By MAIKA BOLATIKI Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama says the Great Council of Chiefs is a product of Fiji’s colonial past and the country must now focus on a future

By MAIKA BOLATIKI

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama says the Great Council of Chiefs is a product of Fiji’s colonial past and the country must now focus on a future in which all Fijians are represented on the same basis.

He says if all Fijians are to have their say during the consultations for Fiji’s new constitution, “we must ensure every voice is equally heard and equally represented.”

Commodore Bainimarama made the comments in Suva yesterday while announcing that the President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, had approved decrees that formally de-establish the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC).

“The Great Council of the Chiefs (GCC) is an institution created by the British during colonialism and one that in modern times has become politicised to the detriment of Fiji’s pursuit of a common and equal citizenry,” he said.

Over the past 20 years or so, the Prime Minister said, the Great Council of Chiefs – including its secretariat – became highly politicised, with its members having political affiliations and membership in political parties.

“Unfortunately, this resulted in the GCC and its members unduly involving themselves in national politics and/or taking advantage of the GCC’s traditional role to assert personal or political agenda,” Commodore Bainimarama said.

The move by the Government to de-establish the Great Council of Chiefs was expected, especially when the institution was suspended by the Prime Minister when he took office.

Reacting to this, the paramount chief of the province of Cakaudrove, Turaga Bale na Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, speaking from his chiefly residence at Malua, Somosomo, said this was sad day for Fiji.

“It easy to tear things down but hard to build it again,” he said. The chiefs, he said, were already meeting before they ceded Fiji to Great Britain and signed the Deed of Cession.

“They agreed to cede Fiji to Great Britain,” Ratu Naiqama said.

On claims that the council was heavily politicised, he said it was an august body to look after the interests and rights of the iTaukei and decisions made were taken out of context.

“Some look at the decisions as political because it favours the iTaukei people. The GCC also cares for all races living in the country.”

Ratu Naiqama said now that the council has been de-established it has created a vacuum that would be hard to fill, especially in decision-making on issues affecting the iTaukei people. Now that there is no more GCC a new system has to be in place for the election of the President.

“There is no plan at the moment for the election of the President and a decision will be made after the constitutional consultation process is completed,” the Prime Minister said when replying to question on the matter.

Under the 1997 Constitution, the appointing authority for the President was the Great Council of Chiefs. The Prime Minister confirmed that whatever happened, the Great Council of Chiefs would definitely not be the appointing body because it no longer existed.