Seruiratu against how Constitution is being amended

Leader of the Opposition, Inia Seruiratu says there is a need for constitutional review but they are against how it is being done by the government.

While speaking against the 2013 Constitution Amendment Bill, Seruiratu says he wholly supports the 75 percent requirement in Parliament because it encourages dialogue but with two-thirds, they can go without the Opposition.

He says if the Government thinks they have the numbers, they can go ahead with it but for a sustainable democracy, the tenets of good governance are inclusivity, hearing the voices of the people and adherence to the rule of law.

The Opposition Leader says the Constitution is not ordinary laws that can be amended at the convenience of any sitting government as they represent social contracts requiring the trust and consent of the people.

He says without a referendum, there is no formal mechanism to ensure that amendments respect the collective voice of all Fijians, including those with limited or no direct representation in government.

Seruiratu further highlighted the extensive consultations throughout Fiji, where about 1,028 consultations at village and settlement level, organisations and individuals were done to prepare the Draft People’s Charter which later formed the basis of the 2013 Constitution.

The Leader of the Opposition says they want the process of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to be completed before looking at the Constitution.

He adds that one of the biggest concerns they have is who wants what provisions to be amended and why.

The debate continues in parliament.