30 Apr 2013

Deadline nears for submission for Fiji regime draft constitution

4:28 am on 30 April 2013

A deadline expires today for the public in Fiji to make submissions to the regime's draft constitution.

The regime extended the deadline twice since it decided last month to drop plans for a Constituent Assembly to debate the document.

The regime is yet to say when the new constitution will be ready after saying last month it would be finalised by April the 12th.

The new document will replace the 1997 constitution, which the regime dumped four years ago when the appeal court declared Commodore Frank Bainimarama's interim government was illegal.

An earlier draft, prepared by a Constitution Commission after it considered about 7,000 submission, was dumped in January, triggering widespread condemnation.

The first Fiji election in eight years is due next year but to date, no party has been approved to contest the poll.