THE Great Council of Chiefs has questioned the 2013 Constitution’s cultural legitimacy, stating it lacks the customary dialogue and community endorsement integral to Fijian constitutional development.
While it acknowledged the Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday, it also recognised Chief Justice Salesi Temo’s statement that the 2013 Constitution was imposed on the people and not chosen by them.
GCC chairman Ratu Viliame Seruvakula made this comment in response to the ruling, made as a result of Cabinet’s decision to seek the Supreme Court’s opinion on the interpretation and application of Sections 159 and 160 of the 2013 Constitution.
He said while they respected the court’s conclusion under the rule of law, the GCC also stands for the voice of the iTaukei vanua and the broader Fijian sense of identity.
“A constitution that endures must arise not just from legal machinery, but from lived values and communal consensus,” he said.
“We urge the nation’s leaders to consider pathways for inclusive and participatory constitutional review.
“Such a process must involve our chiefs, grassroots communities, civil society, the business community and industry professionals, women, the elderly, and youth, people living with disability and others .”
This, he said, ensured that any future constitutional reforms were both legally sound and culturally anchored and importantly elevates and meaningfully addresses the needs of the most vulnerable in society.
The unamendable nature of certain provisions, Ratu Viliame said, hampered our capacity to adapt and renew our constitutional framework in line with evolving societal needs.
“Sustained resilience requires not rigidity but a structure that balances protection with the wisdom to reform.
“Today’s ruling reinforces that the 2013 Constitution remains Fiji’s supreme law, as interpreted under common law and maintains entrenched provisions that preclude amendment under current procedures.
“Yet, it also exposes an urgent democratic fissure, one that calls upon us all to chart a more inclusive, enduring, and culturally resonant constitutional future.
“The GCC reaffirms our commitment to supporting Fijians in honouring our shared heritage while advancing democratic values grounded in customary authority and collective will.”