Re: Analysis on 2013 Constitution

Jone Dakuvula, Suva

I refer to Nemani Delaibatiki’s article about the 2013 Constitution (FS 31/3/2021).

It is not the only one that embraces universal values of equality, equal rights common national identity etc.

The 1970 Independence Constitution and the 1997 Constitution were also based on these values.

Those two were constitutions that came out of negotiations between our political leaders and were passed in Parliament before there were elections under them.

The 2013 Constitution was imposed after the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution and has never been enacted by Parliament.

Under the provisions of the decreed constitution, it is virtually impossible to change it democratically and peacefully.

The fact that FijiFirst Party had won two elections, does not mean the voters support the Constitution.

In the 1991 Elections, the Labour and NFP contested under a decreed constitution and electoral system they did not agree with, on the promise that they were going to the Parliament to change it.

They did succeed in that and we had the 1997 Constitution. What is different about the present Opposition parties in Parliament is they have not gone into Parliament on the promise to change the 2013 Constitution.

However, your question to the Opposition on how they propose to overcome their predicament is a fair one.

That is reason the Fiji Sun and other media should attend the Opposition parties’ meeting with the Electoral Commission and Supervisor of Elections in June this year so you can observe and report on the Opposition views for changes to the Electoral System. The Opposition parties unheeded objections to the Electoral System unfortunately have not been fully reported in the news media since 2014.