Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has defended the Government’s announcement of the proposed referendum date, rejecting claims that constitutional or legal provisions were breached.

Responding to questions from Fiji One News, Rabuka says his announcement on Monday this week was limited to the date for the issuance of the writ for the referendum, the polling date and the deadline for the return of referendum results.

“I did not make any announcement regarding the commencement of the referendum campaign period. The Government has clearly communicated its intentions to all relevant stakeholders, including the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights, the Fijian Elections Office (FEO), the Electoral Commission, and the Office of the Solicitor-General.”

He acknowledged that Fiji is entering uncharted territory as this will be the country’s first referendum, but maintains that the Government is operating within existing electoral and referendum laws.

Rabuka has also rejected suggestions that he was ill-advised on the legal or constitutional requirements surrounding the announcement.

He says the Government is clear on the legal processes and the steps required.

The Prime Minister has also sought to reassure the public that disagreements within the Coalition Government over the announcement will not threaten the partnership.

“In a healthy democracy, there is room to agree to disagree, but we will ultimately move forward with the business of implementing the necessary changes for our people, strictly within the confines of the law.”

He says the Coalition Government remains intact.

“I assure all Fijians that the Government has always abided by the Constitution and the rule of law, and will continue to do so. While the Government can make recommendations to the Electoral Commission, the ultimate decision rests with them, and we fully respect their independence.”

The Prime Minister says one practical reason for announcing the proposed referendum date early is to give voters sufficient time to access postal voting.

He highlighted Section 68 of the Electoral Act, which provides that postal voting applications open once an election date is announced.

Section 6(1) of the National Referendum Act 2026 also allows postal voting provisions under the Electoral Act to apply to referendums.

Rabuka says the early announcement therefore gives voters who may not be near their polling station on polling day, or who have another lawful reason for being absent, time to decide which voting process they will use and apply to register as postal voters.