The Social Democratic Liberal Party is calling on Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and his Government to immediately respect constitutional boundaries and statutory dueness regarding the national referendum process.
SODELPA Leader Aseri Radrodro raised strong concerns over the Prime Minister’s declaration fixing 9th December 2026 as the national referendum date, warning that the Executive branch is attempting to prempt parliamentary processes, compromise constitutional roles and bypass independent institutions.
Radrodro says the rule of law and constitutional order in Fiji cannot be subordinated to executive convenience or political scheduling.
He says national referendum is a grave constitutional mechanism governed strictly by law, not an executive prerogative to be announced at a press conference before statutory and parliamentary prerequisites are complete.
SODELPA is formally submitting crucial legal questions to Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga demanding clear public clarification on the legal validity of the Prime Minister’s announcement.
They ask what is the precise statutory or constitutional provision that empowers the Prime Minister to fix or declare the date of a national referendum.
They also ask if no such provision exists, is the 9th December date merely a political proposal rather than a legally binding polling day.
SODELPA also asks under Section 10 of the National Referendum Act 2026, does the statutory authority to appoint the "day of polling" belong strictly to the President via the issuance of a referendum writ.
The party asks how can the Prime Minister legally declare a fixed date before the President’s writ is issued.
They ask under Section 160 of the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji, has the Constitution Amendment Bill fully satisfied all parliamentary requirements prior to referral.
The also ask on what legal basis can a fixed referendum date be announced when the Constitution Amendment Bill has not yet completed all constitutionally prescribed stages in Parliament.
SODELPA further asks if the Government is inappropriately anticipating parliamentary outcomes, does the Attorney-General consider the Prime Minister’s 9th December announcement legally binding on the President and the Electoral Commission, or is it merely an executive timetable, how can a 30-day statutory timeline calculated from the writ's issuance be locked into 9th December before the writ itself is actually issued, can the Attorney-General confirm that the President remains constitutionally free and unbound to appoint a different polling day when issuing the writ, regardless of the Prime Minister’s public statements, can the Executive direct the Electoral Commission to conduct the vote on 9th December, or is the Commission bound exclusively to act under the Presidential writ and its statutory independence.
We have sent questions to the Acting Attorney General, Siromi Turaga.
The SODELPA Leader is stressing that no one is above the law and all parliamentarians must make decisions that prioritize the people of this country who put them in parliament and at no stage must their rights and lives be compromised.
