Fiji’s Parliament has agreed to extend the deadline for the Special Committee reviewing the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, following concerns from political parties that the timetable is too compressed and could undermine public confidence in the proposed constitutional changes.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka moved the motion in Parliament, seeking additional time for the committee to complete its deliberations, consider public submissions and submit its final report to the House.
Rabuka said the extension would allow the committee to hear further views from the public and give parliamentary staff more time to compile the report.
“It is very important then that we ask for this extension and during the extended period we intend to listen to more submissions from the public,” Rabuka told Parliament.
He said parliamentary staff had been working to collect, collate and compile submissions and needed sufficient time to prepare the final report.
Rabuka also recalled the process that led to the adoption of the 1997 Constitution, saying political cooperation and consensus had been important in securing support for the document.
He said the current parliamentary process had involved members from different political parties, including the Opposition, and urged Parliament to support the extension.
However, National Federation Party (NFP) leader Professor Biman Prasad said an additional three weeks would not address concerns about the rushed nature of the constitutional review.
Prasad said the party supported reviewing the 2013 Constitution but believed the process should continue after the next General Election to allow wider consultation and build greater political consensus.
He said the original timetable, which required the committee to complete its report over a weekend and present it to Parliament, had raised serious concerns.
“The perception out there amongst the people is that this process is being rushed,” Prasad said.
“Despite all the good things in the draft Constitution, the legitimacy of the new Constitution could become a serious issue.”
Prasad said the NFP had raised concerns about the process from the beginning, including the need to involve the Opposition in the review at an early stage.
He said extending the committee’s deadline by three weeks would not remove public suspicion about the Government’s timetable.
“I urge the Honourable Prime Minister and the Special Committee to rethink the timeline, and I once again propose that we carry this process after the General Election,” he said.
Prasad confirmed that the NFP would not support the motion.
Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu said his party had repeatedly raised concerns about the compressed timetable and the need for meaningful public consultation.
He stressed that the Opposition’s continued participation in the Special Committee should not be interpreted as support for the Government’s proposed amendments or the way the review had been conducted.
“Our continued participation in the Special Select Committee on the Constitution Amendment Bill should never be mistaken for an endorsement of the Government proposals or the manner in which this process has been conducted,” Seruiratu said.
He said Opposition members remained on the committee because of their constitutional, parliamentary and moral responsibilities to the people of Fiji.
Seruiratu said the committee must ensure that the concerns of ordinary Fijians, particularly rural communities, women, young people, older persons, people living with disabilities and minority groups, were properly considered.
“The Constitution belongs to the people of Fiji, not to a political party or not to a Government. It’s owned by the people,” he said.
He said the Opposition would support provisions that were right for Fiji but challenge or oppose those that undermined people’s rights, freedoms and democratic interests.
“We will support what is right for Fiji, challenge what is wrong, and oppose any provision that undermines the rights, freedoms or democratic interests of our people,” Seruiratu said.
Unlike the NFP, Seruiratu confirmed that the Opposition would support the motion to extend the committee’s work.
Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) leader Aseri Radrodro also welcomed the extension, saying more time was needed for public consultation and consideration of concerns raised by the party and its members.
Radrodro said constitutional reform was part of the coalition Government’s manifesto, but SODELPA had already made clear that it did not support Bill 32 in its current form.
He said the party had communicated its concerns to Rabuka, including issues raised during consultations and the proposed timeframe.
Radrodro called for further consultations, particularly in areas where communities had received limited or no opportunity to understand the proposed changes.
He said the committee should ensure the final version of the Bill considered recommendations submitted by SODELPA in a letter dated 30 October 2026.
The debate highlights continuing divisions among political parties over the proposed constitutional amendments, with agreement on the need to review the 2013 Constitution but differences over the process, timing and content of Bill 32.
