Sevuloni Valenitabua, newly confirmed chair of Fiji’s Constitution Review Commission (CRC), has told Fijians the body will conduct its work free from political interference and base recommendations solely on public submissions gathered through nationwide consultations. Valenitabua framed the Commission’s role as strictly advisory, stressing it will compile and present what people tell commissioners but will not decide what ultimately becomes law.
The assurance from Valenitabua is the latest development in the government’s constitutional review, which was launched earlier this year with an emphasis on citizen engagement. Valenitabua said the CRC’s mandate excludes political considerations and any attempt to steer the process along partisan lines. Instead, he said, the Commission will focus on delivering an inclusive and transparent consultation that captures the voices of Fijians from urban centres, rural areas and other communities across the islands.
Under the chair’s direction, the CRC plans to hold wide-ranging consultations nationwide and gather input through submissions, town-hall style meetings and other engagement formats, Valenitabua said. He urged citizens “from all walks of life” to take part, encouraging ordinary voters, civil society groups, chiefs, youth and professional organisations to share their views, concerns and suggestions so the review genuinely reflects popular aspirations.
Valenitabua emphasised that the CRC’s findings will reflect the content and tone of public input rather than the priorities of political actors. He said the Commission will document opinions and recommendations and present them in a report intended to inform the next stages of the process. However, he reiterated that the CRC does not have the authority to enact amendments or decide the final content of any revised constitution.
That limitation aligns with earlier government statements when the review was launched, which positioned the exercise as a public-driven review whose outcomes would feed into formal decision-making channels. Valenitabua’s remarks clarify the boundary between the Commission’s collecting-and-reporting role and the ultimate decision-making powers that rest elsewhere under Fiji’s constitutional framework.
The chair’s call for robust participation comes amid a charged political backdrop where constitutional matters carry significant public interest. By publicly committing to independence and transparency, Valenitabua aims to build confidence in the process and ensure the review is seen as rooted in public will rather than partisan objectives. The CRC has now signalled it will move quickly to begin consultations and gather submissions that will form the basis of its report to the authorities overseeing the next steps in the constitutional process.
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