Fiji’s opposition is accusing the country’s prime minister of political “strangulation” ahead of an upcoming election.
It comes after Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka pre-emptively announced a date for Fiji’s first-ever national referendum on the island nation’s constitution reform process on Monday – just two days after his coalition pushed through a major bill on its second reading to change the 2013 Constitution.
Parliamentary opposition leader Inia Seruiratu said that, by announcing a date for the referendum, Rabuka was “putting the cart before the horse”.
Seruiratu described the move as “premature”, as the Fijian parliament had not completed debating the Constitution (Amendment) Bill.
“The bill has only passed its second reading and has now been referred to a Special Select Committee for further scrutiny, public awareness and public submissions,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
“It is expected to return to parliament for its third reading in November. Until that process is completed, parliament has not given its final approval to the Bill.
“What then is the basis for announcing 9 December as the referendum date when Parliament has not even determined the final form of the Constitution Amendment Bill?”
Rabuka announced on Monday that the question to be put to the people had not yet been decided, but said it would only require a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote, even though the exact wording has not yet been determined.
He also told reporters that there was no Plan B if his bid fails during the bill’s third reading next month.
“We can’t have a contingency plan,” he said in response to a question from a local reporter.
Rabuka said that he would write to the Electoral Commission to suspend all election-related campaigning.
More than 723,000 eligible Fijian voters still have not been told the date for the country’s general election, but Rabuka has maintained that the timeline remains unchanged and the polls will go ahead by 6 February 2027 – the maximum deadline under the current constitution.
Since independence, Fiji has had four coups and four constitutions. Critics of the 2013 Constitution, including the Rabuka-led coalition, argue that it was imposed on the people by the previous Bainimarama administration.
The coalition has made it a priority to replace the document and roll back many of its defining features.
The constitutional debate takes place as the country grapples with several social and economic issues, including deteriorating health infrastructure, declining education standards, rising unemployment and poverty. The critics of the coalition say the government should focus on fixing the bread-and-butter issues first.
“Why should political parties be prevented from speaking to voters about the cost of living, health services, education, employment, infrastructure, governance and the many other issues upon which the government must be held accountable simply because the government has decided to pursue a referendum?” Seruiratu said.
“Announcing the referendum date beforehand creates the unfortunate impression that the timetable has already been determined irrespective of what the public or ultimately parliament may decide.”
However, Justice Minister Siromi Turaga said the government was going to systematically inform the Fijian people about the bill.
“Government machinery will be activated to ensure every Fijian [has] a good understanding for what they’re going to cast their [referendum] vote on,” Turaga, who is also the acting Attorney-General, said.
Fiji’s Electoral Commission said in a statement that it would – alongside the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) – proceed with the preparations for the national referendum, while continuing preparations for the general election.
“The Electoral Commission understands that announcements from government will naturally lead to questions from voters, particularly about what happens next. The Electoral Commission and the FEO will therefore continue to provide information as arrangements are confirmed,” the statement read.
