Nawaka leaders urge return to constituency voting

Nawaka leaders have urged the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) to consider restoring constituency-based voting, saying local communities need stronger representation in Parliament.

Speaking during CRC consultations in Nadi today, Mata ni Tikina o Nawaka Panapasa Driu said the 2013 Constitution's electoral system had weakened the connection between voters and their elected representatives.

Mr Driu told the commission that Fiji previously operated under multiple constituencies, allowing communities to elect representatives who understood local issues and concerns.

He said the current system, which treats the entire country as a single constituency, should be reviewed.

He urged the commission to consider reinstating the constituency-based model that existed under the 1990 and 1997 constitutions and to provide constitutional recognition for multiple constituencies once again.

Mr Driu said constitutional reform should also address wider concerns raised by indigenous communities, including the recognition of traditional leadership and the protection of indigenous rights.

He also raised concerns over ownership of natural resources, saying that while iTaukei land is protected under the Constitution, minerals found beneath the land remain under state control through existing legislation.

Meanwhile, Nawaka Village headman Mosese Ronakuro told the commission that stronger safeguards were needed to protect indigenous land, fishing grounds and traditional rights.

Mr Ronakuro said previous constitutions provided additional mechanisms, including the Senate, which he believed helped protect indigenous interests.

He urged the commission to explore legal avenues that would strengthen those protections and ensure indigenous rights are not overlooked in future constitutional reforms.

The submissions were among several presented during the commission's consultations in Nawaka as residents shared their views on changes they want reflected in Fiji's supreme law.