Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Unity Fiji Party Leader Savenaca Narube and Filimoni Vosarogo [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/Facebook]

Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo has defended Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka against calls for his resignation from Unity Fiji Party Leader Savenaca Narube.

Narube criticized the government’s failure to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill, suggesting that the defeat highlighted weak leadership.

In response, Vosarogo dismissed Narube’s demand as “hilarious,” pointing out that Narube, who garnered just 1.45 per cent of the vote in the last election, had no grounds to challenge the Prime Minister’s position.

In contrast, Rabuka, he pointed out secured over 77,000 votes, a mandate that enabled him to lead the government and bring others into Parliament under Fiji’s electoral system.

On his Facebook page, Vosarogo explained that the defeat of the Constitutional Amendment Bill should not be seen as a failure but rather as a demonstration of political strength.

He stated that the Prime Minister took on the difficult task of seeking constitutional reform, fully aware of the challenges.

Vosarogo argued that the government’s failure to pass the bill by just one vote highlighted the complexity of amending the Constitution.

He suggested that this defeat should not be seen as a fatal setback but as evidence of the difficulty involved in changing the Constitution.
Narube, however, described the failure of the Bill as a significant misstep by the government.

He criticized Rabuka for expanding the Cabinet in an attempt to secure enough support for the reform, only for the effort to collapse at the first vote.

Narube called the outcome an embarrassment and insisted that Rabuka must take full responsibility for the failure.

Vosarogo also addressed Narube’s suggestion of following legal action to amend the Constitution, pointing out that such a challenge would need to begin in the High Court and could take years to reach the Supreme Court.

He argued that the defeat of the Bill provided the necessary proof that amending the Constitution was almost impossible.

Vosarogo adds that it also reinforces the government’s stance that the process is a long-term process.

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