Kelvin
Anthony RNZ Pacific digital/social lead
Fijian
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is downplaying tensions
within his coalition over his unilateral
decision to announce the date for the country’s
first-ever national referendum ahead of an upcoming
election.
Local media are reporting that Rabuka
maintains that his announcement on Monday for a referendum
vote on changing Fiji’s 2013 Constitution does not break any
laws, despite the move being called out by the opposition as
“putting
the cart before the horse”.
Other
critics are calling Rabuka’s move unconstitutional
because under the current constitution, the prime minister
cannot call for or set a date for a referendum.
The Fijian
government had earlier stated that a new constitution
would come into effect on Christmas Eve.
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On Monday,
Rabuka told reporters at a news conference that the
referendum on the constitutional reform would be held on 9
December – two days after the government’s Constitutional
(Amendment) Bill passed its second reading.
He also
announced that he would write to the Electoral Commission of
Fiji (EC) to cease all election-related campaigning, which
has a hard deadline of 6 February.
The Commission has
said it would seriously consider Rabuka’s request before
making a decision.
However, Rabuka’s Deputy Prime
Minister Manoa Kamikamica said the “timetable for the
delivery of the referendum was amicably discussed” with the
Electoral Commission and the Fijian Elections
Office.
“The need to announce the referendum dates was
advised by EC Chair and [Supervisor of Elections]. The
[prime minister] did not force anything on EC or the SOE,”
he said in a comment defending Rabuka in response to a
Facebook post on the issue.
Kamikamica’s comments
differ from what Rabuka and the EC have stated publicly –
that the Commission would make its decision
independently.
The two minor partners that enabled
Rabuka to form government after the 2022 general election
have expressed objections about rushing the constitutional
reform process.
National Federation Party leader Biman
Prasad has called on the prime minister to reconsider his
decision, while Social Democratic Liberal Party leader Aseri
Radrodro wants Rabuka to “respect constitutional
boundaries”.
Fiji’s leading civil society
organisations have warned that the EC cannot lawfully
suspend general election campaigning at this
stage.
However, Rabuka is not backing down from his
position, according to local media reports.
“The Prime
Minister maintains that the coalition government’s objective
remains the implementation of the necessary constitutional
changes but says this must be done within the confines of
the law,” state broadcaster FBC
reported.
Meanwhile, fijivillage.com reported:
“Rabuka says while the government can make recommendations
to the Electoral Commission, the ultimate decision rests
with them, and the Government will fully respect their
independence.”
The Fiji Labour Party, which is not in
parliament, is calling
the situation a constitutional crisis.
In a
statement, it said that Rabuka has “unlawfully and
unconstitutionally” declared a national referendum date even
before the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill is passed by
parliament.
“The Bill itself faces serious controversy
over the manner in which it was railroaded through
Parliament without adequate scrutiny or debate,” the
statement
read.
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