Parliament passes De Facto Relationship Bill
Ade facto relationship Bill was passed by Parliament last night. MPs sat late to pass the Succession Probate and MPs Administration Amendment Bill 2018.
27 MPs voted in favour, nine disagreed and 14 did not vote. Attorney-General Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum said the Bill was not new as there were already laws that existed in the Family Law Act that recognised de facto relationships. He said already there was a provision in Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) that recongnised de-facto relationships.
He said the amendment Bill was the only law that had to do with marriage and was only applicable in instances where there was no will.
“Not everybody writes a will, sometimes people forget,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
He said it was only in these instances (no will) that the Succession Probate and Administration Act would be applicable. SODELPA MPs were allowed by their party to vote with their conscience.
MP Semesa Karavaki said the Bill contained serious moral issues and hoped that it would have been referred to the Standing Committee to look at. Religious communities could go before the committee and make their presentation. “Unfortunately it was referred this way, I would understand if the government is looking at it as just simply giving the right to de-facto relationships.
“But looking at it its more than that, it is not just giving the rights, we don’t worship rights we worship the God that gives us the rights, that bestows the rights on us.”
He said if the Bill was passed, adultery relationship would be promoted.
SODELPA MP Mere Samisoni said while she supported the Bill, she felt that the Bill should have gone through further process with more decision-making. Ms Samisoni said it was important to have religious bodies give their views because people needed to own the Bill. “I support it. We have to be realistic today and the realism is that it’s a Bill under the Family Bill and it evolves and supported under the FNPF. “While I am strong Christian and believe in the institution of marriage, I still believe we have to be realistic.”