13 Jan 2013

Fiji union rejects 'rubber stamping' of constitution

9:35 am on 13 January 2013

Fiji's Council of Trade Unions says it will boycott the regime's plans to introduce a new draft constitution because it does not want to be seen to be rubber-stamping the measures.

The military government has rejected a draft constitution prepared by a team of commissioners and given its legal team until the end of the month to produce a new one.

It says the new draft will then go to a Constituent Assembly for debate, and a new constitution should be in place by March.

FICTU general secretary Attar Singh says there will be little room for those in the assembly to oppose the constitution given it will be the one amended by Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama's team.

He says his union no longer supports the process because the regime has chosen to change the rules yet again and act outside what it initially announced.