Fiji’s proposed constitutional amendments face mounting opposition, with coalition partner SODELPA refusing to support the Bill’s third reading, former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum calling for the process to be halted, and questions emerging over the parliamentary majority required for passage.
The developments put pressure on Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s Coalition Government as it seeks to secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, known as Bill 32.
Rabuka warned that failure to secure the required votes could end the proposed referendum and lead to the Coalition’s dissolution, with the general election proceeding as planned.
“It could mean the failure of the Bill, and everything stops but the election goes ahead.
“So, there will be no referendum if we don’t have the majority and we just dismantle the Coalition.
“Each political party will have to run on its own. There is no pre-election coalition,” Rabuka said in an interview in Savusavu.
SODELPA confirmed its position after discussions at its Special Annual General Meeting over the weekend, where 221 of the 296 members in attendance voted in favour of a motion opposing the Bill’s third reading in its current form.
The National Federation Party (NFP) has also presented 18 proposed constitutional principles, adding to the challenge facing the Government as it attempts to secure agreement among its Coalition partners.
Meanwhile, former attorney-general Sayed-Khaiyum has called on Rabuka to stop the Bill and allow more time for public scrutiny and examination of its provisions.
Speaking at a public consultation in Labasa, he said the proposed amendments were complex and required detailed cross-referencing.
“Prime Minister, I would please urge you, you still have the power and the capacity to stop this amendment bill,” he said.
“You don’t do the third reading. I think the overwhelming majority of the people are saying we need more time.”
Sayed-Khaiyum questioned the urgency of passing the amendments, noting that their proposed commencement date was 31 March 2028.
“It’s a very complex document. It needs a lot of cross-referencing,” he said.
“It’s very, very wrong in many of its provisions. It goes against the Constitution.”
He urged Rabuka to hold the next general election before proceeding with constitutional changes, saying a fresh electoral mandate would allow the Government to move forward with the proposed reforms.
“Have the elections. You’ll be given the mandate, and you can go forth from there,” he said.
Sayed-Khaiyum also raised concerns about proposed changes to the parliamentary term and the allocation of special seats to five maritime areas, questioning why those areas should receive special treatment compared with other parts of Fiji.
Adding to the uncertainty, the Centre for Democracy and Dialogue (CDD) says the Bill requires at least 36 affirmative votes to pass both its second and third readings in Parliament.
The CDD said the Supreme Court’s opinion of 29 August 2025 required support from at least two-thirds of all members of Parliament at both readings.
With Parliament comprising 53 members, the organisation said 35 votes would fall short of the constitutional threshold, while 36 would meet it.
It argued that 35 votes represent 66.04 per cent of Parliament, below the required two-thirds majority, while 36 votes represent 67.92 per cent.
The CDD said the Supreme Court’s use of the words “at least” meant the threshold could not be rounded down to 35 votes.
The Government now faces the task of addressing concerns over the Bill’s provisions and securing sufficient parliamentary support before the final reading.
