Fiji

Parliament

Openness and transparency

Information about access to parliamentary documents, parliament’s reporting to the public, parliament’s relation to Freedom of Information laws, and lobbying.

Parliamentary documents

The agendas of plenary meetings are published online in advance The agendas of plenary meetings are published online in advance.
The agendas of committee meetings are published online in advance The agendas of committee meetings are published online in advance.
Results of votes on draft legislation are published on the parliamentary web site Results of votes on draft legislation are published on the parliamentary web site.
Draft legislation is published on the parliamentary website Draft legislation is published on the parliamentary website.
Citizens can submit comments on draft legislation on the parliamentary web site

Annual reporting by parliament

Parliament publishes an annual report on its activities
The annual report is available on the parliamentary web site
Yes
Notes Some parliaments publish monthly/quarterly reports.
Parliament publishes the parliamentary budget
Level of detail of the parliamentary budget made available to the public Level of detail of the parliamentary budget made available to the public: Only the total amount; A summary of the main elements; The complete budget
Only the total amount
The parliamentary budget is available on the parliamentary web site
Yes

Access to parliament

Plenary meetings are open to the public
Notes
The Speaker can select to hold a closed session if the grounds are reasonable and justified (Constitution, art. 72). For e.g., given COVID-19 health protocols, plenary meetings were not accesible to the public from September 202 to March 2022.
Committee meetings are open to the public
Notes
The restrictions to access the Committee meetings are stated under Standing Order 111(2).
In accordance with section 72(2) of the Constitution, a committee may, after consultation with the Speaker, conduct a meeting that is closed to the public and media where the committee is considering a matter related to national security, third-party confidential information, personnel or human resources; or deliberations and discussions conducted in the development and finalization of committee recommendations and reports.
There is a dedicated channel for broadcasting parliamentary meetings A dedicated channel is one that is mainly about parliament, and is accessible free of charge to the general public. The channel might be owned by Parliament or a public or private company. Dedicated channels may be broadcast by parliament, government, or another broadcaster. They may be carried on television, radio or the Internet (webcasting).
Media used for the dedicated channel
TV
Meetings broadcast on the dedicated channel
Plenary sittings

Freedom of information

There is a freedom of information law in the country
Yes
Parliament is subject to the freedom of information law
Parliament has an office/division dedicated to FOI requests
No
Categories of Information that are exempt from disclosure Certain categories of information may be exempt from disclosure
Information Act 2018, Section 20 outlines the categories of information that are exempt from disclosure.

https://www.laws.gov.fj/Acts/DisplayAct/2460

Lobbying

There are rules about the activities of lobbyists in parliament
Notes
The Parliament of Fiji Standing Order allows for the presentation of a petition by a Member of Parliament under Standing Order 37, which could include a petition for a special interest/lobbyist to provide their input in Parliament.
There is a register of accredited lobbyists