Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has expressed the necessity to reevaluate the 2013 Constitution. Speaking at the National Federation Party Annual Convention in Sigatoka, he argued that the current Constitution contains regressive limitations on human rights.
Rabuka acknowledged that as a coalition government, they could benefit from the existing clauses that grant them disproportionate power, but he emphasized that such an approach would be unfair, unrealistic, and undemocratic.
He stated, “Truth and reconciliation as a nation are necessary for healing and release for Fiji by permanently ending the dark chapter of political upheavals and the culture of fear and mistrust that plagued our nation. For far too long we have internalized the hurt and trauma from all our political upheavals and failed to acknowledge the intergenerational burdens we have carried and could pass on.”
In support of establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, NFP Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Prof. Biman Prasad highlighted the importance of openly discussing the traumatic events the nation has endured, learning from those experiences, and defining a path forward.
The Prime Minister reiterated his personal commitment to the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the effort to create a just and fair Constitution.