Fiji's new constitution will be ready by February next year after consultations with the new Constitution Commission and Constituent Assembly.
Clear timelines for the formulation of Fiji's new constitution have been announced by Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama in the last hour.
Commodore Bainimarama has announced that the process will start from May this year when a civic education programme will commence for the people of the country to start discussing what the important issues that need to be discussed are.
He stressed that the involvement of all Fijians is necessary in this process.
Commodore Bainimarama said that the government wants true consultations and wants to hear from ordinary Fijians, not just the elite or the well connected.
He said in order to facilitate the civic education programme, from now until April, the government will collate and print material highlighting issues for all Fijians to think about before they make their voices heard in the consultation process.
These will be distributed in the urban, rural and maritime areas.
These materials will include the People's Charter and a list of issues that need to be considered for the constitution making process.
The next phase will start in July this year when constitution consultations will commence around Fiji.
The Prime Minister has announced that international constitutional expert, Professor Yash Ghai will be the Chairperson of the Constitutional Commission.
Fiji's first female Deputy Prime Minister, Taufa Vakatale and former MP and academic writer, Satendra Nandan are members of the commission.
The names of a local and an international expert will be announced in due course to make up the five member commission.
From October to the end of December this year, the commission will collate the public submissions.
Based on the guiding principles, the commission will draft a constitution.
The draft constitution will be submitted to a Constituent Assembly in January next year.
It is expected that the Constituent Assembly will debate the draft constitution and make amendments if and where necessary.
Commodore Bainimarama said their objective is to hear all Fijian voices.
He confirmed that Fiji's new constitution should be assented by the President by February next year.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
