Editorial: Let bygones be bygones

It’s sad that the current constitutional crisis is taking us nowhere.

The constitution amendments intended by Government has only created confusion and has delayed our nation’s progress.

The move to remove the immunity provision on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill is now the center of dispute.

The immunity provision covers all those that were involved in the country’s military coups of 1987 (May and September) and 2006.

There have been mixed reactions on the issue.

Fiji Law Society president, Graham Leung said it right during the Stand by Niko’s Talanoa session at the Fiji National University on March 28, 2026.

Speaking on the amendment of the 2013 Constitution, Mr Leung highlighted that removing the immunity provision will only open up a ‘can of worms’ and should be left alone.

If the immunity provision is removed, it’s going to create havoc in our courts as cases will pile up but sadly most who are alleged to be involved are no longer with us to defend themselves. This will only further divide the people and create more trouble.

Our nation cannot become the prisoner of its past.

The idiom of ‘let bygones be bygones’ rings true here. That is to forgive past mistakes, forget old disagreements or grievances and move forward peacefully. This is what our nation needs today.

We have to turn our focus on more depressing issues that befalls our beloved Fiji. These issues are;

• Increasing prices of fuel and gas, which has resulted in the increasing cost of items. The high cost of living has increased the number of people living below the poverty line, housing problems, unemployment and so on.
• In September, Fiji declared HIV a national emergency. That is one in every 60 adults in Fiji is living with HIV. For a country, whose population is 938,679 (provided by United Nations data 2026) this is very alarming.
• Impact of climate change. The country is now facing the full brunt of the El Nino effect. This has caused severe dry spells, water shortages and high risk of fire. According to the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) 19 out of 44 water sources managed by them have reached critical levels.
• Fiji facing a severe and escalating illicit drug crisis- particularly involving methamphetamine (ice), which has seen many of our young people in mental institution or have contacted HIV though sharing of syringes.

These are serious problems, which can wipe out a chunk of our young people’s population if nothing is done about it. We’ve to act now.

Our political leaders should not play with the lives of their subjects or even take it for granted. They should be reminded of an African proverb: “When two elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.”

That means when leaders fight or disagree over issues it is the people that suffer.

For us our way forward is for the Prime Minister to issue the Writ of Elections so we could go to the polls and have a say on who we want to lead us next.