Acting AG confirms that there will be a Referendum Bill next month

Acting Attorney General Siromi Turaga has confirmed that a Referendum Bill will be tabled in parliament next month.

While responding to questions during the Dialogue Fiji Constitution Review discussion at the Suva Civic Centre, Turaga says the Prime Minister will announce the members of the Constitution Review Commission next year.

Victoria University of Wellington Professor of Politics, Professor Jon Fraenkel says he does not think that Fiji’s problem is having too many constitutions, but having too many coups.

While speaking on what the constitutional review process should look like to ensure meaningful participation by all Fijians, Professor Fraenkel says Fiji has had so many coups that it has necessitated breaking the constitution.

He highlighted that the process has been set out by the Supreme Court’s decision in August.

The Professor also says there are some people in Fiji who have said that we should simply dump the 2013 Constitution, but that will be a breach of law.

He says they cannot rewrite an entire constitution when they are amending it.

Professor Fraenkel adds that the Supreme Court’s decision is a very positive one, allowing a process of constitutional review to commence and enabling Fiji, for the first time ever, to have a constitution that can be backed by the population in a referendum.