A new Constituency Boundaries Commission would determine the boundaries of Fiji’s constituency seats under the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026.
The Commission would play a central role in implementing the proposed return to constituency-based voting, with the Bill separately proposing 33 constituency seats, including five maritime constituencies.
Under section 94, the Commission would include a chairperson appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister and one member appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition, both after consultation with the Electoral Commission.
Four senior officials would serve as ex-officio members — the permanent secretaries responsible for lands, iTaukei affairs and multi-ethnic affairs, and the chief executive of the authority responsible for statistics.
The Commission could also co-opt up to three technical experts as non-voting members.
When drawing boundaries, the Commission would be required to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that constituencies have approximately equal numbers of voters.
It would also have to consider physical geography, existing administrative and recognised traditional boundaries, transport and communication links, and relevant “communities of interest.”
The requirements would not apply in the same way to the five proposed maritime constituencies.
Importantly, the Commission would be required to review constituency boundaries in the year following each official census and could conduct reviews at other times.
Proposed laws could also require public notice of boundary changes and provide opportunities for objections.
Once a redistribution is completed, the Commission would have to report its findings, objections received and reasons to the House of Representatives.
The Bill states that a determination of the Commission would be final.
