Apenisa Waqairadovu 
Fijians will vote on December 9 on whether the country should adopt a new Constitution or retain the 2013 Constitution.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has declared December 9, 2026, as National Referendum Day.
The referendum will be administered by the Supervisor of Elections, under the supervision of the Electoral Commission.
Rabuka has also written to the Supervisor of Elections calling for all General Election campaigning to be suspended until after the writ for the referendum is returned.
He says the President is expected to issue the referendum writ on November 9.
Following polling on December 9, the votes will be counted, with the referendum result expected to be announced on December 14.
Meanwhile, the Constitution Amendment Bill still has to clear its third reading in Parliament, where it needs the support of at least three-quarters of all MPs.
If it passes, the Bill is sent to the President, who refers it to the Electoral Commission for a referendum.
The threshold at the referendum is also high.
For the constitutional amendment to take effect, at least three-quarters of all registered voters must vote in favour of the Bill.
That means the threshold is based on the total number of registered voters, not just those who turn up to vote.
