Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu has raised serious concerns about the legal advice being provided to the Prime Minister, following a directive he says attempts to place the Fiji National University (FNU) Council under a new ministry, contrary to existing law.
In a statement, Mr Seruiratu said the move appeared to conflict with the Fiji National University Act, which clearly sets out ministerial responsibility for the university.
“The first and most obvious question that must be asked is this: what sort of legal advice is the Prime Minister receiving when he is being encouraged to act in a manner that plainly contradicts an Act of Parliament?” Mr Seruiratu said.
He said any competent legal adviser would understand that statutory responsibilities cannot be reassigned through verbal instruction, policy directives or Cabinet announcements.
“Parliament, not the Prime Minister, determines the law,” he said.
Mr Seruiratu acknowledged that while the Prime Minister has the authority to allocate ministerial portfolios, he does not have the power to override or suspend legislation.
“Until the Fiji National University Act is amended, or the Prime Minister is formally gazetted as the Minister responsible for Education, the Minister for Education remains the only lawful Minister responsible for the University,” he said.
The Opposition Leader said the issue was part of a broader pattern of governance failures.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Mr Seruiratu said.
“We have seen blunder after blunder, each one exposing the Government to legal risk, institutional instability and public embarrassment.”
He described the situation as deeply troubling, suggesting it reflected either a disregard for the law or a lack of understanding of it.
“At this point, it is becoming increasingly difficult to describe this administration as a coalition government,” he said.
“What we are witnessing instead is a Chaos Government.”
Mr Seruiratu has called for those responsible for providing what he described as poor legal advice to be removed.
“The country cannot afford governance by guesswork,” he said. “The Prime Minister must engage legal advisers who respect the Constitution, Acts of Parliament and the rule of law.”
He said Fiji deserved better and that government decisions must be grounded in law, not improvised at the expense of public institutions.
