The president of Fiji's United People's Party, Mick Beddoes, has called on the Fiji regime to declare a state of freedom in Fiji so people speak fearlessly during the constitution consultations.
Mr Beddoes says last week's arrest of Labour Party supporters was counterproductive and another example of the state's abuse of citizen's rights when Fiji is supposed to be on the path back to democracy.
He says while the regime has called for people to speak up, in practice the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.
"They need to make sure the police and the military all understand this that people can meet, they can gather, they can discuss things. (Put it in) black and white, make it crystal clear so that people can have something to walk around with and that if a police officer did ask them a question, they'd say read this. I mean it has to get to that point."
Mick Beddoes says restrictions in Fiji are creating a fair bit of frustration but in the background people are trying to reach out on both sides of the divide.
