The former Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating, once triggered a furore when he described the upper house of the Australian parliament – the Senate – as “unrepresentative swill”. He was suggesting that unlike members of the lower house – the House of Representatives – senators chosen from party lists weren’t as representative of the people as MPs directly elected by their constituents in individual seats.
Take a look at the accompanying photo of the members of the Great Council of Chiefs at their meeting this week and decide for yourself how representative they are of the Fijian people and even iTaukei as a whole.
Naturally, there is no-one who isn’t indigenous. And Grubsheet can see only three women in a sea of men – 69 on my count. Yet these people have been given the power of veto by the Coalition – including Biman Prasad’s NFP – of any decision made by elected representatives in the Fijian Parliament that affects the iTaukei.
Sitiveni Rabuka calls restoring the GCC a “leap into the future” – hereditary chiefs in an organisation created by the British in colonial times given the right to thwart the democratic will of the people.
What do you think, Fiji?
——————————
POSTSCRIPT: It is outrageous that the national broadcaster, FBC, has given a platform to the man directly responsible for the deaths of seven RFMF soldiers in the mutiny of 2000 – the Qaranivalu, the high chief of Naitasiri, Ratu Inoke Takiveikata – to claim that the iTaukei have been disadvantaged. (see below)
Ratu Inoke is only just out of jail having been found guilty of instigating the mutiny, in which three loyal RFMF soldiers were murdered in cold blood and four rebels were subsequently beaten to death. He does not deserve to cry poor and shame on FBC for failing to mention any of his squalid background.
A lesson in good governance from this murderous swine? Unbelievable. The mainstream media has plunged to new depths of journalistic depravity.
Ajai Kumar says
They have kalavata shirts. The only thing to complete the picture are dark glasses for sleeping during meetings. Does the PM think these chiefs will turn all the i Taukei’s to vote for him in the next elections?
Nick says
Ratu Inoke convicted for treason and inciting mutiny which led to death of loyal soldiers gets freed on a presidential pardon after govt application through mercy committee now gets front seat at GCC. What a turnaround. Only in Fiji where the rule of law has gone to the jungle. Different laws in Fiji now, one for elite iTaukei who can do anything and still get away with it whilst poor iTaukei will remain slaves to the chiefs and plunge deeper into poverty.Change the people wanted.
Fjord Sailor says
Well, if these bunch of old men and women who are so out of touch with modern day economics and governance are now deciding what is good for the Fijian people, why carry on the farcical elections? Get rid of it as it’s no longer needed.
Let Fiji go back to the days where everything is based on race, who you know, what your chiefly status is and the province you come from. Why bother hiring people who are qualified and can take the country forward for everyone?
I suppose vulagis don’t count as a part of Fiji anymore so let the chiefs decide the future for the Fijians. After all, anyone other than a Fijian in the new Fiji being defined by this useless mob no longer have a say in anything.
Pita says
Ratu Inoke blames the previous government for the ill treatment of indigenous people, but fails to understand his actions in 2000 coup and other rebellious groups is the reason 75% Itaukei live in poverty.
He is a bloody hypocrite who likes to play come out of the jail and attack the previous government and not his own actions. The Itaukei people should ask Ratu Inoke why other races were not confident in the Itaukei chief’s for so long. The answer is simple, 1987 and 2000. You cannot rape and murder other races and expect them to have trust and confidence in you.
I just don’t understand how the young educated Itaukei men and women are missing from GCC. Such a shame, Fiji is the only nation that sees ex police and military as God. We have so many uneducated military and policeman form 6 school leavers running the nation.
This is why Fiji is a backward nation. Why our doctors, engineers, high rank agricultural officials not being involved in I taukei affairs, great council of chiefs should be merit based. Should contain highly educated people to lead the Itaukei. The whole nation and GCC is stuck in the past. Every man for himself.
No good will ever come out of this GCC. Money changes people’s mind and soon all of this Great people won’t be that great to begin with.
Sad Observer Scared for Fiji says
The uneducated are easier to absorb into dangerous dogma. They don’t think as independently, nor challenge ideas. They are chosen to just blindly follow direction of those pushing extremist agendas, and are easier to corrupt with bribery and blackmail. This is why the educated and wise are overlooked and merit undervalued – it won’t serve the agenda to do so. Under the delusion of positive discrimination of the indigenous, Fiji is heading for self-destruction that will impact all….perhaps even more so the itaukei. Sad is an understatement.
