[Photo: Supplied]

Unity Fiji is calling for wider public consultation on the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill No. 32 of 2026, warning that major changes are being rushed without enough public understanding.

Making its submission to the Special Committee, party representative Naomi Raikaci says the proposed changes go beyond a simple amendment and would effectively create a new Constitution that will shape governance for generations.

Raikaci adds that the party is not against constitutional reform, but is concerned about the process and limited time given to ordinary Fijians to understand the proposals.

She says that consultations by the Constitutional Review Commission and the Special Committee have reached less than two percent of the population, which is insufficient for changes of this scale.

“The government has changed some of the Commission’s recommendations, including on humanity. So the consultations done by the Commission, valuable as they were, cannot be a substitute for adequate consultation on this bill. The consultations done by this committee is also not sufficient.”

Raikaci says people must be able to understand the proposed Constitution in their own languages, with discussions taken directly to villages and settlements.

She adds that because the Bill differs from some CRC recommendations, previous consultations cannot replace public discussions on the current proposals.

While Unity Fiji acknowledges merit in a simplified preamble, an elected Senate, and transferring mineral ownership to resource owners, Raikaci says the party has concerns about the proposed immunity provisions.

She is proposing a two-tier referendum as a practical way forward, saying Fijians need enough time and information to make informed decisions about their Constitution.