Fijians should have a completely new Constitution developed through genuine public consultation instead of making amendments to the 2013 Constitution.
This has been revealed by Liberation of Fiji Party while presenting the party's submission to the Parliamentary Special Committee on the Constitution Amendment Bill.
Liberation of Fiji Party General Secretary Manoa Malani says the party opposes the proposed amendments because questions surrounding the authorship, legal origins and democratic legitimacy of the 2013 Constitution remain unanswered.
Malani says Fijians deserve to know who drafted the 2013 Constitution, under whose authority it was prepared, who authorised its contents and whether the people were genuinely given the opportunity to examine, debate and approve it.
He says the party wants the authorship and legal origins of the Constitution to be independently investigated and publicly disclosed before another constitutional exercise is undertaken.
The party also raises concerns about the involvement of individuals in the secretariat responsible for Bill 32, and the Fiji Police Act 2026.
Malani calls for an independent investigation into what the party considers potential conflicts of interest and questions surrounding the handling of the bombing investigation.
Insert:Malani on the Journey 12TH NOV
During the presentation, Special Committee Member and Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj raises a procedural concern about Malani naming individuals who are not present before the committee to respond to the allegations.
Maharaj says parliamentary standing orders apply to committees and suggests that Malani refer to the individuals as members of the secretariat instead.
Malani says he wants the committee to understand the connections he believes exist between the different secretariat processes and why the party questions the neutrality of certain individuals.
The party's submission also calls for greater accountability, protection of human dignity, independence of institutions and proper legal safeguards.
It says immunity should never become a permanent shield against accountability, while justice must be administered through lawful procedures rather than political revenge.
The party further calls for all proposed legislative changes, including the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Fiji Police Act 2026, to be made available in iTaukei and other languages to allow meaningful public examination and debate.
During questions, Special Committee Member Jone Usamate asks whether the party rejects everything in the proposed constitutional amendments and whether it has any suggestions for changes to the draft.
Malani says the party's concern is primarily about the process, including the need for comprehensive consultation and addressing questions surrounding the 2013 Constitution.
Party representative Marika Kalodama then clarifies that the party would prefer the Government to formulate a completely new Constitution rather than amend the existing one.
Special Committee Member and MP Praveen Bala also seeks clarification, asking whether the party supports amendments to the 2013 Constitution.
Kalodama responds that the party does not agree with the amendments and believes a new Constitution should be formulated.
Special Committee Member Sachida Nand then asks which document the party is referring to when it states that the people were not given a genuine opportunity to determine its legitimacy and contents.
Malani clarifies that the party is referring to the 2013 Constitution, saying this is why it wants an entirely new Constitution rather than amendments to the existing one.
Maharaj also questioned whether the party has conducted an analysis of how much of the 2013 Constitution is retained in Bill 32, including whether it has assessed the extent to which the existing Constitution is reflected in the proposed amendments.
Kalodama says the party's primary concern is trust, particularly because of the background to the 2006 events, the doctrine of necessity and the individuals involved in the development of the 2013 Constitution.
She says the party wants to start afresh with a Constitution that is built by the people and for the people, without being linked to particular institutions or individuals.
Kalodama describes a Constitution as a contract between the Government and the people, saying it should reflect the mandate of the people so every citizen can be proud of having been part of its development.
Nand then questions the party's position, pointing out that it wants the next election to proceed under the 2013 Constitution while also calling for an entirely new Constitution.
He says the existing Constitution provides for an amendment process and asks how the party believes a new Constitution can be achieved while relying on the 2013 Constitution to conduct the next election.
Kalodama responds by questioning why the issues surrounding the Constitution were not addressed two years ago adding, the party is prepared to proceed with the 2013 Constitution for the next election and believes the incoming Government should address the outstanding issues after the election.
During further discussion, Special Committee members pointed out that the Supreme Court has ruled that the 2013 Constitution is lawful and valid.
Kalodama, however, argues that the Supreme Court's decision did not address the process through which the Constitution was developed.
She says the party's position is that the ruling concerned the legitimacy established through the three elections held under the Constitution rather than the process through which it was introduced.
Special Committee Member and Government MP Siromi Turaga says the Government is complying with the Supreme Court's ruling that the 2013 Constitution is lawful and valid, questioning the party's position on the matter.
Responding to Turaga, Malani says the party has appeared before the committee to encourage Fiji to return to a process where people are genuinely consulted and involved in determining the country's constitutional future.
He says the party wants a process that genuinely involves the people of Fiji rather than one that resulted from a coup or sudden political upheaval.
