Kelera Ditaiki 
[Photo: CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW COMMISSION/ FACEBOOK]
The Constitutional Review Commission has been told that politicians should be held accountable if they wrongly use or misinterpret the Constitution during election campaigns.
University of the South Pacific Lecturer Rajen Prasad says misleading statements about the Constitution can confuse voters and influence how people make decisions at the polls.
Politicians should give correct information about the Constitution and not use it for political mileage.
“Politicians and ministers should be taken to task when they use the Constitution wrongly during their campaigning period. Time and again, I have seen and heard them say, ‘This is in the Constitution,’ when it is not.”
Prasad says leaders should fully understand the Constitution before making public statements or proposing changes to it.
Lawyer Barbara Malimali supported the idea of clearer constitutional wording and stronger protection of rights to prevent abuse.
The Constitutional Review Commission has been urged to ensure the Constitution is written clearly so it cannot be misused or misunderstood.
