[Photo: Supplied]

Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica has denied that the government is delaying consultations on proposed amendments to the 2013 Constitution to gain political mileage ahead of the next election.

Kamikamica says the timing reflects the government’s earlier lack of parliamentary numbers to advance the amendments, rather than an attempt to win public support before the election.

Speaking during a talanoa session in Dreketi, he explained that the consultation process is a legal requirement that gives Fijians an opportunity to have their say on the proposed changes.

He recalls that the government initially had only 29 members in Parliament, with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka securing the position by a single vote.

“Remember, when Parliament first sat, there were 29 of us, and the Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka was appointed Prime Minister by just one vote for us to form the government. That’s
how challenging and tough it was. Then, after two years in government, the FijiFirst party was dissolved. It was only when some of its members decided to join the government
side that we gained more numbers to vote on the constitutional amendment.”

Kamikamica states that the government first raised the matter in Parliament before seeking the Supreme Court’s opinion on the legal challenges involved in amending the Constitution.

He says the court’s advice highlighted the difficulties of changing the 2013 Constitution, prompting the Government to pursue a review process, including establishing a Constitution Review Committee and conducting public consultations.

Kamikamica maintains that the process is intended to allow the proposed amendments to progress now that the Government has sufficient parliamentary support.

He argues that the review must also address provisions removed under the 2013 Constitution, which he says affected the representation of the country’s diverse leadership, ethnic communities and religious groups.

The Deputy Prime Minister adds that the proposed changes must consider the needs of all Fijians.