28 Mar 2013

United Front for Democratic Fiji says regime's draft perpetuates dictatorship

5:07 pm on 28 March 2013

The United Front for a Democratic Fiji says the regime's draft constitution is inconsistent with the concept of a free and democratic society.

The United Front is headed by representatives from three now disbanded political parties - Ratu Jone Kubuabola, Mahendra Chaudhry, Mick Beddoes, and Attar Singh.

They say the draft cannot be pushed as the people's document, simply because it isn't so.

The group says the constitution, as it expected, would perpetuate a dictatorship by entrenching the many restrictions imposed on the people since the 2006 coup.

It says there are numerous provisions that could forever enslave the people as any Parliament set up under this constitution will have severe limits on its supremacy.

The group says, starting next week, it will held public meetings to provide a forum for the people to discuss the draft and its shortcomings.

The first meeting is next Wednesday in Suva, to be followed by one in Nadi on Friday.