The Fijian government has initiated the process of drafting legislation to amend the 2013 Constitution. This was announced by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka outside the Centenary Church in Suva.
The Constitution of Fiji includes provisions for its own amendment. Specifically, the 2013 Fiji Constitution permits modifications, which require Parliament to pass a Bill supported by a three-quarters majority of the Members of Parliament to be enacted.
“Government is putting in place legislation or bringing a bill to Parliament to enable the process to begin,” Mr. Rabuka stated.
He responded to comments made by Professor Anthony James Regan, a constitutional law expert from the Australian National University, who addressed the concentration of powers granted to the Prime Minister and Attorney-General under the 2013 Constitution during the Fiji National University’s Vice-Chancellor’s Leadership Seminar last Thursday.
Mr. Rabuka emphasized that any exercise of power must go through Parliament. “I welcome what he said; it was an eye-opener for many, but it is also something most of us have been considering,” he remarked.
He noted that he intended to inquire about the legitimacy of the promulgation process referenced by Mr. Regan, who pointed out that the procedure followed for adopting the 2013 Constitution did not align with what had been established as proper. Mr. Rabuka pointed out that granting extensive powers to the PM and Attorney-General is uncommon, noting that the Constitution mentions the Prime Minister 111 times and the Attorney-General 66 times.