Nasinu Town Council CEO and chair Felix Magnus has called on the Constitution Review Commission to carry its deliberations beyond Suva halls and into villages, outer islands and workplaces to ensure ordinary Fijians can shape the next supreme law of the land. Magnus told reporters the review must be genuinely grassroots-driven, warning that a constitution imposed from above will lack legitimacy and fail to reflect the country’s needs.
Magnus said many citizens want their voices heard and expect the new constitution to represent what is best for Fiji, arguing the 2013 Constitution was developed with insufficient public consultation. He contrasted that process with the more extensive public engagement seen during the development of the 1997 Constitution, and urged the commission to correct past shortcomings by ensuring submissions and community views are not only collected but reflected in the final product.
The Nasinu town boss also stressed that previous consultation exercises and public submissions — in his view — were not fully taken into account, a gap he says must be remedied this time. “Imposing a constitution on the people is unacceptable,” Magnus said, adding that true democracy requires participation and ownership by all Fijians. He insisted the review be structured so people from remote islands, rural villages and everyday workers in towns can take part in accessible, meaningful ways.
Magnus’s intervention comes after the government launched a public-led constitutional review earlier this year, with President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu announcing a commitment to citizen involvement and transparency. While the launch signalled a formal start to the process, Magnus’s comments underscore a recurring challenge for the commission: turning a stated commitment to public participation into practical outreach that reaches diverse communities across Fiji’s dispersed geography.
Beyond process, Magnus framed the review as central to protecting rights and democratic freedoms, saying the commission must deliver both broad participation and safeguards in the eventual text. His call highlights expectations that the review will not merely be a technical exercise but an opportunity to strengthen democratic governance and public confidence in institutions by ensuring the constitution reflects widely held values and lived realities.
The Constitution Review Commission has not publicly responded to Magnus’s call. As the review proceeds, his appeal is likely to amplify pressure on the commission and government to set out a detailed outreach plan that prioritises accessibility, records and responds to submissions, and demonstrates how community input shapes draft provisions.
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