Ordinary Fijians cannot be expected to understand complex constitutional changes in just 11 days, and need more time to make informed submissions on proposals that could shape the country's future.
This is the concern raised by Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Commissioner Alefia Vuki, who says people need proper public education, clear explanations and sufficient time to understand the proposed amendments.
Speaking to fijivillage News, Vuki says the Constitution is a complex legal document, and people should not be expected to fully understand the proposed changes within such a short period.
She says the Government should provide public education on the 2013 Constitution, the Constitutional Review Commission's report, the proposed amendments and the Government's revised draft.
Vuki says people also need time to seek advice from teachers, doctors and others in their communities who can help explain the proposals.
She is calling for the documents to be translated into iTaukei and Hindi, while the English versions should be written in plain language to make them easier to understand.
Vuki stresses that people cannot make informed decisions if they do not understand what is being proposed.
She says the Commission supports amending the 2013 Constitution because it believes the document was imposed on the people.
However, Vuki says the Commission's main concern is not whether the Constitution should be changed, but how the changes are being carried out.
She says constitutional amendments require greater public consultation and accountability than ordinary laws because the Constitution is the country's highest law.
Vuki also questions the limited time allocated for public submissions, pointing out that only three hours were provided for submissions in Suva.
She says the Commission decided not to make an oral presentation because it wanted ordinary members of the public to have more time to express their views.
Instead, the Commission submitted its views in writing before the deadline.
Vuki says the Commission also needed sufficient time to assess the proposed changes against the nine international human rights conventions she says Fiji has ratified.
She explains that this includes examining whether the proposed Bill of Rights meets Fiji's international human rights commitments.
Vuki says such an assessment requires careful consideration and cannot be completed without sufficient time.
She also points to the process that led to the 1997 Constitution, saying the committee responsible took about 13 months to complete its work.
Vuki believes Fiji should learn from previous constitutional review processes and allow enough time for meaningful public participation.
She stresses that Fijians must be given a fair opportunity to understand the proposed changes, ask questions and make informed submissions before decisions are made about the country's Constitution.
