The Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) is supportive of a process to review the 2013 Constitution.
In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, GCC chairman Ratu Viliame Seruvakula said concerns about the Constitution were raised when the council convened their first meeting earlier this year.
Ratu Viliame said at the time, members had raised the possibility of challenging the Constitution in court, however, he had thought it was improper to do so as the courts had already passed a judgement.
He said as he settled into the role of chair, he had come across the spate of challenges faced by the iTaukei community related to the use of natural resources.
“There are aspects in the Constitution that questions the very essence of the structure of iTaukei society,” he said.
“But then, the Government came into play, and I thought this is something for the political masters and let’s see how far they will go with this.”
Ratu Viliame also said the Constitution was the most important official document in the land. However, elements of it were especially restrictive for the iTaukei.
“As we have seen in parts of the world, in countries post-subjugation, there’s always this chaos where they suddenly find their freedom, and in some cases, they don’t know how to handle this.
“They don’t know where to start. They’ve been living day by day because that’s how they’ve been made to live.”
He said for 16 years after 2006, an entire generation had grown up, some of whom even voted in the 2022 election.
Ratu Viliame also stressed on the need to for parents to ensure their children knew what was happening around them.
“Parents need to look at their kids and ask, are they getting the right message? We adults know what’s happening around us, they probably don’t, and we need to guide them accordingly in the right direction, making sure the young generation understand what the norms of society are and what isn’t.”
He also said emphasis must be on public consultation in the case of any constitutional review.
