Policy Watch
Fiji's Great Council of Chiefs now has a statute of its own, and Bill No. 32 would entrench it in a new Constitution. Together, the two measures shift real power to the chiefs while leaving gaps that will be harder to close after 2028.
Constitutional History
In September 1987, a political settlement was signed. It lasted 48 hours. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has not yet asked why.
Policy Watch
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change said no. After a 1,500-page EIA, submissions and petitions, TNG Fiji's proposed 900,000-tonne waste-to-energy plant at Vuda has been rejected. TNG has until 3 July to appeal.
Policy Watch
The government has allocated funds for a referendum without a legal framework. The Finance Minister confirms the budget is in place. The Supervisor of Elections confirms she cannot act on it.
Research
FPR's legal analysis of the instruments governing Fiji's local government election timeline. Finding: no instrument gives Parliament, the FEO, or civil society any formal role. The Minister decides alone.
Parliamentary Watch
Cabinet has approved the Vuvale Union. Parliament has not. Under section 51 of the 2013 Constitution, that is a constitutional problem.
Australian Budget 2026-27
Fiji's bilateral aid allocation is frozen at $64 million while Australia announces a new era in the relationship. The numbers tell a different story to the rhetoric.
Election Watch
Fiji's 2026 election could be called as early as August — or as late as February 2027. The government has not announced when. What it decides will reveal whether constitutional reform comes before or after the polls.
Parliamentary Watch
Fiji's Parliament unanimously ratified the Pacific Resilience Facility on 29 April — the first significant cross-party vote of the current term. Three observations on what it means, including the $333 million gap between current pledges and the PRF's capitalisation target.
Policy Watch
A FJD $1.4 billion waste-to-energy facility proposed for sacred iTaukei land at Vuda Point reached formal EIA stage without secured land consent, without addressing its Australian rejection history, and without a Waigani Convention compliance analysis. The Fiji Political Review asks how.
Commentary
Why the 2026 CRC must demand the FELRC report — and why the government must release it.
Policy Watch
A plain-language breakdown of Bill No. 46 of 2025 — the legislation that will govern how Fijians vote on constitutional change, and why civil society, lawyers and opposition parties say it threatens to make that process hollow.