THE Bose Levu Vakaturaga (Great Council of Chiefs) must support a national agenda for Fiji’s orderly development and “think hard” about promoting better race relations, says Fiji Labour Party (FLP) leader Mahendra Chaudhry.
He said this in response to a statement by council chairperson Ratu Viliame Seruvakula on the need for constitutional changes.
“(It) makes one wonder how many more coups and constitutions it will take to get the chiefs to accept that our indigenous community (iTaukei) is not an endangered species requiring especially loaded constitutional provisions to protect their interests,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“These interests — culture, custom, language, tradition, land and other economic resources — have always been adequately protected under Fiji’s various constitutions since independence.
“Resource-wise, our iTaukei community is the richest. Besides, they also dominate the civil services, the disciplined forces and the government itself. They are not in the same league as the Aboriginals of Australia or the Maori of New Zealand.”
Mr Chaudhry said the council must think hard about promoting better race relations if it wanted to gain the confidence of all the people in this multi-racial and multi-cultural nation.
