The identities of those who drafted Fiji’s 2013 Constitution must be made public to help people understand the reasoning behind its provisions, says Human Rights Commissioner Alefina Vuki.
She said transparency over the authorship of the Constitution was important as the Government considers proposed amendments, arguing that the public had a right to know who developed the document and what professional experience they brought to the process.
“One of the mysteries of the 2013 Constitution till today is that no one really knows who authored it,” she said as she called on Government to return to the recommendations of the Constitution Review Commission, saying the Government’s draft had departed from those recommendations.
She said the public needed to understand how the Government’s proposed amendments differed from the review committee’s draft as part of a transparent and accountable constitutional process. Ms Vuki said knowing who drafted the Constitution could help the public understand why certain provisions were included and assess the background and expertise behind the document.
She questioned whether the Government had engaged a foreign expert or a group of local professionals to prepare the draft, saying their identities and professional backgrounds should be disclosed.
“We need to know their professional background, their experience. So that we can understand, oh this is probably why this was written in this way.”
Ms Vuki said a person’s background inevitably influenced how they viewed issues and approached their work, making disclosure important in a constitutional review process.
She said the public should not be left without answers about the authorship of a document that governs the country.
