NFP sets conditions for Constitution Bill support

The National Federation Party (NFP) has made its support for the Constitution (Amendment) Bill conditional on extending public consultation until mid-December and incorporating key changes proposed by the party.

NFP president Parmod Chand said the party’s management board made the decision at a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Bill, identify its shortcomings and outline the amendments it considered necessary.

The party is concerned that the Government’s proposed 19-day process allows only 13 days for public consultation, two days for report writing and one day to finalise the report, with the Bill scheduled to return to Parliament in the first week of November.

“The Constitution is the most important law of our nation. Its legitimacy must come from the people, not the political convenience of those in power,” Mr Chand said.

The NFP has outlined 18 principles it wants addressed as the Bill progresses through Parliament’s special committee.

These include stronger protection of fundamental rights, land ownership and tenure, electoral independence, accountability and access to justice.

Among its proposals, the party is calling for the removal of constitutional immunity provisions protecting those responsible for unconstitutional political upheavals, the abolition of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption in its present form, and the establishment of independent arrangements to investigate and prosecute corruption.

It is also proposing a 56-member House of Representatives elected through a Mixed Member Proportional Representation system, comprising 28 constituency members and 28 proportional representation members.

Other proposed changes include removing Christianity as a founding constitutional value of the State while allowing historical recognition of Christianity and other faiths in the Preamble, removing the provision permitting the lawful and moderate chastisement of children, and strengthening environmental protection.

The party is also calling for an independent Constituency Boundaries Commission, stronger protection of civil liberties, civilian supremacy over the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and a more accessible constitutional amendment process.

Mr Chand said the NFP had consistently called for the replacement of the 2013 Constitution but warned that the process must not exclude the public from meaningful participation.

The party acknowledged that Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka had indicated he was prepared to consider extending consultation and deliberation, potentially until the end of Parliament in late December.

NFP leader Biman Prasad will continue representing the party on the special committee, with the party maintaining that dialogue and consensus remain important in the constitutional review process.

Mr Chand said the NFP would not sacrifice the quality and legitimacy of the country’s next Constitution to meet what it described as an arbitrary political deadline.