GOVERNMENT yesterday faced a critical test after the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) management board confirmed it will not support the third reading of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill in its current form.
The party’s position raises questions about the Coalition Government’s unity and its ability to secure the numbers needed to pass the proposed constitutional amendments.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka warned that failure to secure the required majority could see the Bill fail, the referendum shelved and the Coalition dismantled, with the general election proceeding as planned.
Mr Rabuka made the comments in an interview in Savusavu yesterday.
“It could mean the failure of the Bill, and everything stops but the election goes ahead,” he said.
“So, there will be no referendum if we don’t have the majority and we just dismantle the Coalition.
“Each political party will have to run on its own. There is no pre-election coalition.”
SODELPA confirmed its position following discussions at its Special Annual General Meeting at Gospel Primary School Hall in Suva yesterday.
A motion opposing the third reading of Bill 32 was moved at the meeting, with 221 of the 296 members in attendance voting in support.
Meanwhile, the National Federation Party’s 18 proposed constitutional principles present another challenge for the Government as it seeks support for the Bill.
With SODELPA withholding its support and the NFP seeking changes, the Government faces the task of reconciling the positions of its Coalition partners before the Bill proceeds to its final reading.
