The National Security and Defence Review Report has disclosed that Fiji’s National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) lacks a legislative or constitutional foundation. The report, released yesterday by Minister for Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua, stated that any NSDC decisions must be submitted to the Cabinet for approval.
According to the report, the NSDC requires a formal legal basis to operate effectively and needs a properly funded Secretariat, which the Ministry of Home Affairs can establish using its existing resources. The effectiveness of the NSDC will be enhanced by the creation of a Secretaries Committee on National Security to assist the Council.
The NSDC consists of the Prime Minister, the Minister for Home Affairs, the Attorney-General, and the Minister for Finance. The Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs acts as the secretary, while the Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the Commissioner of Police hold permanent membership in the Council.
In Fiji’s governmental structure, executive authority is vested in the President, who follows the Prime Minister’s advice. The Prime Minister carries out the primary executive duties of the government, including national security, through the Cabinet’s collective decision-making. Unlike other Westminster-style systems, Fiji’s Cabinet formation is defined by the 2013 Constitution rather than by convention.