Sashi Kiran Says Constitution Bill Vote Could Cost Her Cabinet Job

Sashi Kiran says she will decide how to vote on Fiji’s Constitution Amendment Bill according to her conscience, even if the choice puts her ministerial position at risk. The Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection says she wants to judge the final text by whether it safeguards the rights and interests of every community. Kiran says either outcome could carry a political cost. A vote in favour, she says, could prompt disciplinary action from her party, the National Federation Party, for defying its directive. If she votes against the Bill, she believes the Prime Minister could ask her to leave Cabinet. She says she recognises her party’s position, but notes that the proposed amendments were brought forward by the Government and are now being considered through Parliament. The Joint Parliamentary Select Committee has heard submissions and made changes, she says. Kiran wants to see the completed version when it returns to Parliament before settling on her vote. Her decision, she says, will depend on what she understands from people and whether the measure protects minority and majority communities alike. She also pushed back against questions about her record of community service, recalling her efforts to assist families affected by the 2000 unrest, including helping children continue their schooling after homes were burned and people were displaced. Kiran says she also supported communities during Cyclone Amy and other emergencies, arranging food and water, including a truckload of supplies at a time when she was unemployed. She says National Farmers Union representative Suren Lal can speak to her work helping people obtain water. Although she has had opportunities to move abroad over the past two decades, Kiran says she chose to stay in Fiji and contribute. She says conscience was central when she entered politics and remains her guide. Asked about standing in the next general election, she says she will decide after examining and understanding the final Bill.