Rabuka buying time to secure votes, claims Narube
Unity Fiji leader alleges the extra time is intended to help Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka secure enough votes to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill.
Thursday 05 November 2026 | 08:00
Unity Fiji leader Savenaca Narube has accused Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka of using the extension of consultations on the Constitution Amendment Bill 2026 to buy time to secure parliamentary support.
Mr Narube claims the extension is a political smokescreen designed to give the Prime Minister more time to persuade coalition partners and other Members of Parliament to back the Bill.
“The extension of time for so called consultations on the Amendment Bill is a smokescreen. The extension is clearly not sufficient to achieve what many of us are calling for which is to take the amendments down to the people. So, what is the agenda?” asks Narube.
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He alleged that the Government's real objective was to secure the votes needed to pass the proposed constitutional changes.
“The real agenda is to allow time for the Prime Minister to work on his coalition partners and other MPs to support the Bill. He will use all the weapons that he has including threats and carrots to bring them into line.”
Mr Narube, a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji, questioned the Prime Minister's motives and claimed his political future was driving the push for constitutional amendments.
“The ulterior agenda in my view is a personal one--the political survival of the PM. What amazes me is that he is prepared to sacrifice the future of our children to protect his survival,” says the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji.
He also questioned whether the extended consultation period would provide sufficient opportunity for people across Fiji to have their say.
“The people need to know the real reason for the extension of the consultation time on the Constitutional Amendment Bill,” says Savenaca Narube, the leader of Unity Fiji.
“With this and the past government, I have learnt to look behind the actions because the words and the actions are not what they appear to be,” adds Narube.
Mr Narube said he had previously raised concerns about the Government's intentions during a town hall meeting in Nasinu.
