Fijians are being urged to have their say on a proposed law that could shape how the nation’s constitution is amended, as Parliament opens a week of high-stakes public consultations.
The Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights and Assistant Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure, announced today that stakeholders and the public are invited to provide feedback from Monday, January 19, on the National Referendum Bill 2025 (Bill No. 46), a piece of legislation that has already sparked national debate.
The bill aims to establish a statutory framework for national referenda, a mechanism that has been absent since the 2013 Constitution was enacted. Justice Usaia Ratuvili, Chairperson of the Fiji Electoral Commission, told a parliamentary committee last year that any attempt to amend the Constitution remains “incomplete” and merely “academic” without a dedicated Referendum Act. A Supreme Court ruling in August 2025 confirmed that constitutional amendments require both a two-thirds majority in Parliament and a majority of votes in a referendum.
Under the proposed bill, a referendum could be triggered if a constitutional amendment passes Parliament or a resolution declares a matter of “sufficient national importance.”
Civil society groups have criticised the bill. Dialogue Fiji called it an “unprecedented assault on democratic freedoms,” warning it effectively criminalises public discussion on issues voters would be asked to decide. Executive Director Nilesh Lal said the law’s restrictive clauses could result in a “total shutdown of public debate.”
The government maintains the bill is designed to ensure orderly voting. If passed, the Supervisor of Elections would manage referenda using procedures from the Electoral Act 2014, with polling day declared a national public holiday.
The consultations run until Friday, January 23, with the first two days dedicated to the referendum bill. Later in the week, the committee will consider other major reforms:
• Wednesday and Thursday: Education Bill
• Friday, 23 January: Criminal Records Bill
Submissions will be accepted daily from 9am to 4pm at Parliament’s BCR 2 room.
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