multi‑ethnic society.
The Coalition singled out the repeal of secularism as particularly alarming. “Secularism ensures that the State remains neutral in matters of religion… and guarantees that no individual or group is privileged or disadvantaged on the basis of faith,” the statement said, noting that removing this safeguard would conflict with the protections many see as essential to social cohesion in Fiji. The group also flagged proposals that would give the Great Council of Chiefs authority to appoint the President and Vice‑President, arguing that such appointments must be made through transparent and accountable processes.
Child protection and equality provisions are other areas the Coalition says could be weakened under the chiefs’ blueprint. It warned that any rollbacks in these areas would place vulnerable groups at risk and run counter to Fiji’s obligations under international human rights conventions. The statement did not list specific drafting language from the chiefs’ submission but set out the Coalition’s broad objections to the direction of the changes reportedly proposed.
Coalition chairperson Shamima Ali stressed the need for an inclusive approach to constitutional reform. “The Constitution belongs to the people of Fiji, and its future must be shaped by them through a genuinely participatory process,” she said, calling for the review to be guided by public consultation and respect for universal human rights. The Coalition said it intends to make a formal submission to the Constitution Review Commission in the coming days to outline its objections and proposed alternatives.
The Commission is currently receiving input on a far‑reaching review, and the chiefs’ reported proposals have added urgency to a debate over identity, rights and the role of traditional institutions in national governance. The Coalition’s statement represents one of the first organised civil society responses to the chiefs’ recommendations; further submissions from NGOs, legal experts and community groups are expected as the review proceeds.
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