Fiji army chief promises new constitution by 2013
Posted: 01 July 2009 1743 hrs

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SUVA: Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama said a new constitution would be introduced by September 2013 to replace the one his regime tore up in April.

Bainimarama, who led a coup against the elected government in December 2006, said the new constitution would be in place a year ahead of elections which he plans to hold by September 2014.

"Work on the new constitution under which the 2014 elections shall be held will commence by September 2012," he said in a national address.

He called on the international community – which has condemned the coup and abrogation of the constitution – to provide assistance for the constitutional review.

"My appeal to the international community is that Fiji has and continues to seek engagement, not disengagement," he said.

Fiji has been suspended from the regional Pacific Islands Forum and is expected to face similar action from the British Commonwealth after Bainimarama broke a promise to hold elections to restore democracy by March this year.

Bainimarama said the new constitution would remove the ethnic-based voting system introduced in the 1997 constitution.

Racial divisions in Fiji were aggravated by the existing voting system, he has previously said, as most of the seats are chosen along racial lines by the majority indigenous population and minority ethnic Indians.

The focus in the next three years would be on improving the economy and infrastructure, he said in the speech.

"This shall be followed by the formulation of a modern day constitution and then the holding of elections by September 2014," he added.


- AFP/so