One Nation President Roko Tupou Draunidalo is calling on the government not to proceed with the third reading of the Constitution Amendment Bill 2026, saying taxpayers' money should instead be spent on urgent issues such as the ongoing drought and water shortages.
While making submissions to the Special Committee on the Bill, Draunidalo says constitutional amendments should be left to the next elected government.
She says only about one percent of the population has made submissions to the committee, which the party believes shows that constitutional changes are not a priority for most Fijians.
Draunidalo says the government should focus on addressing the effects of El Niño and the water shortages affecting communities across the country.
She says the government received goodwill from the public for extending the consultation period and could receive even greater support by stopping the amendment process.
Draunidalo also raises concerns about the proposed extension of immunity provisions, saying the current government came into power through democratic elections and does not need additional immunity.
She says One Nation supports retaining the existing immunity provisions under the 2013 Constitution as part of the political compromise that allowed Fiji to return to democratic elections.
However, Draunidalo says the party would support a provision preventing immunity from being granted for future actions.
Responding to a question from committee member Parveen Bala about removing immunity provisions, she says removing existing protections could undermine the political compromise that helped restore stability.
Draunidalo says that the proposed constitutional changes will not improve i-Taukei participation in the national economy.
She says greater economic opportunities for iTaukei communities should be addressed through government policies rather than constitutional changes.
She further raises concerns about proposals involving the Bose Levu Vakaturaga and chiefs, saying these could disadvantage non-chiefly iTaukei and minority communities.
Draunidalo says traditional leaders could contribute more to economic development by working independently and collaborating with the private sector.
She also raises concerns about more than 100 reported errors and typographical mistakes in the Bill, urging the committee to address them if the proposed amendments proceed.
