The Constitutional Offices Commission is an advisory body that is responsible for providing advice to the

President of Fiji The president of Fiji is the head of state of the Republic of Fiji. The president is appointed by the Parliament for a three-year term under the terms of the 2013 Constitution of Fiji. Although not entirely a figurehead, the role of president ...

for the appointment of key officials within public offices in Fiji.

History

Established by the

1997 Constitution of Fiji The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 ''coup d'état'' led by George Speight. ...

, the Commission originally consisted of a chairperson and two other individuals, all appointed by the President on the advice of the responsible Minister. When the

2013 Constitution of Fiji Fiji's fourth constitution was signed into law by President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau on September 6, 2013, coming into effect immediately. It is the first to eliminate race-based electoral rolls, race-based seat quotas, district-based representation, ...

came into effect, the Commission was re-established but came with many changes including the Prime Minister being a member of the Commission and chairperson. On 17 April 2015, the Commission held its first meeting since the 2006 coup under the premiership of

Frank Bainimarama Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama (Fijian: ʃoˈsɛia βoˈreŋɡe mbɛiniˈmarama born 27 April 1954) is a Fijian politician and former naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst ...

. Bainimarama's appointee was Ajith Kodagoda. Other members of the meeting included Attorney-General

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (born 24 September 1965) is an Indo-Fijian politician and a cabinet minister. He is the Fijian attorney general and the Minister for Economy, Civil Service and Communications, and also serves the minister responsible for c ...

, Opposition Leader

Teimumu Kepa Ro Teimumu Vuikaba Kepa (born 18 December 1945) is a Fijian chief, former Member of the Parliament of Fiji, and former leader of the Social Democratic Liberal Party. She was the first Fijian woman to serve as Leader of the Opposition. She p ...

and her appointee, lawyer

Richard Naidu Richard Naidu is an Indo-Fijian journalist, constitutional lawyer and opponent of the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. He is a former director of Transparency International Fiji. Naidu served as spokesperson for Prime Minister of Fiji Timoci Bavadra. Du ...

Controversy

In November 2015, Ben Groenewald resigned as Police Commissioner citing military interference. Frank Bainimarama as chairperson of the Commission then advised President

Epeli Nailatikau Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, (born 5 July 1941) (often referred to as ''Na Turaga Mai Naisogolaca'') is a Fijian chief who was President of Fiji from 2009 to 2015. He has had a long career in the Military, diplomatic service, and go ...

to appoint Sitiveni Qiliho who is a senior military officer. Teimumu Kepa called on Bainimarama to revoke the appointment stating that it was "inappropriate" and raised concerns about the independence of the police. Richard Naidu resigned from the Commission claiming the body was politicised.

Functions

According to the

, the Commission is responsible to provide advice to the President in relation to the appointment of key public positions:

Members

The Commission is composed of six members: *

Prime Minister of Fiji The prime minister of Fiji is the head of government of the Republic of Fiji. The prime minister is appointed under the terms of the 2013 Constitution of Fiji. The prime minister is the head of the Cabinet and appoints and dismisses ministers. ...

(''Chairperson'') *

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

Attorney-General of Fiji The Attorney-General is a political and legal officer in Fiji. The attorney-general is the chief law officer of the State, and has responsibility for supervising Fijian law and advising the government on legal matters. Like other members of the ...

* Two individuals selected by the Prime Minister and one by the Opposition Leader.

Current members

The current members of the Commission are:

References

{{Reflist Government of Fiji