The Great Council of Chiefs has expressed its appreciation to the coalition government and Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka for taking the bold step of bringing the legislation that will enable the review of the 2013 Constitution.
GCC Chairman Ratu Viliame Seruvakula says the members had discussed the 2013 Constitution and the concerns surrounding it, and they had all agreed to ask the government to amend the Constitution.
He says at their fourth meeting following the re-establishment of the GCC, they came to the conclusion that every attempt to move iTaukei forward in the management and utilisation of resources, as well as other areas of development, seemed to be hindered by the Constitution.
Ratu Viliame says they are happy that most of the issues they had proposed were accepted, and he believes this is a step in the right direction.
He adds that the government is now in the process of working on the Constitution Review Commission report.
The Chair says the biggest challenge now for the GCC is managing the change, as the outcome of this amendment is going to bring about changes.
Ratu Viliame says this needs to be looked at very carefully, and everyone needs to work together with the government to move this forward.
He also called on all Fijians to read and understand when the draft Constitution is made public.
Insert: Ratu on people, 24th Sep 26
Meanwhile, the Draft Constitution, which is part of the Constitution Review Commission Report, recommends that the Bose Levu Vakaturaga be reconstituted as a constitutionally recognised and independent body, with its own chapter in the Constitution.
It states that members of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga must be subject to the proposed constitutional Code of Conduct, while retaining the core membership framework, with the President, Prime Minister, and Minister for iTaukei Affairs serving as ex officio, non-voting members.
The Draft Constitution also recommends that provincial nominees be selected from the four traditionally installed chief categories, including Turaga iTaukei, Marama iTaukei, and Liuliu ni Yavusa/Mataqali, and possess exemplary leadership qualities and a record of active service to their province.
It adds that the Bose Levu Vakaturaga would nominate eight members to the proposed 19-member Senate and three members to the proposed Presidential Appointment Commission.
It says Bose Levu Vakaturaga representatives would be nominated to key customary and administrative bodies, including the iTaukei Affairs Board, the iTaukei Lands Trust Board, the iTaukei Trust Fund Board, and the iTaukei Lands and Fisheries Commission.
It also recommends that the Bose Levu Vakaturaga be entrusted with oversight of customary law, the provincial council system, and the authority to propose and formalise village bylaws for registered iTaukei villages.
The Draft Constitution further recommends that the Bose Levu Vakaturaga be entrusted with a modern national mandate to monitor sources of social division and actively foster dialogue, cohesion, and unity across Fiji’s diverse communities.
It further adds that the Bose Levu Vakaturaga would establish its own independent secretariat, submit annual financial and operational reports to Parliament, and bind all BLV members and its secretariat to the constitutional Code of Conduct.
The Constitution Review Commission says people told them that the Bose Levu Vakaturaga must be formally restored and recognised in the Constitution, seeing it as a guardian of Indigenous customs and concerns.
They said the Bose Levu Vakaturaga must be the body responsible for selecting the President of Fiji.
They also said the Senate must be restored and include members of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga, in alignment with the 1997 Constitution’s composition model.
The Commission adds that, while recognising the value of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga to Indigenous Fijians, caution was also expressed, including by Indigenous Fijians, about the involvement of an unelected body such as the Bose Levu Vakaturaga in democratic processes and the potential for political interference.
They say some submissions expressed doubt that the Bose Levu Vakaturaga has the capabilities and diversity required to represent the interests of Indigenous Fijians, as well as all communities of Fiji.
It adds that submitters believed the Bose Levu Vakaturaga could modernise and better reflect the diversity of the communities it represents.
