National Federation Party (NFP) leader Professor Biman Prasad has announced that the party will no longer participate in the Special Parliamentary Committee overseeing the Constitution Amendment Bill 2026.
Speaking at a press conference today, Professor Prasad said he would also not sign the committee’s report, which is expected to be presented to Parliament next week.
He said the party had exhausted all avenues to convince Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and the committee to extend the consultation timeline beyond the next general election.
Professor Prasad criticised the process, describing it as rushed and inadequate, and questioned the value of consultations where there was no meaningful interaction between committee members and members of the public making submissions.
He said the failure to explain the provisions of the Bill in iTaukei and Hindi had further undermined public understanding and participation.
“Consultations become meaningless and worse than a cosmetic exercise,” he said.
Professor Prasad also raised concerns that the committee had not collectively examined the Bill clause by clause, leaving fundamental questions unresolved.
He said the exclusion of Opposition parties from the process, particularly from the Constitution Review Commission, had undermined efforts to build national consensus on constitutional reform.
He said the 19-day timeline, from October 12 to 31, was insufficient for a process involving the country’s supreme law.
The timeline included three days of committee deliberations, 13 days of public consultations and only two days to finalise the committee’s report.
Professor Prasad said it was inconceivable that anyone with a basic understanding of the lawmaking process, particularly one involving a constitution, would accept such a fast-tracked approach.
“I have said this before, and I say this again: we cannot condemn the imposition of the 2013 Constitution while, at the same time, accepting an inadequate process of replacing it,” he said.
He warned that replacing one imposed constitution with another that was perceived to have been imposed would make the process hypocritical.
Professor Prasad said there was no compelling reason to complete constitutional reform before the next general election, arguing that the process could continue afterwards through proper parliamentary scrutiny and an informed public decision in a referendum.
He reiterated that the NFP remained committed to constitutional reform and constructive engagement with its coalition partners.
“Constitutional legitimacy cannot be sacrificed for political expediency. There should be no shortcuts or fast-tracking of a constitutional process, which is what this whole process has now become,” he said.
“Fiji deserves a constitution made with its people, and not hurried past them.”
