Ram wants Constitution changes delayed until after election
The 81-year-old says more time is needed to reach agreement on proposed changes to Fiji’s supreme law.
Tuesday 20 October 2026 | 17:30
Eighty-one-year-old Jai Ram at the public consultation on the proposed Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 at the Ba Market Bure on October 19, 2026.
Photo: Katherine Naidu.
An 81-year-old Ba resident has urged that the proposed Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 be delayed until after the next general election, saying more time is needed to reach agreement on changes to the country’s supreme law.
Jai Ram made the submission during a public consultation on Bill No. 32 of 2026 at the Ba Market Bure yesterday, raising concerns about Fiji’s secular status, the proposed appointment of the President and the need for a Senate.
“My humble request is that this gets delayed, and after the election, an early start is given to this constitution, and a good agreed constitution comes into place,” he said.
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Mr Ram said the draft needed further negotiations, corrections and improvements before it was approved.
He questioned the absence of the word “secular” in the draft, arguing that Fiji’s multi-religious society should be reflected in its constitutional values.
I am a Christian myself. But just to call Christianity does not mean everyone’s going to be Christian.
Ba resident, Jai Ram
Mr Ram said all religions should be respected and questioned the inclusion of Christianity as a foundational value at the national level.
He also challenged the proposed role of the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) in appointing the President, saying the council was not an elected body.
He questioned why the GCC should appoint the President and proposed that the position either be filled through a public election or through the existing method involving the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader.
Mr Ram also questioned the need for a Senate, arguing that the proposed appointment arrangements could create an imbalance in representation.
“How come the GCC will appoint 14 members? It’s not prorated; it’s not divided into who is going to give a name and how many senators.”
“If 14 are named by the GCC, then the majority goes there, and the Prime Minister gets six, and the rest goes to the Opposition Leader. There is no equality. And when we talk about freedom and the rights, it’s not there,” he said.
Mr Ram further urged the committee to clarify how State or Crown land would be addressed in the draft, alongside iTaukei and freehold land.
He said delaying the Bill would allow more time to develop a Constitution with broader agreement.
