ONE Nation Party leader Tupou Draunidalo says Fiji has managed without the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (BLV) for the past 16 years and can continue to do so, questioning the need to restore the institution under the proposed Constitution.
Speaking at the Fijian Media Association town hall meeting in Nasinu last night, Ms Draunidalo said she supported the traditional chiefly system but did not believe the BLV was necessary.
“We’ve done without them for 16 years. We can do without them,” she said.
“I support the chiefly system. It will be with us until we die. The next generation until they die. But the BLV is a colonial British construct.”
Ms Draunidalo argued that traditional chiefs should instead focus on addressing the challenges facing their communities, particularly drugs, HIV and poverty.
“The chiefs need to serve their people on the ground,” she said.
She questioned whether traditional leaders had put forward meaningful solutions to these social problems.
“I haven’t heard one useful proposal from them.”
Ms Draunidalo also challenged claims that the 2013 Constitution suffered from a democratic deficit, arguing that it provided for direct public participation through a referendum.
She welcomed calls by a Deputy Prime Minister for the proposed constitutional changes to be put to the people.
“I’m happy to hear that Deputy Prime Minister keeps saying, ‘Go to the referendum, go to the referendum, go to the referendum.’ Amen.”
However, she questioned what she described as the absence of a referendum requirement in the proposed Constitution.
“Only the 2013 Constitution, the only Constitution that has given referendum and direct say to the people, and in their own draft, guess what? There is no referendum.”
Ms Draunidalo said the issue of democratic legitimacy could ultimately be tested in court.
“I would like to see when we challenge it in the Supreme Court what the Supreme Court is going to say about the democratic deficit there.”
