Fiji’s Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) has rejected the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill 2026, known as Bill 32, saying it retains key provisions of the 2013 Constitution that the party promised voters it would remove.
SODELPA President Aseri Radrodro said in a statement that the bill amends rather than replaces the Constitution introduced under the former FijiFirst government and fails to address the party’s concerns over immunity provisions and accountability for past abuses of power.
The party said Bill 32 retains Chapter 14 on immunity and extends its application to the first sitting of Parliament under the amended constitutional framework.
It argued that the provisions could protect people from civil, criminal and other legal liability for actions taken during the period covered by the immunity clauses.
SODELPA specifically objected to Clause 206, which sets out the scope of immunity, and Clause 207, which entrenches the provisions and restricts court challenges.
The party said the immunity provisions continued to prevent prosecutions relating to the 2006 coup, which removed the elected government of former prime minister Laisenia Qarase.
It also questioned why immunity should extend to government actions and those of other institutions until the first sitting of Parliament under the amended Constitution.
“SODELPA wants the 2013 removed entirely and urges the rule of law to be respected,” Radrodro said in the statement.
The party argued that retaining any part of the 2013 Constitution would perpetuate injustice against Qarase, public servants, workers and members of the public who it said were victimised during the 16 years of FijiFirst rule.
SODELPA also said Bill 32 retained other provisions of the 2013 Constitution that it considered unacceptable, although it did not detail all of them in the statement.
Radrodro disputed claims that SODELPA opposed constitutional change, saying the party’s objection was to amend the existing Constitution rather than removing it entirely.
The party warned government officials and members of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (BLV) against allegedly telling communities that SODELPA did not want the 2013 Constitution changed.
It said it would consider filing formal complaints against individuals and institutions it accused of spreading misinformation.
“If the architects of Bill 32 are protecting anyone in their political parties from criminal liabilities, then that’s on them and not us,” Radrodro said.
SODELPA said its special general meeting had directed the party’s parliamentarians to vote against Bill 32 for the reasons outlined in its position.
The party said it opposed further coups and political instability and would act within the law while protecting the interests of the public.
