[Photo: File]
People’s Alliance Party General Secretary Sila Balawa has questioned SODELPA’s decision not to support the third reading of the Constitution Amendment Bill 2026 in its current form.
Balawa says SODELPA must explain why it is withholding support for the proposed amendments after campaigning against the 2013 Constitution during the 2014, 2018 and 2022 General Elections.
He says constitutional reform was also part of the Coalition Government’s agreement following the 2022 election.
Balawa argues that the Coalition Government could not amend the Constitution during its first two years because it lacked the required parliamentary numbers.
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He says the Coalition initially held 29 of the 55 parliamentary seats, well below the 42 votes required under the original three-quarters majority threshold.
According to Balawa, the political landscape changed following the deregistration of FijiFirst in 2024 and the subsequent decision by 11 former FijiFirst MPs to support the Government.
He adds that the Supreme Court’s August 2025 ruling, which clarified the parliamentary threshold for constitutional amendments, created a legal pathway for reform.
Balawa says the Government now has a potential 35 votes through People’s Alliance, the National Federation Party and the 11 Independent MPs, without relying on SODELPA’s three members.
However, he acknowledges that SODELPA has the right to scrutinise the proposed legislation.
Balawa maintains that the party also has a responsibility to explain its position to supporters who backed its earlier calls for constitutional change.
He says the issue is whether SODELPA continues to stand by the commitments it made to voters during previous elections.