A TOTAL overhaul of Fiji’s draft constitution has been recommended following claims that past constitutions have brought nothing but national instability.
The call was made by University of Fiji Vice Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem during public consultations on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill in Nadi on Saturday.
Prof Shameem urged the Parliamentary Select Committee to abandon the current draft, questioning why the country needed a supreme and entrenched document in the first place.
She argued that robust national legislation combined with international human rights law could provide sufficient stability without creating recurring political friction.
“My advice will be really go back to the drawing board and say, give us a reason for it,” she said.
She said none of Fiji’s previous constitutions, including the 1970, 1997, and 2013 documents, succeeded in satisfying all citizens equally.
Prof Shameem highlighted wide disagreement across public submissions on key provisions, including secularism, traditional leadership, and former immunity clauses. She warned that continuing to push a draft without resolving basic principles would lead to ongoing divisions.
Prof Shameem also pointed to concerns raised by key security stakeholders, noting that public statements by the military commander raised red flags based on the country’s political history.
She urged the committee to seek genuine consensus from the public on fundamental principles before attempting to draft a new national constitution.
