The Draft Constitution which is part of the Constitution Review Commission Report states that all citizens of Fiji shall continue to be known as Fijians until consensus has been reached or a final decision made in accordance with the process set out and any written law.
It recommends that during an initial interim period of a maximum of 12 months a broad-based and culturally appropriate consultative process shall be conducted with all Fiji‘s communities in relation to the use of the term Fijian to refer to all citizens of Fiji.
The Draft says if, at the end of the interim period, national consensus has not been achieved on the question of the most appropriate term for the national identity of citizens of Fiji, a referendum shall be conducted within 12 months to determine the majority view of the citizens of Fiji on the most appropriate common term by which citizens of Fiji should be known.
Parliament shall enact written law providing for the conduct of the consultation process and, if necessary, the method for determining a majority view.
The Draft Constitution states that the Republic of Fiji is a sovereign democratic State founded on the values of common and equal citizenry and national unity; respect for human rights, freedom and the rule of law; an independent, impartial, competent and accessible system of justice; equality for all and care for the less fortunate based on the values in the Bill of Rights; human dignity, respect for the individual, personal integrity and responsibility, civic involvement and mutual support; good governance, including the limitation and separation of powers; transparency and accountability; and a prudent, efficient and sustainable relationship with nature.
Religious freedom is guaranteed as it says that the State and all persons holding public office must treat all religions equally; the State and all persons holding public office must not dictate any religious belief; the State and all persons holding public office must not prefer or advance, by any means, any particular religion, religious denomination, religious belief, or religious practice over another, or over any non religious belief; no person shall assert any religious belief as a legal reason to disregard the Constitution or any other law; and no person shall impose any religious practices or control over another other than in accordance with law.
Citizens of Fiji may also hold multiple citizenship, which means that upon accepting the citizenship of a foreign country, a person remains a citizen of Fiji unless he or she renounces that status; a former citizen of Fiji, who lost that citizenship upon acquiring foreign citizenship, may regain citizenship of Fiji, while retaining that foreign citizenship unless the laws of that foreign country provide otherwise; and
upon becoming a citizen of Fiji, a foreign person may retain his or her existing citizenship unless the laws of that foreign country provide otherwise.
