[Photo: NIKHIL AIYUSH KUMAR]

Professor Steven Ratuva has proposed a 15-point framework to help guide the drafting of Fiji’s next Constitution, saying the Constitutional Review Commission should assess every aspect of the document through multiple lenses to ensure it meets the country’s long-term needs.

Making submissions before the Constitutional Review Commission, Ratuva says, constitution-making requires looking beyond immediate political interests and considering broader national priorities.

Ratuva states the Commission should evaluate its draft Constitution through 15 key lenses, beginning with governance, which he described as one of Fiji’s most pressing challenges.

“The governance lens is very, very significant here, especially looking at the problems in Fiji at the moment. There are a lot of issues in relation to governance.”

He adds that a strong constitutional framework should provide effective checks and balances between the different arms of the State while ensuring stability through institutions such as Parliament, the judiciary and the civil service.

Another major focus was on security, with Ratuva arguing that Fiji’s history of political instability since the 1987 coups continued to have lasting effects.

He notes that the psychological, institutional and political impacts of successive coups continued to affect the country.

He also identified ethics and integrity, social justice, well-being, equality and equity, diversity and inclusion, identity, human rights, prosperity, national unity, conflict resolution, sustainability, intergenerational planning, and accountability and responsibility as essential considerations for constitutional reform.

According to Ratuva, constitutions should not only establish institutions and legal processes but also encourage responsible behaviour by public officials.

“The constitution should not only be looking at institutions and processes, but also behaviour”

He says constitutional provisions should help ensure politicians remain accountable while protecting vulnerable groups from exploitation and discrimination.

Ratuva also argued that newer constitutions around the world increasingly include provisions on sustainable development, climate resilience and conflict resolution, areas he believes Fiji should consider incorporating into its next Constitution.

He encouraged the Commission to use the proposed framework as a final test once a draft Constitution is completed.

Ratuva also urged commissioners to weigh public submissions against the broader national interest.