Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Parliament may have to keep sitting until Christmas Eve to finish the process around the Constitution Amendment Bill. He spoke after the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution Review met at Parliament, in comments reported by Fijivillage on 11 October 2026.
Key facts
- Parliament was originally expected to hold its final sitting in the first week of November, but Rabuka says that could now be extended, according to Fijivillage.
- He says Parliament may return in the first week of November to seek additional sitting days, with further sittings possibly held in the second or third week of that month.
- The Constitution Amendment Bill has already passed its second reading and needs another vote in Parliament before it can proceed to a national referendum.
- Rabuka says Cabinet has agreed with the Special Committee on the Constitution, and that no further concerns were raised at the committee meeting about the main issues in the proposed constitutional changes.
- In September the government said a referendum was proposed for between November and mid-December 2026, with the new Constitution proposed to come into effect by 24 December 2026, RNZ Pacific reported via Scoop.
Why it matters
The Christmas Eve target is the point of contention. RNZ Pacific, republished by Scoop, reported that the Centre for Democracy and Dialogue — the civil society group formerly known as Dialogue Fiji — described the move as a grave threat to democracy and the rule of law, and warned the timeline raised serious constitutional, legal and democratic concerns.
The Centre’s chief executive, Nilesh Lal, said the proposed timeline would plunge Fiji into a period of undemocratic rule. He said Parliament’s democratic authority is time-bound, derived from the mandate voters give at a general election and expiring after a defined period — four years in the case of the current Parliament.
Lal said a constitution coming into force in late December could make it legally and administratively impossible to hold a general election within the required period following the dissolution of Parliament under Fiji’s 2013 Constitution. If reform were used to delay the next election, extend Parliament or let the executive govern beyond the life of an elected Parliament, he said, it would amount in substance to an autogolpe, or self-coup.
Where the bill now stands
Fijivillage reports that the bill has cleared its second reading, leaving a further parliamentary vote before any referendum can be called. Rabuka says Cabinet is aligned with the Special Committee on the Constitution, and that other political parties at the committee meeting did not raise fresh concerns on the main issues in the proposed changes.
The committee meeting was the first opportunity to finalise the agenda and programme for the week, Rabuka says.
Why the timetable has slipped
Rabuka says the previous parliamentary sitting allowed 30 days for the process, but that the past week was spent dealing with other matters, according to Fijivillage. That is the gap he now proposes to close by asking Parliament for extra sitting days in November.
Fijivillage published its report on 11 October 2026; the same item carries a video insert labelled 12 October 2026. Neither source gives a firm date for when the additional sitting days would be requested beyond Rabuka’s reference to the first week of November.
Coalition partners and the opposition push back
The September reporting shows the resistance Rabuka faces inside and outside his coalition. RNZ Pacific, republished by Scoop, reported that one of the minor parties in the coalition distanced itself from any attempt to rush constitutional reform. Fiji News has previously reported that the NFP and Sodelpa rejected a 9 December referendum date.
National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad, Rabuka’s former deputy prime minister, told FBC News his party would not support a rushed process. He said Fiji has had constitutional upheavals and four constitutions, and that a constitution-making process ought to be open, transparent and accountable, with broad support from the people.
Opposition leader Inia Seruiratu urged the government to slow down and explain to Fijians why a new Constitution must be in force by Christmas Eve. He said people must be given adequate opportunity to understand what is proposed, what they may gain, what they may lose and how the proposed Constitution would change the way Fiji is governed. He said Rabuka and his Cabinet were acting recklessly, adding: “I am calling on the Government to slow this process down.”
Background
The review grew out of the Constitution Review Commission, established in March 2026, which held nationwide consultations and received submissions on the 2013 Constitution before reporting. According to RNZ Pacific via Scoop, the government said the Commission’s report identifies areas for reform of that document, which Rabuka and other critics have long argued was imposed by the Bainimarama administration after the 2006 military coup.
RNZ Pacific also noted the September announcement came with an election looming and political parties already in campaign mode. The sources do not state a date for the next general election.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the draft constitution bill, and when was it handed over?
The Constitution Review Commission, set up in March 2026, ran nationwide consultations and took submissions on the 2013 Constitution. According to RNZ Pacific, republished by Scoop, the Commission submitted its report and a draft constitution bill to Fiji’s head of state on 31 August 2026.
Did Cabinet accept everything the Commission recommended?
No. In a statement reported by RNZ Pacific via Scoop, the government said Cabinet’s decision to table the report did not constitute acceptance or adoption of all the Commission’s recommendations. The Cabinet Subcommittee on the Review of the Constitution was to keep working through the practical, legal and policy implications, including any transitional arrangements, and report back to Cabinet.
When did Parliament first debate the Commission’s report?
The government said Cabinet backed a request for a special sitting on 22 September 2026, and that the Commission’s report would be debated in Parliament during its sitting from 28 September, according to RNZ Pacific via Scoop.
What did the 2013 Constitution change that is now under review?
RNZ Pacific, republished by Scoop, reports that the 2013 Constitution introduced equal citizenship for all Fiji nationals and formally adopted “Fijian” as the common national identity for all citizens, regardless of ethnicity. Rabuka and other critics have long argued the document was imposed by the Bainimarama administration after the 2006 military coup.