Lady Justice says
Sad state of affairs. This is a heavily Methodist Church representative of the native people. Catholicism is universal. So you have generations of natives that were raised under these Catholic doctrines that have a much broader sense of being inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness. Voters will end up voting based on these facts. Religion has been part of our education system for more than a hundred years. So a legal and electoral system has to be created to meet this stark reality to come out if this doldrum of racism and every other negative effects that it derives from it.
Paula Raqeukai says
Have some respect to our Chiefs – even before the British colonized Fiji in 1874, the chiefs have their own “Bose-Vanua” within their respective Tribes. Great Council of Chiefs was a model created by the British Government to bring about law and order in Fiji and at the same time assisted in the best way to govern the indigenous Fijians.
Likewise, to govern their land resources and iQoliqoli (Traditional-Customary Fishing Grounds) their need a governing body such as GCC to be their voices to the British Government.
Time has change and the GCC need to change its course to suit the time we are living in as most indigenous Fijians are struggling to sustain their livelihood in the charted commercial water. However, indigenous Fijians should work together with its separate LOU to register its “Land-Trust Model” with TLTB to independently develop & manage its own land resources and access the 414 iQoliqoli resources to sustain their livelihood with partly funding from the “Itaukei Trust Fund $50 Million”.
Most importantly indigenous Fijians should use the “solesolevaki-model” to move their respective “LOU-Land Trust Model” forward. This include better education to their respective LOU members, job opportunities, love one another inclusively including non-indigenous, learning & understanding the business world, practicing good governance at all levels, hard-savings, minimize and end all unnecessary traditional obligations/functions, temperance in all things, obedience to the LAW, and prioritize serving the God Almighty in Spirit and Truth. This is the way forward for the indigenous Fijians and their Chiefs.
I still believe you should leave the chiefs and the indigenous Fijians to decide for themselves what they want for now and the future. To them their “Lotu to the God Almighty”, and “Veiwekani” will go with them to the grave.
Graham Davis says
People need to earn respect. They don’t deserve it unconditionally and especially low life, murderous criminals like the Qaranivalu. And in a genuine democracy, no unelected group should have the right of veto over elected representatives. Fiji has just taken a giant leap into the past.
Paula Raqeukai says
Judge yourself first before pointing finger at the Qaranivalu – GCC has a role to play to the “Vanua” and the lives of the indigenous people, leave them alone who are you to judge? Let God the Almighty be the judge!
Graham Davis says
Judge myself “before pointing a finger at the Qaranivalu”? For God’s sake, he is responsible for the killing of seven human beings during his abortive attempt to seize power. God will be his judge alright. But I also have the right to judge him for his actions here on earth and so does anyone else with half a brain and any sense of decency.
Ajai Kumar says
Graham, the Qaranivalu’s posturing with chest out looks like he is the king of the idiots collectively called the GCC.
Frank says
The GCC is a mirror of the U.K’s useless House of Lord’s, unelected body whoes sole purpose it would appear is to block everything from the House of Commons.
Sean says
You have to be an i-taukei to understand the relevance of the GCC. Since nearly 90% of land is communally owned by landowning units these chiefs preside over, their influence is important in Fiji’s national affairs. That s just a fact of life we have to live with. It’s heartening to see though that the Chairmansihip is given to someone who is not a paramount chief and hopefully he can make the body evolve with the times.
Perpetually Disgusted says
Fiji is now all about iTaukei supremacy!
That’s the attitude coming out on the streets.
Unelected and prejudiced says
God is a very recent and vulagi concept taken up with such passion by the Vanua. People do not even realise it. The traditional thing to do would have been to lovo those killed during the abortive coup. I guess some traditions have been discarded.
I think the vulagi laws do not appy to the Vanua and to chiefs, only certain things are taken up with passion, such as a vulagi religion – its all to do with what is convenient at the time.
Lady Justice says
God is what each individual perceives him to be. The same way each individual should perceive a political candidate who campaigns in their own right, in their own funding and not piggy back on the party leader.
