Government will continue its legislative reform agenda despite its current work to seek the Supreme Court’s ruling on clauses relating to the amendment of the 2013 Constitution.
“The Cabinet reference to the Supreme Court will not affect Government’s legislative agenda or governance reforms,” Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told The Fiji Times.
“They will continue as usual.
“In fact, at the next sitting of Parliament, the Code of Conduct Bill, the Access to Information Bill and the Accountability and Transparency Bill will be read a second time.”
He said the Coalition Government remained focused on delivering overdue reforms.
“Government is fully committed to governance reforms that are actually required by the Constitution.”
The Government has initiated legal steps under Section 90(5) of the Constitution, seeking clarity from the Supreme Court on whether sections 159 and 160 — known as the ‘super majority’ clauses — are themselves unconstitutional.
These sections require three-quarters of all MPs and three-quarters of all registered voters to agree before any constitutional changes can be made.
Legal experts are working with State lawyers to finalise the questions that will be presented to the Supreme Court.
Mr Rabuka said the legal process would run parallel to the Government’s reform program.
“We are finally implementing what should have been done by the previous government.”
