Lawmakers in Fiji are set to debate and vote on a government bill on Friday to amend the country’s constitution, after a marathon parliamentary sitting that stretched late into Thursday night (NZ time).
Fiji’s government tabled its 150-page [https://www.parliament.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Bill-No.-32-Constitution-Amendment-Bill-2026.pdf Constitution (Amendment) Bill for the first time on Wednesday evening.
MPs were given less than 48 hours to read it ahead of the debate, which is scheduled for later this evening.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s coalition wants to replace the 2013 Constitution and needs the bill to be passed in parliament on its second and third readings to put it to a referendum.
Rabuka needs a two-thirds majority – 36 out of 53 MPs currently in parliament – vote in favour for the bill to progress to the next stage.
Rabuka told local reporters in a news briefing on Thursday that he was confident he had the numbers.
He said if the bill fails to pass, the country will go to the polls – though a date is yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Democracy & Dialogue (CDD), an independent civil society organisation, described the text of the Fijian government’s draft constitution in the bill as “a significant downgrade” from the draft constitution proposed by a Constitution Review Commission released last month.
The Commission’s recommendations included repealing coup immunity provisions of the 2013 Constitution, giving the Great Council of Chiefs constitutional recognition, replacing the electoral and parliamentary system, and reducing the military’s role in national politics.
“Some of the most laudable elements of the [Constitution Review Commission] Draft Constitution, which would have provided significant democratic and accountability safeguards, have all been removed,” CDD chief executive Nilesh Lal said.
“These include the limit on the Prime Minister’s tenure, the limit on Cabinet size, greater independence in constitutional appointments, restraints on executive power, constitutional regulation of political parties and political finance, stronger guarantees for women’s representation, constitutional recognition of local government, independent implementation oversight and important institutional accountability mechanisms.”
