CRC hears plea for stronger protections for vulnerable families

A Constitution should not be judged by how well it protects the rich and influential, but by how effectively it safeguards struggling families, vulnerable children and elderly citizens.

That was the message from Lautoka resident Shalesh Naidu during the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) consultations in Lautoka yesterday.

Mr Naidu called for stronger constitutional protections for ordinary Fijians facing poverty, inadequate housing and unequal access to essential services.

He said that while the 2013 Constitution recognises rights such as housing, sanitation and healthcare, it does not place a clear obligation on the State to progressively provide these services to those most in need.

“The greatest test of a Constitution is not how it protects those who already have wealth, power and influence,” he said.

Mr Naidu told the commission that thousands of Fijians continue to live in informal settlements without proper sanitation, drainage, roads, water supply or secure housing despite working hard to support their families.

He proposed a constitutional right to affordable housing, saying no family should be removed from their home or land without alternative accommodation being provided.

Drawing on his own family’s experience, Mr Naidu highlighted what he described as gaps in the healthcare system.

He shared the story of his four-year-old grandson, who suffers from a life-threatening medical condition and recently waited three days for a blood transfusion because blood was unavailable.

“No patient should be denied essential treatment because they cannot afford it or because services are unavailable,” he said.

Mr Naidu also urged the commission to strengthen protections for elderly citizens, describing the challenges of caring for his 85-year-old mother and the growing number of older people living in poor conditions or without family support.

He concluded by urging the commission to create a Constitution that guarantees dignity for every citizen and ensures no one is left behind.

“A Constitution for all Fijians that leaves no one behind,” he said.