Rabuka gives mixed signals on General Election timing

Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has presented a seemingly contradictory stance regarding the timing of the next General Election. He initially affirmed that the 2013 Constitution requires the election to be held within four years of the coalition government's swearing-in on December 22nd, 2022.

However, when pressed for an update on the ongoing review of the 2013 Constitution, which is being conducted by a seven-member commission accepting public submissions, Rabuka offered a less definitive response. "All of that, all part of our planning, all part of our appreciation of time and things that need to be completed in that time when we will have to finalise the decision on whether to have or not to have the election according to the Constitution," he stated. He added that any changes to the constitutional timeline would require parliamentary approval.

This ambiguity comes at a time when the Electoral Commission has officially announced the campaign period for the General Election. Despite this, Prime Minister Rabuka has yet to provide a clear indication of when the election will actually take place, leaving the exact date uncertain.

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All of that, all part of our planning, all part of our appreciation of time and things that need to be completed in that time when we will have to finalise the decision on whether to have or not to have the election according to the Constitution. If we’re going to change that, we will need parliamentary approval.