PM Rabuka maps out next step for new Constitution

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka wants Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga to bring the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) Report to Cabinet on September 8, setting the stage for the draft to reach Parliament when the House sits on September 28.

“I want A-G [Turaga] to bring the CRC Report presented today [yesterday] to Cabinet on 8 September for Cabinet to consider with the processing program including Bills for Parliament considerations at the Sitting beginning on 28 September,” Mr Rabuka told this masthead last night.

His comments came after the CRC yesterday handed its Review Report and Draft Constitution of the Republic of Fiji 2026 to President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, who then passed it to the Prime Minister.

In a statement, Acting A-G Turaga said Mr Rabuka would table the report in Cabinet “before it proceeds to Parliament in accordance with the appropriate constitutional and Government processes”.

The process would therefore move from the President to the Prime Minister, then Cabinet and Parliament.

Asked whether the September sitting, from September 28 to October 2, would also cover the referendum Bill, Mr Rabuka said it could, “or that can be a separate exercise because it will depend on whether Parliament votes in favour of the Constitution Amendment Bills.”

This masthead understands the referendum Bill is still before Parliament’s Standing Committee. Without it, there is no law governing how Fijians would vote on constitutional change.

Mr Rabuka did not respond when pressed further on its timeline.

CRC chairperson Sevuloni Valenitabua said the document was a draft prepared by commissioners in five weeks with assistance from three overseas legal experts — Professor Anthony Regan, Dr Kathrene Le Roy and Fiona Leonard.

Acting A-G Turaga stressed that the recommendations were not yet Government policy.

Key recommendations include:

• reinstating the Bose Levu Vakaturaga;
• reinstating the Senate;
• reinstating the Public Service Commission; and
• retaining “Fijian” as the national identity, pending consultation.

CRC report and draft, by the numbers

• 1,220 submissions — 832 individual and 388 joint;
• 105 venues visited;
• 3,873 people attended face-to-face consultations; and
• Nearly six months of work.

Mr Turaga said the report could not yet be released publicly and urged Fijians not to speculate until Cabinet had considered it.