BLUEPRINT FOR A BETTER
FIJI
THE
2013 CONSTITUTION IS UNVEILED
The final version of the 2013
Constitution that will underpin the first genuine democracy in
Fijian history has been released to the public.
His Excellency the
President will give his assent to the document on
September 6th. It will be the supreme law of the country and pave the way for elections by
September 30th 2014 conducted, for the first time, on the basis of equal votes of equal value. It is in line with the constitutions of some of the world's most liberal democracies and provides a framework for the development of a modern, progressive state.
As previously flagged by the
Prime Minister,
Voreqe Bainimarama, the final version differs from the
Draft Constitution by containing specific provisions that guarantee and strengthen the protection of communally-owned i'Taukei, Rotuman and
Banaban lands. During the consultation process that followed the release of the Draft in March, a large number of submissions were received calling for explicit protection clauses. These have been accepted and incorporated into the final document. They provide greater protection and security for I'Taukei, Rotuman and Banaban land than ever before.
In addition, for the first time, an extra provision gives any landowner the right to a fair share of royalties derived from the exploitation of resources beneath the surface.
The 98-page constitutional document in
English has also, for the first time, been translated into the two main vernacular languages - i'Taukei and contemporary Hindi
. In the 15 days before His Excellency the President gives his assent on September 6th, members of the public are invited to read the vernacular versions and provide feedback on their accuracy. Some of the legal terms and phraseology in the
English language do not have equivalent words in the vernacular and therefore may be open to interpretation.
The Constitution provides for a single chamber 50-member
Parliament -- up from 45 in the Draft document- which will be the country's supreme authority and be elected on the basis of one person, one vote, one value.
Elections are to be held every four years and every Fijian over the age of 18 is entitled to vote.
In another alteration to the
Draft document, individual regional constituencies are abolished. There will be one national constituency covering the whole of
Fiji, as in
The Netherlands and
Israel. And every voter will get one vote, choosing the candidate who they believe best serves their interests under a proportional representation system.
A Prime Minister who commands the party with the most seats in Parliament will head the elected
Government and, in line with current practice, a President will be the
Head of State and perform the ceremonial
function of
Commander in Chief of the
Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
The release of the Constitution follows a community consultation process during which the
Attorney General,
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, and his team conducted 19 public meetings in urban, rural and maritime areas throughout Fiji, including
Vanua Levu,
Taveuni,
Kadavu, the Mamanucas and the Yasawas.
Submissions were also sought and 1,093 written submissions were received.
The Government urges all
Fijians to read the full Constitution document, which is available from the following sources:
· In hard copy from the
Office of the Solicitor General,
Level 7, Suvavou
House,
Victoria Parade,
Suva.
·
On the Internet at
http://www.fiji.gov.fj/Govt--Publications/Constitution
.aspx
· In Friday's Fiji Sun.
- published: 22 Aug 2013
- views: 354