There have been five attempts made to review the Fijian Affairs Act, says iTaukei Affairs Review Committee chairman Dr Jone Baledrokadroka.
“But these were shelved because of leaders unwillingness to accept change, Dr Baledrokadroka said.
“The Fijian Affairs Act was enforced in 1944, since then there have been no reviews made to it,” he said.
The chiefs were not in support of implementing the recommendations made in the report, he said.
“There was a lot of pushbacks considering the changes needed.”
While speaking at the consultations on the Fijian Affairs Act in Labasa yesterday, he said perhaps the chiefs thought it was not the right time to do so.
“Also, a challenge to the review was that chiefs lacked political thinking.”
He said now was the best time to review the Act because “it no longer serves its purpose”.
Like any other legislation, he said, the draft report of the Act would be tabled, read and debated before being passed in Parliament.
