Posted 11 December 2012, 17:22 AEST
Bruce Hill for Pacific Beat
Fiji could soon have a largely ceremonial president, to be chosen by a new body known as the Assembly of Fiji.
That's one recommendation included in a leaked report from Fiji's Constitution Commission.
The draft copy of the recommendations is to be officially handed to President Raty Epeli Nailatikau before Christmas, but copies are now available on several blogs.
The leaked document proposes the same number of seats for Fiji's parliament, a term reduced to four years and no senate.
It says the Prime Minister should be limited to two terms.
Fiji has been run by an interim government for six years and democratic elections aren't due until 2014.
The commission has proposed one vote for either an individual or a party, with 71 MPs to represent the four existing electorates.
The report also suggests a review of land laws and measures to address poverty and corruption.
Dr Brij Lal, an academic who co-authored Fiji's 1997 Constitution, has seen the recommendations.
"As I read the document, the President will be elected by an assembly of Fiji which will include the President, Prime Minister and representatives from a hundred or so organisations in the country, NGOs and so on," he said.
"On paper it looks good, but I think that it's problematic in the sense that it sets up a rival centre of power if you will"
He says there are some good initiatives in the recommendations.
"Moving away from a system of racial representation, I think that's a good thing," he said.
"The term of parliament has been reduced to four years which is not necessarily a bad thing."
However, Dr Lal says many questions still need to be answered.
"The document [will be] translated into a constitution, how that is ratified, what provisions of the draft are significantly altered to accommodate the demands of the military, these are questions that we will have to address at a later date."
- INTELLIGENT RESISTANCE -
Free. Fair. Fearless. Intelligentsiya is made up of Fiji Islanders who are libertarians in their own way and who cherish the free flow of news, ideas and information and will peacefully resist any attempts by the country's military rulers to stifle free speech. intelligentsiya will also bear witness, report and discuss human rights abuses by the authorities.
December 12, 2012
December 11, 2012
Power limits proposed for Fiji’s draft constitution
Posted at 02:21 on 11 December, 2012 UTC
The Constitution Commission has proposed a largely ceremonial president for Fiji to be chosen by a new body to be known as the Assembly of Fiji.
The recommendations are among a leaked set of proposals being looked at for Fiji’s fourth constitution.
Sally Round reports.
“The document published on various Fiji blogs rounds up the Commission’s recommendations to the experts it has been consulting as it writes the draft constitution. The Commission’s head, Professor Yash Ghai, has confirmed the ideas are the Commission’s tentative thinking as it comes up with its final draft to be presented on the 20th of this month. The document points out a crisis of culture in Fiji which remains deeply fragmented racially and lacking in democratic roots. For parliament, mothballed since 2006, it details the same number of seats, a term reduced to four years and no senate. It says the Prime Minister should be limited to two terms with 71 MPs coming from four electorates, based on Fiji’s existing divisions. The Commission also proposed one vote for either an individual or a party, based on the list system of proportional representation. The commission wants a more democratic system of appointing the country’s Prime Minister with no role for the President and very few possibilities for the head of state to make independent decisions. It suggests a review of land laws and spells out public accounting measures and social justice rights to address poverty. Lacking in the document are any concrete recommendations on the military or immunity for coup makers.”
The Constitution Commission has proposed a largely ceremonial president for Fiji to be chosen by a new body to be known as the Assembly of Fiji.
The recommendations are among a leaked set of proposals being looked at for Fiji’s fourth constitution.
Sally Round reports.
“The document published on various Fiji blogs rounds up the Commission’s recommendations to the experts it has been consulting as it writes the draft constitution. The Commission’s head, Professor Yash Ghai, has confirmed the ideas are the Commission’s tentative thinking as it comes up with its final draft to be presented on the 20th of this month. The document points out a crisis of culture in Fiji which remains deeply fragmented racially and lacking in democratic roots. For parliament, mothballed since 2006, it details the same number of seats, a term reduced to four years and no senate. It says the Prime Minister should be limited to two terms with 71 MPs coming from four electorates, based on Fiji’s existing divisions. The Commission also proposed one vote for either an individual or a party, based on the list system of proportional representation. The commission wants a more democratic system of appointing the country’s Prime Minister with no role for the President and very few possibilities for the head of state to make independent decisions. It suggests a review of land laws and spells out public accounting measures and social justice rights to address poverty. Lacking in the document are any concrete recommendations on the military or immunity for coup makers.”
Unions, activists demand restoration of rights in Fiji
Published: 9/12/2012 at 04:46 PMOnline news: Asia
The International Trade Union Confederation and Human Rights Watch have sent a sharply-worded letter to Fiji coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama demanding he repeal "longstanding restrictions on rights".
The letter, signed by ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow and Human Rights Watch Asia director Brad Adams, said the protection of rights was essential in the lead-up to democratic elections set for 2014.
"Your government continues to deny Fiji's citizens their rights to freedom of speech and expression, a free press, assembly, and association," they said in the seven-page letter dated December 5 and seen here Sunday.
"The military and police have arbitrarily arrested and detained human rights defenders, including trade union leaders and journalists, and others perceived to be critical of the government."
Bainimarama, who seized power in a 2006 coup and tore up Fiji's constitution three years later, has promised democratic elections in 2014 when a new constitution is in place.
However, Burrow and Adams questioned the consultation process now underway before a Constitution Commission, saying the assembly that will review its proposals lacked political independence.
The Bainimarama-installed government controlled the assembly's composition and had given it the power to amend or delete recommendations from the commission, they said.
"The interim government has unfortunately failed to protect key human rights essential if this consultation process is to be free, fully participatory, inclusive, and transparent."
The letter contained a list of grievances which the ITUC and Human Rights Watch held against the Fiji administration, including that it "consistently interfered in the workings of the courts" and "sought to limit public criticism through censorship of the press".
There was no immediate response by the government but the Fiji Times quoted Bainimarama as saying the Constituent Assembly to review the draft constitution "would consist of the broadest possible cross-section of Fijian society".
504,588 now registered for 2014 elections
Publish date/time: 11/12/2012 [11:56]
504 thousand 588 Fijians are now registered for the 2014 elections.
Attorney General and Minister for Elections, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said Fiji has marked another significant milestone in its path to true democracy as 80 percent of eligible voters are now registered.
Just over 487 thousand people were registered in the first phase while 17 thousand, 2 hundred and 95 have been registered in the second phase with some pending figures yet to be received by some areas.
The next phase will also focus on registration of Fijians living offshore.
Meanwhile just over 100 thousand people are yet to be registered as the estimated number of eligible voters stands at around 620 thousand.
As voter registration continues, the Constitutional Commission is now in the final stages of formulating a draft constitution and the Prime Minister has called for expressions of interest by individuals and organizations for appointment to the Constituent Assembly.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
504 thousand 588 Fijians are now registered for the 2014 elections.
Attorney General and Minister for Elections, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said Fiji has marked another significant milestone in its path to true democracy as 80 percent of eligible voters are now registered.
Just over 487 thousand people were registered in the first phase while 17 thousand, 2 hundred and 95 have been registered in the second phase with some pending figures yet to be received by some areas.
The next phase will also focus on registration of Fijians living offshore.
Meanwhile just over 100 thousand people are yet to be registered as the estimated number of eligible voters stands at around 620 thousand.
As voter registration continues, the Constitutional Commission is now in the final stages of formulating a draft constitution and the Prime Minister has called for expressions of interest by individuals and organizations for appointment to the Constituent Assembly.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)