[Photo: FILE]

Fiji Council of Social Services Executive Director Vani Catanasiga has described the decision to withhold the Constitution Review Commission’s report from the public as “completely unacceptable” and “very disrespectful” to Fijians.

Catanasiga says citizens need access to the report to properly understand the proposed constitutional changes and participate meaningfully in the referendum process.

She was responding to concerns over whether it is fair for the Government to keep the report from the public until it is tabled in Parliament.

Catanasiga says the concerns are twofold: the compressed timeline for the constitutional process and the lack of public access to information needed for citizens to prepare themselves.

“The rushed timeline, and then not giving citizens the information that they need to be able to prepare themselves to participate.”

Catanasiga says withholding the report becomes even more concerning when the public is expected to participate in a referendum.

She says citizens should not be expected to make decisions on constitutional changes without adequate time and information to understand what is being proposed.

“To be disallowed access to a critical report that will help them to participate in a referendum that’s going to be rushed, it’s so completely disrespectful.”

She says she does not understand why the leaders would propose such a process.

Her comments come as civil society groups continue to raise concerns about the pace of the constitutional review.

Catanasiga has previously stressed that the Constitution is not a document belonging only to politicians, but a document belonging to the people.

She says citizens therefore need sufficient time to scrutinise, discuss and understand any proposed changes that could shape the country’s governance and rights.

The Constitution Review Commission report will be tabled in Parliament tomorrow in a special Parliament sitting.