The Constitution Review Commission’s recommendation to limit Fiji’s Cabinet to 15 members has not been included in the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, with the proposed Constitution instead leaving the size of Cabinet to the Prime Minister.
Under section 110 of the Bill, Cabinet would consist of the Prime Minister as chairperson and “such number of Ministers as determined by the Prime Minister.”
No maximum number of Cabinet Ministers is specified.
This differs from the CRC report tabled in Parliament last week, which recommended a 15-member Cabinet comprising the Prime Minister and no more than 14 other Ministers.
The Commission said it considered public concerns about the cost of government while developing its proposed structure. Its model sought to balance those concerns with greater local representation through constituency seats rather than a larger Cabinet.
The Bill nevertheless retains parliamentary accountability requirements for Ministers.
It states that Cabinet members would be individually and collectively accountable to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and functions.
Ministers would also be required to appear before Parliament or its committees when called and answer questions relating to their portfolios.
Cabinet members must provide Parliament with “full and regular reports” on matters for which they are responsible.
The omission of the 15-member ceiling is another significant departure from the CRC model. The Commission had also recommended a two-term limit for the Prime Minister, while the Bill provisions tabled this afternoon do not prescribe a term limit for the office.
