Constitution review not our only focus: PM

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the Government is not so focused on the Constitution review that it is overlooking other pressing issues, including the prolonged dry spell affecting communities across Fiji.

Responding to concerns that the Government was giving the review too much attention, Mr Rabuka described the El Niño dry spell as “a very pressing problem right now”.

“We are equally aware of what else is going on,” he said.

Mr Rabuka said the responsible ministry and the ministry overseeing regional development had been delivering water to the worst-affected communities.

He clarified that the prolonged dry spell had not yet been declared a state of emergency.

“It is not a real state of emergency, just a warning to get people to exercise water discipline,” he said.

Last week, Public Works Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau said the Government was working towards declaring a national emergency.

Mr Rabuka assured affected communities that they “will have access to water”.

He said that if funds needed to be transferred between ministries, the Ministry of Finance would facilitate this through additional provisions.

Mr Rabuka said an announcement on El Niño would come from the Minister for Works and the Minister for Regional Development, either yesterday or today.

He also described the prolonged dry spell as a lesson in how people treated the land.

“We know that the Bible talks about every seven years you don’t touch the land. Let the land recover. But we don’t have that sabbath here,” he said.

“We do not allow the world and the earth to replenish itself.”

ENDS