Fiji proposes stripping coup participants, including PM Rabuka, of immunity — ABC News Australia
In Fiji, the Constitutional Review Commission has proposed repealing immunity provisions for participants in the military coups of 1987, 2000 and 2006. The recommendations also concern incumbent Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who led the 1987 coups. The report was presented to parliament in Suva during a special sitting, ABC News Australia reports.
The commission's more than 200-page report was provided to lawmakers for review. Its authors propose repealing provisions on absolute and irrevocable immunity for those involved in the coups, as well as provisions preserving the validity of laws and decrees from the period of previous military rule. The commission also recommends prohibiting the introduction of similar immunity in the future. This initiative was supported by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
Bicameral parliament and elections
Other recommendations include restoring a 60-seat bicameral parliament: 41 members of the House of Representatives and 19 senators. The current system with a single nationwide constituency, under which all 55 lawmakers are elected, is proposed to be abolished.
According to the report, 26 members of the House of Representatives would be elected in constituencies under the first-past-the-post system, while another 15 would be elected from party lists. At the same time, it remains unclear whether these changes can be introduced before the general election scheduled for February and whether the constitutional process will affect its timetable.
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Further procedure
Land Minister Filimoni Vosarogo said that a bill on constitutional amendments must be submitted to parliament for three readings. After that, a parliamentary committee will have at least 30 days for consultations, and a final vote is planned during the November sitting.
Adopting the changes requires 37 votes in the 55-seat parliament. If supported, the bill will be sent to the president and then to the electoral commission to hold a referendum. A separate bill required to organize the referendum is already being considered by a parliamentary committee.
The commission also proposes enshrining the status of the Great Council of Chiefs, restored in 2023, in a separate chapter of the constitution; limiting the military's role to external defence; and allowing the army to be deployed domestically only with parliamentary approval. A separate constitutional chapter and a self-determination mechanism are recommended for the self-governing island of Rotuma.
