29 Mar 2013

Former political leaders in Fiji call for the people to speak out over draft constitution

2:46 pm on 29 March 2013

The United Front for a Democratic Fiji says it wants to enourage the people to speak out about what is happening in the country.

The group, made up of the leaders of disbanded political parties - Ratu Jone Kubuabola, Mahendra Chaudhry, Attar Singh and Mick Beddoes, says it totally rejects the regime's draft constitution.

It says this draft slashes rights guaranteed under previous constitutions, entrenches the Bainimarama dictatorship and grants the coup perpetrators permanent immunity.

Mr Beddoes says most people will not be able to access the draft while amending the finished item will be near impossible.

He says public meetings they are holding next week to discuss the draft are just the start.

"We are trying then to communicate and then get out there with the people. That's just the first two meetings [In Suva and Nadi]. We hope to have multiple meetings around the country to try and get the people involved and start to motivate the people into starting to really speak out about how they really feel about what is going on here."

Mick Beddoes.