Two key pieces of legislation — the Constitution Amendment Bill and the Code of Conduct Bill — will be tabled in Parliament in this first sitting of 2025.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has confirmed that amendments to specific provisions of Chapter 11 of the Constitution will be presented during this session.
“The Constitution Amendment Bill will be tabled at this sitting of Parliament,” Mr Rabuka said in an interview on The Fiji Times’ A Conversation with the Prime Minister.
Opening the 2025 session of Parliament, President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu outlined the government’s legislative agenda, policies, and programs for the year ahead, emphasising the importance of constitutional reforms.
“Government’s legislative agenda is quite ambitious but necessary to drive economic growth, enhance national security and includes the critical review of our Constitutional framework to reflect the evolving aspirations of our people,” President Ratu Naiqama stated in his address on February 24.
“This review will ensure that our supreme law aligns with the principles of inclusivity, fairness, and justice. We invite all citizens to participate in this process, for a Constitution must reflect the aspirations of its people.”
In addition to constitutional amendments, the long-overdue Code of Conduct Bill will also be introduced in this parliamentary session.
“Another major priority this year is to strengthen our integrity and accountability framework for the conduct of public office holders. The Code of Conduct law has been pending for a few decades. The new framework is central to building confidence in our public institutions, statutory bodies, and office holders,” the President said.
During the latest segment of A Conversation with the Prime Minister, Mr Rabuka reiterated the urgency of addressing the long-standing gaps in governance.
“It’s coming, at last, in this sitting of Parliament,” the Prime Minister stated when asked about measures to accelerate the long-pending reforms.
On January 21, the Government announced that a Bill amending relevant provisions of Chapter 11 of the Constitution had been finalised for tabling and that Cabinet had approved measures to initiate a review of the 2013 Constitution.
“The 2013 Constitution has been subject to wide criticism since its imposition. The criticisms relate both to the manner and process leading to its adoption, as well as aspects of its substantive content,” a Cabinet statement noted.
Commenting on Cabinet’s decision at the time, Mr Rabuka said constitutional review and reforms were a central issue in most political parties’ campaigns during the 2022 General Elections.
To facilitate a broad-based and consultative approach, the Government is expected to appoint a Constitution Review Commission to engage the people of Fiji in discussions regarding the future of the 2013 Constitution.
