The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) says it is “appalling that the FijiFirst Government does not intend to ratify or adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)”.
SODELPA leader Viliame Gavoka said this in a statement issued yesterday to mark International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
“We have made it clear in the past that a SODELPA government will ratify and adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which was passed as a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly on 13 September, 2007,” he said.
Mr Gavoka said SODELPA has “always been vocal on issues concerning the iTaukei people of Fiji who have been recently marginalised due to non-consensual and discriminatory changes done to their administration which upholds their values, principles and most importantly their economic development”.
“While we endeavour to represent all the many diverse ethnicities that exists in Fiji today, we reiterate the demand to uphold the human rights of the iTaukei and other indigenous peoples residing in Fiji.”
Mr Gavoka said celebrating International Day for Indigenous Peoples came at a crucial point in Fiji’s history as the country approached another general election scheduled later this year.
“SODELPA has always been wrongly labelled as an advocate for far-right ideologies.
“But this is further from the truth, as SODELPA is more of a center-right movement taking into consideration and of uttermost importance the equal development of other ethnicities.”
- Questions sent to FijiFirst general secretary and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum on the comments made by Mr Gavoka remained unanswered when this edition went to press.
