I-Taukei rights are intact and well protected under the 2013 constitution and there is no erosion of rights after the decision to have the common name “Fijian” for every Fiji citizen.
Sitiveni Raturala of the Office of the Prime Minister said some people have been spreading misleading information during the political campaigns.
He said their job is to clear any doubts that people have.
Section 28 of the constitution clearly states that the ownership of all i-Taukei land shall remain with the customary owners of that land and i-Taukei land shall not be permanently alienated, whether by sale, grant, transfer or exchange.
It also said that any i-Taukei land acquired by the state for a public purpose after the commencement of the constitution or under any written law shall revert to customary owners if the land is no longer required by the state.
Meanwhile Raturala said the Office of the Prime Minister is also addressing issues relating to scholarships.
Story by: Vijay Narayan