Turaga’s exit will not derail Constitution process: PM

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the referendum and Constitution Amendment Bill process will continue despite the departure of acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga.

Mr Rabuka confirmed yesterday that he had accepted Mr Turaga’s resignation following the publication of an explicit video featuring Mr Turaga and his wife on his Facebook Story.

Asked whether the resignation would jeopardise the process, Mr Rabuka said: “No, it shouldn’t.”

He said he had not asked Mr Turaga for an explanation.

“I just told him that there is a video that has been leaked. He straightforwardly came up with an apology,” Mr Rabuka said.

No replacement has been appointed to the acting Attorney-General’s role.

Mr Rabuka said legal advice to the Government would now come directly from the Solicitor-General’s office.

“We have a team in Cabinet that is already legally qualified, but not constitutionally were filed to Attorney-General,” he said.

Section 96 of the 2013 Constitution sets out the qualifications for the Attorney-General, including at least 15 years’ practice as a legal practitioner.

The Prime Minister may appoint a qualified person to act in the role, with notice published in the Gazette.

Mr Turaga remains a People’s Alliance (PA) member and Member of Parliament.

Mr Rabuka also confirmed he would continue participating in party discussions through special committees.

“Anybody can be a member of the committee, not necessarily the Attorney-General,” he said.

Mr Turaga was removed as Attorney-General in June 2024 and returned in an acting capacity in June 2025. At the time, Mr Rabuka described him as the only qualified person in Cabinet for the position.

Party response

PA general secretary Sila Balawa declined to comment on the Prime Minister’s remarks.

Asked whether the party would investigate Mr Turaga, as it did with Minister Lynda Tabuya, Mr Balawa said the party would follow its constitution.

“We have mechanisms within the party constitution. We’ll just have to follow the party constitution,” he said.

Ms Tabuya was removed from Cabinet on December 26, 2024, following the leak of a private video. In February 2025, the party’s executive council decided not to expel her.

The PA constitution requires complaints to be made in writing. The Legal and National Discipline Sub-Committee then has 21 days to deliberate.

Complaints

Online Safety Commissioner Filipe Batiwale would not confirm whether the commission had received complaints about the recent video.

He said the law prevented the commission from disclosing complaint numbers to protect victims, whether they were ministers or members of the public.

On claims that phones had been hacked, Mr Batiwale said the commission could not comment on any ongoing investigation.