Blueprint

for Fiji

House of Assembly (38, all elected).

All must be British subjects and possess Bahamian status.

Chief executive is the Prime Minister, who is leader of the majority party in the Assembly. He selects a cabinet of not less than eight other ministers—at least one and not more than three being from the Senate.

The Minister of Finance must come from the Assembly. The Senate can’t initiate money bills, nor can it hold them up for an undue length of time. Nor can it hold up any bill for an undue length of time.

Nine of the 16 Bahamas senators are appointed (by the Governor) on the advice of the Prime Minister; four on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition; and three after con sultation with the Prime Minister and

any other persons the Governor may choose to consult.

Term of the legislature is five years.

The Bahamas constitution estab lishes a Supreme Court, presided over by a Chief Justice, and a Court of Appeal, with a president and not less than two appeal judges. All are appointed by the Governor in con sultation with the Prime Minister.

The Public Service is controlled by a Public Service Commission, ap pointed by the Governor after con sultation with the Prime Minister, and a Public Service Board of Appeal.

There is a Judicial and Legal Service Commission (chairman being the Chief Justice), to control magistrates and government legal officers; and a Police Service Com mission to exercise control over the police force in association with the Police Commissioner.

The Governor still retains certain powers under the Bahamas con stitution but he can delegate them.

He can withhold or reserve assent to bills if he feels they are in consistent with any obligation imposed on Britain by any treaty, are repugnant with provisions in the constitution or affect external affairs, defence, internal security or the police force.

Security Council

But the constitution adds that the Government of the Bahama Islands “shall have such authority to con duct external affairs as may from time to time be entrusted to the Government of the Bahama Islands by Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom”.

Although the Governor is respon sible for defence, internal security and all police matters, “the Governor shall by instrument under his hand entrust the designated minister with authority to discharge that respon sibility”.

In addition there is a Security Council, consisting of the Governor, the Prime Minister and others who may be appointed, empowered to discuss policy on external affairs, defence, internal security and the police force.

The Bahamas framework looks like a satisfactory one for a self-govern ing Fiji. Fiji would differ in the method of election to the legislature, and in the numbers. The major problem facing Fiji is still a satis factory compromise between those who want elections based purely on racial lines, and those who want one man, one vote. It’s in this area that the talking needs to be done before any London conference can meet.