Constitution of Fiji

Fiji's first constitution, implemented in 1970 at the time of independence from the UK, contained negotiated provisions to enshrine the political supremacy of the minority indigenous population. When an Indo-Fijian dominated government was elected despite these safeguards, the 1987 Fijian coups d'état took place, resulting in even tighter measures in the 1990 constitution. Widespread Indo-Fijian dissent, coupled with a population shift back to an indigenous majority, prompted a more inclusive approach in the 1997 constitution. This was followed by the election of the first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister, and the violent, failed civilian coup of 2000. The 2013 constitution gave Indo-Fijians equal status in the country. == 1970 Constitution ==

The 1970 Constitution went into effect 9 October 1970, signaling Fiji's independence from Britain (though it remained a member of the Commonwealth). The Constitution set up a House of Representatives requiring 22 seats to represent voters registered as Fijian, 22 to those registered as Indian, and 8 to voters registered as neither. In 1987, Timoci Bavadra became Prime Minister and formed a cabinet which included a majority of Indian cabinet members. Prior cabinets had always had a small number of Indian cabinet members. The Fijian Army raided the House of Representatives, arrested several cabinet members and the Prime Minister, the first of two 1987 Fijian coups d'état, and the 1970 Constitution was suspended. == 1990 Constitution ==

The Constitution of the Sovereign Democratic Republic of Fiji, was adopted in 1990 which changed the proportion of representation in parliament with 37 Fijian members, 27 Indian members, 5 general voters, and one representative for the island of Rotuma. It was set up as an interim document, with a review scheduled in 7 years. == 1997 Constitution ==

Fiji's third constitution was called the Constitution of the Republic of the Fiji Islands and was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 ''coup d'état''. Constitutional process In 1995, a three member Fiji Constitution Review Commission was appointed. In the April 2009 crisis, President Josefa Iloilo suspended the Constitution and dismissed all judges after the Court of Appeal ruled the military government from 2006 illegal. Amendments At the end of September 2005, the government introduced legislation to amend the Constitution so as to allow parliamentarians and other senior government officials to serve as members of Provincial Councils, the Fijian Affairs Board, or the Great Council of Chiefs. Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase told the House of Representatives that the amendments, to which the Opposition Fiji Labour Party had agreed at the Tanaloa Talks in 2003, were necessary to allow chiefs to hold multiple positions if their subjects so wished. In 2005, several prominent figures were affected by the constitutional ban on politicians holding other public offices. These included Ro Teimumu Kepa, the Paramount Chief of the Burebasaga Confederacy, who was required to relinquish her chairmanship of the Rewa Provincial Council, which was deemed to be incompatible with her position as a member of the House of Representatives and as a Cabinet Minister. Even though the Labour Party agreed to the amendments in 2003, it has indicated that it will oppose them now. The FLP is bitterly opposed to other government legislation, such as the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill which may be passed with a simple majority, and it is thought that its stated intention to oppose these amendments, which require a two-thirds majority in both houses, may be a ploy to force the government to negotiate on the Unity Bill. ==New Constitution for 2013==

In July 2009, following the suspension of the Constitution in April, interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced that Fiji would have a new Constitution—its fourth—by 2013. It would remove the ethnic-based provisions of the electoral system. The voting age would be lowered to 18, and the number of seats in Parliament, as well as the "need for a Senate", would be reviewed during the preparatory phase. The new Constitution would derive from the People's Charter for Change, Peace and Progress, and from "extensive" consultations with political parties, non-governmental organisations and ordinary citizens. ==See also==