Review not rushed, says CRC chair

The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) has dismissed claims that Fiji’s review of the 2013 Constitution is being rushed, saying critics had ample opportunity to participate but many failed to do so.

CRC chairperson Sevuloni Valenitabua said the Commission had extensively advertised its nationwide consultation process through television, radio, newspapers, social media and public meetings.

He said while some academics had labelled the review process too short, very few actually made submissions.

“We have made sure by advertisements, by talkback shows, by speaking over the radio and television that everyone in Fiji knew about this consultation,” Mr Valenitabua said.

“For some people to come out and say it is a short time, we have not seen too many academics come here to give submissions.”

He said only a handful of academics participated despite the Commission actively seeking expert input.

He said the review was focused on amending an existing Constitution rather than drafting a completely new one.

“If we were writing a brand-new Constitution, definitely six months would not be enough,” he said.

“But what we have found from consultations is that the issues relate only to certain chapters rather than the entire Constitution.”

The Commission said consultations across Fiji showed that many constitutional concerns centered on specific provisions instead of the entire document.

Mr Valenitabua said rural communities had embraced the consultation process, while urban participation was generally lower despite widespread publicity.

He maintained the Commission remained confident it had enough time to complete its work before submitting its report to the President on August 31.

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