The content of the constitution will be from the people, as it belongs to them, and will be presented to the members of the opposition during consultations.
This statement was made by Minister for Lands, Filimoni Vosarogo, while supporting the proposed amendments to the constitution in Parliament.
Vosarogo explained that the opposition has questioned where the content of the constitution will come from, and he clarified that it will come directly from the people.
He says the constitution review committee can be bipartisan, which is why this vote is important as it provides voters with the opportunity to shape their own constitution through its content.
Vosarogo also emphasizes the paragraph of the Supreme Court that states the Fijian Constitution of 2013 was not the result of the public process that preceded the adoption of the United States Constitution, but rather the work of a relatively small group of officials, including Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum.
He further says that if the members do not support the amendment bill, they would essentially be endorsing the voices of those few officials, as identified by the Supreme Court in its recent constitutional reference in April 2024.
The Minister for Lands urged members of the opposition, specifically the Group of 13, to vote in a bipartisan manner and support the bill put forward by the Prime Minister.
@fijivillage.com Constitutional content must come from the people's voices - Vosarogo #fiji ♬ original sound - fijivillage
