2 Nov 2012

Fiji regime demands release of Constitution Commission details

10:25 am on 2 November 2012

The interim government in Fiji has announced it is going to make the Constitution Commission publish the names and salaries of all its staff and consultants.

According to FBC News, the interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Banimarama, has instructed the government to make the change after questioning the impartiality of the organisation.

This comes after the former vice-president, Ratu Joni Madrawiwi, was discovered to be part of a group making a submission that called for Fiji to be declared a Christian state, while he was working for the commission.

Commodore Bainimarama says Ratu Joni was in breach of rules that say all staff and consultants must be politically neutral.

The regime leader has already said that a non-negotiable element of the 2014 constitution will be that Fiji is to be secular state.

The chairman of the Commission, Professor Yash Ghai, is yet to comment, but has said the commission is impartial.