MPs question Liberation of Fiji Party's Constitution stance

Opposition MPs have questioned the Liberation of Fiji Party's position on the Constitution Amendment Bill after its submission left members seeking clarity on what the party actually wants changed.

The questions came during a Special Parliamentary Committee hearing on Bill No. 32 of 2026, where party representatives opposed the proposed amendments but called for an entirely new constitution.

Opposition MP Praveen Bala openly expressed confusion over the party's position, asking whether it supported any amendments to the 2013 Constitution.

"I'm a little bit confused," Mr Bala told the party representatives.

He later asked directly whether the party believed the 2013 Constitution should be amended.

The party's general secretary, Manoa Malani, said it did not support the amendments and believed a new constitution should be formulated instead.

However, the party's position prompted further questions from MPs, particularly over how it intended to achieve that while still relying on the existing Constitution.

Opposition MP Jone Usamate also questioned whether the party had any specific recommendations for the proposed amendments or simply wanted the entire process stopped.

Party leader Veronica Malani said the party preferred a new constitution rather than amendments to the existing document.

Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj then questioned whether the party had examined how much of the existing Constitution was reflected in Bill No. 32 before making its recommendation.

"What your party wants and how we link it to the amendment constitution it doesn't make any sense at all" Mr Bala said. 

Mr Malagi said the party's concerns were largely based on a lack of trust in the people involved in the original Constitution and the current amendment process.

Assistant Minister for Commerce and Business Development, Sachida Nand, who pointed out that the party wanted the next general election to proceed under the 2013 Constitution, despite questioning its legitimacy.

Ms Malani said the party wanted the election to proceed under the existing Constitution, leaving the incoming government to address the issue.

The party maintained that its concerns were about the process through which the 2013 Constitution was introduced and the need for a new document developed by the people.