Kamna Kumar 
Fiji Law Reform Commission Director Raijeli Tuivaga
Head of USP Journalism School, Dr. Shailendra Singh, has questioned the future of the ongoing electoral law reform review if changes are made to the 2013 Constitution.
With the review report deadline set for June 30, Dr. Singh raised concerns about whether the process is moving too quickly, especially as the review is being carried out under the current Constitution.
Dr. Singh referred to an expert’s comment warning there may not be enough time to amend the Constitution or carry out meaningful reforms before the deadline.
“If you take more time making these changes maybe we can come up with something better because there’s more time to consult and also implement and all that.”
He says while reform is needed, rushing the process could result in important national issues being overlooked.
Fiji Law Reform Commission Director, Raijeli Tuivaga, says the June 30 deadline for the report was carefully decided in consultation with the Supervisor of Elections and the Fijian Elections Office.
“So 30th of June was not pulled out of the year. It was calculated within and with other people to see that it matched with their timeline, particularly the elections office. So that was the message we were told and we were working on that.”
Tuivaga says any decision to extend the deadline or change the process would need further approval, and that the Commission’s current responsibility is to complete and submit the report to the Attorney General.
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