People's Alliance eyes clear majority at polls

The People's Alliance (PA) party is ready to shift its focus to the next general election if the proposed Constitution (Amendment) Bill fails to pass its third reading in Parliament.

Party general secretary Sila Balawa said members were prepared to begin campaigning immediately, with the party aiming to secure a clear parliamentary majority at the next election.

“If it doesn't get through, we'll go full speed ahead with campaigning for the next election,” he said.

Mr Balawa made the comments following the party's annual general meeting at the Novotel in Suva on Saturday, where members discussed the constitutional amendment process and preparations for the next election.

He said the party remained hopeful that the Bill would pass its third reading, allowing the proposed changes to proceed to a referendum.

Hundreds of members who attended the meeting unanimously resolved to support the amendments and encourage their families and the wider public to vote in favour of the changes if a referendum was held.

However, Mr Balawa said the party was not prepared to wait indefinitely for the constitutional process to be completed.

He said the PA wanted the proposed changes finalised as soon as possible, preferably before Christmas, while other constitutional issues could be addressed later.

Majority election target

Mr Balawa said party members had been advised to begin preparing for the next general election, which he said could be held any time before February 6.

The party is targeting a clear parliamentary majority, which it believes would strengthen its ability to pursue constitutional changes in the future.

The PA leadership also acknowledged that differences among coalition partners had affected efforts to secure united support for the proposed amendments.

Although the party had preferred its coalition partners to work together on constitutional reform, it was prepared to accept the differences and move forward.

The party maintained that it had attempted to fulfil its commitment to review and amend the Constitution despite difficulties securing the parliamentary support required during the current term.

For now, the PA remains focused on securing passage of the Bill, but Mr Balawa made clear that an election campaign would become its immediate priority if the legislation failed.