How the Constitution Bill would reshape Parliament

The proposed Constitution Amendment Bill 2026 provides for a 23-member Senate, a 55-seat House of Representatives and a five-year parliamentary term.

Under the 2013 Constitution, Parliament comprises a single 50-member chamber with a four-year term.

The Bill is yet to be passed. It passed its second reading on October 2 and is now before a special committee receiving public submissions.

Parliament

Under Section 46 of the 2013 Constitution, Parliament consists of “the members of Parliament and the President”.

Members are elected through “a multi-member open list system of proportional representation” (Section 53).

Parliament “continues for four years” (Section 58).

Under Section 55 of the Bill, Parliament “consists of the President, the House of Representatives and the Senate”.

The House of Representatives would have “33 constituency members” and “22 party list members”, or other numbers determined by Parliament (Section 64).

The House “continues for 5 years” (Section 66).

The new Senate

Of the 23 senators, “14 are appointed by the President on the advice of the BLV”, six on the advice of the Prime Minister, two on the advice of the Opposition Leader and one on the advice of the Rotuma Island Council (Section 76).

The Senate’s purpose is “to review Bills” (Section 75). It can reject a Bill “on one occasion only”. Once the House resubmits it, “the Senate must approve the Bill” (Section 56).

Voters

Voters in 33 constituencies would directly elect their representatives through a first-past-the-post system. Five of these would be maritime constituencies: Rotuma, Yasawa, Kadavu, Lomaiviti and Lau.

Under the 2013 system, every voter is on “a single national electoral roll”.

The 2013 Constitution also provides for an MP to lose their seat if they leave their political party, with no time limit specified. The Bill would limit this provision to “within 18 months” (Section 70).

Feedback: kaneta.naimatau@fijisun.com.fj