Speaker highlights importance of parliamentary convention in Small Island Democracies at 55th POCC

The Speaker of the Fijian Parliament the Hon. Filimone Jitoko, today addressed delegates attending the 55th Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference (POCC) in Perth, Australia, delivering a presentation on “Convention and Practice in Small Island Democracies.”

Hon. Jitoko reflected on the unique realities and challenges faced by Pacific legislatures, emphasising that parliamentary conventions are fundamental to maintaining democratic legitimacy, public trust and institutional integrity.

“For me, the subject of convention and practice in small island democracies is a lived experience, shaped by service in a Parliament that has endured constitutional upheavals, democratic transition, and the continuing pursuit of parliamentary legitimacy. Convention and practice in small island democracies is not simply academic.”

The Speaker noted that whilst Pacific Island nations may be small in size and population, their democratic institutions play a critical role in serving diverse communities spread across vast ocean spaces. He highlighted that in small island democracies, parliamentary decisions and rulings often have an immediate and direct impact on citizens, making adherence to parliamentary conventions even more important.

Addressing delegates, Speaker Jitoko described parliamentary conventions as the “conscience of a Parliament”, explaining that they are the shared practices and respected traditions that guide parliamentary conduct beyond written laws and Standing Orders. He observed that conventions help ensure the effective functioning of Parliament, particularly in Westminster-style democracies where they underpin the authority of the Speaker, the rights of the Opposition and the broader conduct of parliamentary business.

Drawing on Fiji’s parliamentary experience, the Speaker acknowledged that personal, family and community relationships are often closely intertwined with political life in small island states.

“The greatest threat to parliamentary convention in a small island democracy is not ignorance of the rules, but the social cost of enforcing them.”

“When a Speaker must rule against a colleague, a fellow Member of their own community, perhaps someone to whom they owe cultural respect, the pressure not to enforce the convention can be overwhelming. When an Opposition must hold a Government to account, but the leaders of both sides share family ties and community obligations, the pressure to moderate that scrutiny can be immense,” Hon. Jitoko said.

He shared four key lessons from Fiji’s parliamentary journey, which he said are relevant to every legislature in the region –

actively teaching and explaining parliamentary conventions;

protecting the independence and impartiality of the Speaker;

safeguarding the rights of minority voices and Opposition Members; and

strengthening regional co-operation amongst Pacific and Commonwealth parliaments.

Looking ahead, the Speaker called on Pacific legislatures to build parliaments characterised by independence, transparency, inclusion, accountability and resilience. He underscored the need for greater participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities in political decision-making, whilst also strengthening parliamentary institutions to withstand political, economic and environmental pressures.

In conclusion, Hon. Jitoko reminded delegates that democracy across the Pacific is inter-connected and that parliamentary conventions remain a shared democratic inheritance that must be protected and strengthened for future generations.

“In Fiji, sadly, we have not always honoured that trust. But we have learned from our failures. And we are committed, with modesty, with determination, and with the full weight of our institutional authority, to the proposition that Parliament, in this era, will be one that future generations can point to as an example of democratic convention observed and democratic practice strengthened.”

“That is our obligation to our people. That is our obligation to the Pacific. And that is our obligation to democracy itself.”