[Photo Source: Fiji Government/ Facebook]
Former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is urging Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to halt the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill, claiming it contains serious legal flaws and requires further public scrutiny.
Speaking during the public consultation in Labasa, Sayed-Khaiyum raised concerns over the limited time given to Fijians to examine the proposed changes, arguing that the Bill contains several inconsistencies and ambiguous provisions.
He claims some provisions contradict the existing Constitution, particularly those relating to when the proposed amendments would come into effect.
The former AG says the Government should reconsider proceeding with the Bill and allow more time for public consultation.
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“Prime Minister, I would please urge you, you still have the power and the capacity to stop this amendment bill. You don’t do the third reading. I think the overwhelming majority of the people are saying we need more time. It’s a very complex document. It needs a lot of cross-referencing.”
Sayed-Khaiyum also questioned provisions that would allow the President to bring the amendments into effect earlier than the proposed commencement date of March 31, 2028.
The former Attorney-General maintains there is no urgency to push through the amendments, given that the proposed commencement date is still more than a year away.
“It’s very, very wrong in many of its provisions. It goes against the constitution.bIt also does cross-referencing is wrong. I think you’ll get a lot of integrity, not just as a leader, but also in terms of the process. If this was stopped, people would be given more time. There’s no rush rate. It’s going to come into effect on the 31st of March, 2028.”
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says that they are bounded by the legal frameworks to have these consultations.
“We do not have that power. We do not have the power to extend. We only work according to the constitution, according to the law, and we have a time limitation on our participation in the legislative house of parliament in Fiji.”
The former AG has also suggested that the Government allow the next general election to take place before pursuing the constitutional changes with a renewed mandate.