[Photo: Supplied]
Navua resident and politician Bimal Chaudhry is calling for the reinstatement of the multi-party Cabinet system provided for under Fiji’s 1997 Constitution.
He states that it should be included in the proposed constitutional amendments.
Making his submission during public consultations on the constitutional review in Navua, Chaudhry said the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill did not include provisions for a multi-party Cabinet.
He proposed restoring the arrangement based on the 1997 Constitution, with its implementation guided by the principles of the January 1999 declaration referred to in his submission.
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Chaudhry also called for major changes to the 2013 Constitution, which he described as a transitional document that had failed to adequately address the interests and aspirations of the people.
He said the current review provides an opportunity to restore elements of Fiji’s previous constitutional framework and strengthen the country’s political and legal institutions.
Chaudhry stressed that constitutional changes should reflect the will of the people and help the country move beyond past political divisions.
He urged the committee to consider his proposal as part of efforts to establish a constitutional framework that supports inclusive governance.