Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has called the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill 2025 a “great loss” for his government, saying it denied Fijians the chance to shape their supreme law.
Speaking in A Conversation with the Prime Minister, Mr Rabuka said he would have supported a joint select committee to refine and present the Bill in the third reading.
“Yes, that would have come in the Third Reading of the Bill,” he said.
He added the Bill’s failure demonstrated the Coalition and Group of Eleven’s commitment to seeking Parliament’s mandate for constitutional change.
“It showed Fiji that we were serious about giving the people the opportunity to change their Constitution,” Mr Rabuka said.
“Yes, that would have come in the Third Reading of the Bill,” he said.
When asked whether he considered the Bill’s failure a political loss for his government, Mr Rabuka said it demonstrated the Coalition and the Group of Eleven’s commitment to seeking Parliament’s mandate to change the 2013 Constitution.
“It was a great loss, because it showed Fiji that the Coalition and the Group of Eleven were serious about seeking the Parliament’s mandate to change the Constitution of 2013, are serious in our attempt at giving the people of Fiji the opportunity to change their Constitution, which did not get their mandate to be promulgated to their supreme law of governance.”
Despite the setback, Mr Rabuka dismissed suggestions that the outcome amounted to a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
“It was only the vote of those who opposed the Bill,” he said.
“A majority of the Members of the House showed they have confidence in me as their Prime Minister.”
Reflecting on the moment he realised the Bill would not pass, Mr Rabuka said his focus was already on the next steps.
“I was already two steps ahead – what next, and what after that!”
Asked whether his government should have invested more time and effort in engaging with the Opposition to build consensus, Mr Rabuka maintained that efforts had been made.
“We did, and I was duped into believing Hon Seruiratu and Hon Usamate were serious when they asked for ‘bipartisanship’ in dealing with important matters in the House.”
