Explain the major provision of 2013 Constitution? Critically Evaluate.
The Fiji Government Constitution draws much of its provisions from 1990 and 1997, but also borrows extensively from the 2012 Draft. The major provisions of the 2013 constitution are as follows:
- The Omission of Women
- While the right to equality and freedom that was provided for in the Bill of Rights, the Fiji Government Constitution was silent on women, particularly in respect to their participation in public life. There were no special measures to increase the number of women elected in parliament or holding office in other public bodies.
- Free and Fair Elections
- For an election to be both free and fair, it must have:
- (i) a coherent constitutional and legislative framework;
- (ii) independent and impartial election administrators, supported by a free media and peaceful order;
- (iii) agreement of all political parties to participate in competitive elections.
- Framework
- It also sets out the basic structure for election including: rights to register, vote and stand for election, voter and candidate eligibility, form of the voting system), a commission to administer the elections, rights protecting the media, and penalties for corrupt or violent electoral practices.
- Supervision
- The Fiji Government Constitution created two important institutions for elections: The Electoral Commission and the Supervisor of Elections.
- Consent
- For elections to be legitimate, most political parties must consent to participate. Citizens in each party must make that decision themselves.
What factors led to the Fiji First winning 2014 Elections?
2014 the Fiji First won 32 seat of 50 seats in parliament, defeating its rival, the Social Democratic Liberal Party which won 15 seats and National Federation Party won the remaining 3 seats.
Factors that led to the winning of the Fiji First were;
- End of racial discrimination, so every citizen in Fiji will be called Fijian and the indigenous people called the I-Taukei.
- Equal citizenship, equal opportunity and also end of age of entitlement for wealthy and well connected.
- 2013 Constitutions abolished the communal voting system so the 2014 you can vote for any person of their choices.
- Free education from yaer1 to year 13 attract many parents around Fiji and also the youth from the age of 18 years that can also cast their vote.
- Many interim regimes policies also found favor with indo- Fijian voters.
- Fiji First provided hope to get renewal of land leases.
- Bainimarama campaign was the creation of a “new Fiji freed at last from legacies of its failed past.
- equal citizenship, equal opportunity, end of racial discrimination, the end of the age of entitlement for the wealthy and the well connected.
- 2013 constitution was the abolition of communal seats. In the 2014 elections, voters could vote for any candidate of their choice unhindered by racial designation.