[Photo: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/FACEBOOK PAGE]
A youth representative is calling for a six-month extension to consultations on the Constitution Amendment Bill.
He warned that the current one-month period could exclude young people and marginalised communities from the process.
Tamani Rarama made the call during a consultation in Nadi, saying communities need more time to understand the proposed changes and prepare informed submissions.
Rarama says geographical barriers, limited constitutional awareness and financial constraints could prevent many Fijians from participating meaningfully within the current timeframe.
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He adds that the consultation process must reach young people, women, girls, gender-diverse people and persons with disabilities, including those living in informal settlements, rural communities and remote maritime islands.
He is also calling for a clear, publicly available consultation plan, with nationwide community meetings and information provided in relevant languages and accessible formats.
Rarama says the public must also be informed about how submissions will be assessed and considered in the next stages of constitutional reform.
He has urged political leaders to listen to young people and allow enough time for communities to understand the proposed amendments before making submissions.