[Photo: FILE]

The government insists Fiji can complete the proposed Constitution amendment and national referendum before the next general election.

It acknowledges the timelines are tight but maintains the process is achievable.

Lands and Mineral Resources Minister Filimoni Vosarogo says the process remains achievable, with the Government determined to complete the constitutional changes during its current parliamentary term.

Vosarogo, who is also a member of the Special Parliamentary Committee reviewing the Constitution Amendment Bill 2026, defended the government’s approach to the proposed constitutional changes.

“I think it gets a little convoluted by the fact that we’re also rushing towards a referendum to be held and that also has a date been announced but when you look at the strict timeframes of what is required under a referendum to pass the Constitution before end of term and we’re still looking at the legalities of probably having that outside of the 24th, even that is possible.”

Appearing on FBC’s Your Voice: Countdown to the Polls, Vosarogo said the February 6, 2027 election date announced by the Prime Minister was the final deadline permitted under the law, with preparations already underway.

He said the Fijian Elections Office had begun operational preparations, with funding also allocated for the election.

However, Vosarogo acknowledged that holding a referendum on December 9 while completing the constitutional amendment process before the election would place significant pressure on the available time.

He said the government was still examining the legal requirements surrounding the referendum and whether the process could extend beyond the proposed date, while remaining within the applicable legal framework.

The Minister said the government had not spent the past four years idle, pointing to previous attempts to amend the Constitution through Parliament and subsequent proceedings before the Supreme Court.

He said the earlier parliamentary attempt was unsuccessful, prompting the Government to seek the Supreme Court’s guidance on how the Constitution could be amended.

According to Vosarogo, the court’s interpretation of the requirements opened the way for the current process.

He argued that completing the amendment during the current parliamentary term would allow the government to move forward with its wider agenda rather than carry the issue into the next term.

Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu, who is also a member of the Special Parliamentary Committee reviewing the Constitution Amendment Bill 2026, said the Opposition had no objection to holding the general election within the timeframe required by the existing Constitution.

“We are familiar with what we want to achieve at the end of all this but it’s just how we get there, and ensuring that we come up with a document that is acceptable to everyone. Although it may not be able to please every certain members of our community, but that’s normal in constitutions.”

Seruiratu stressed that the election must be conducted under the 2013 Constitution, which remains the law while the proposed amendments are being considered.

He said the Opposition’s role was to scrutinise the government’s decisions and ensure the constitutional process remained within the law.

While acknowledging the work already undertaken, Seruiratu said the central issue was how the process was being carried out and whether the resulting document would be acceptable to the wider population.

He said constitutional changes would not necessarily satisfy every member of the community, but the process must take into account the rights, interests and concerns of iTaukei, Rotumans and other communities.