04/09/2026
๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐
๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐
I have carefully considered the information emerging after the Constitution Review Commissionโs Report and Draft Constitution were submitted to the President, as well as the public discussion that has followed.
I acknowledge the Prime Ministerโs commitment to release the draft constitutional review documents to the public. This is an important and necessary step. The Constitution is the supreme law of our country and ultimately belongs to the people of Fiji. The public must have the opportunity to see what has been recommended, understand the implications of the proposed changes and participate meaningfully in the national discussion.
The Opposition will reserve its comprehensive response until we have received, reviewed and carefully vetted the full documents. We will then assess the recommendations and their legal, social, political and national implications before making a considered statement to the people of Fiji.
However, the level of public participation in the review process remains a legitimate concern. Fiji has a population of more than 900,000 people, while the Commission received 1,220 submissionsโ832 individual and 388 joint submissionsโand 3,873 people attended face-to-face consultations.
Even assuming no overlap between submitters and consultation participants, these figures represent only approximately 0.57 per cent of Fijiโs population. More than 99 per cent of the population cannot be said to have directly participated through those recorded figures.
These numbers cannot simply be brushed aside. Any proposal to substantially alter Fijiโs constitutional framework must command a high degree of public legitimacy, confidence and understanding. This is especially important where recommendations may affect equality, religious freedom, the secular character of the State, national identity, the electoral system, Parliament, the Presidency and other fundamental institutions.
Fiji is a multicultural and multi-religious nation. Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, people of other faiths and those who profess no religion all have an equal stake in the future of our country. Our common national identity and the equality of all citizens must therefore be approached carefully and responsibly.
The release of the documents should not mark the end of the Commissionโs work. It should mark the beginning of a much broader national conversation. Civil society, religious organisations, professional bodies, academics, community organisations, political parties and ordinary citizens must be given sufficient time to scrutinise the recommendations and openly discuss their consequences.
The Opposition will play its part responsibly. We will consider what is proposed, why it has been proposed, its legal and constitutional implications and, most importantly, what it means for the rights, freedoms and future of the people of Fiji. The constitutional review must be transparent, inclusive and capable of commanding the confidence of the Fijian people.