When you stand before your maker, you’re own your own. No-one will speak on your behalf. The same mentality should be with the voter and the candidate.
With the present electoral system, we have cockroaches, gluttons, criminals, pastors and the lowest of the social hierarchy can be commissioned as a minister.
Paula Raqeukai says
With full brain, we do not have the decent to judge anyone who breaks the LAW because that is why the LAW is there to take of it…what I am trying to say here is morale decent for anyone who knows and believes in the Living God, Yahweh, the God Almighty…my point is who are you to decide the destination of my chiefs and how we should govern ourselves?
Have some decent respect for my chiefs and the indigenous Fijians, let them decide their destination…we as indigenous Fijians do not judge the way you ill-treated the Aborigines’ who are the indigenous people of Australia…go and stuff yourself first in your own backyard!
Graham Davis says
For a start, I didn’t ill-treat the aborigines. And as a Fiji-born Fijian citizen, I will say what I damn well please. You were clubbing and eating each other before the white man came and brought you the “Living God, Yahweh”. So you live in a glass house and would do well to keep a civil tongue in your head.
Paula Raqeukai says
Your ancestral were responsible for the ill-treatment and genocides’ of the Aborigines – the natives of Australians so that includes you, whether you are born in Fiji or not it does not matter, it is in your blood already.
You cannot the Holy Spirit Movement in these last days, even your father was part of the vessels that brought it to my ancestors and I am humbled with it…
So my point what is wrong with my Chiefs deciding what is good for them, while you in a white glass house keep attacking them…have some dignity left in you to leave us alone as indigenous Fijians deciding for our future…we love everybody and welcome everyone in Fiji, but why can’t we decide for ourselves whether via GCC or with our own “tokatoka-mataqali” or tribe for that matter…
Please have some respect to our GCC and the indigenous Fijians!
Dejected says
Paula with that level of primitive thinking, no wonder you were fired from USP.
Paula Raqeukai says
Dejected, hiding your true identity shows much about yourself and your level primitive mentality of being afraid of the truth- truth will always hurt people like you…show your name first so that you can have the liberty to call USP and ask the institution about me…easy for people like you to make false accusations stick to issue…have some dignity in respecting my Chiefs and the indigenous Fijians…leave them to decide their own destination…
Liberty says
Oh please. What a load of Hogwash. The chiefs in Fiji (Most) do NOTHING except trod their big bellies around to the next function, live off those that work hard on land they abandoned, sit around the kava basin on top of mass abuse of power of authority. Demographics tell you all you need to know. Go back and rule your Koro’s prior to any veto of democracy.
Anonymous says
GCC should tend to their villages, islands and districts first which are in dire straights. The surge of physical abuse, drug abuse, sexual abuse, crime, lack of education and individuals flocking from the rural to urban areas in search of better opportunities for themselves says all you need to know.
We now witness the rise of the snakes head in the form of the GCC. This is the problem when predominately itaukei are elected to lead a nation. First and foremost, they can’t lead themselves properly. FijiFirst wasn’t perfect but their abolishing of the GCC was one of the best decisions they made. Go back and and rule your villages and districts proper. You have no place in a democratically elected Government and Rabuka should be ashamed of himself. Now we can all witness Fiji move 100 steps back and sink further into the hole of oblivion. As someone so aptly put it
“The Itaukeis in particular (most anyway) are some of the most, highly opinionated, judgmental yet closed-minded people.
This is why their progress as a community compared to others is slowwwwww.
The malua bus.
Could very well be atributed, to a lack of exposure to different perspectives.
Most stay in one place, in all their lives, all they do is gossip and judge other people when their own lives are pathetic”
Travel get out there, me tadola nomu minds.
Joji says
The height of racism in this country is truly shocking. And its not only racism towards the ‘vulagi’s’ but our own people, the i-Taukei, who have awareness that the country is going downhill and there is no real future for them or their children who are also leaving in droves- the writing is on the wall. Educated people including teachers are leaving in droves… Go read lyrics of the National anthem of Fiji and understand what it meant for the once a upon a time “united Fiji” which all races helped build …..”as we stand united under Noble banner blue ….onward march together….let our voices ring with pride….a land of freedom hope and glory…stand united we of Fiji, fame and glory ever…onward march together…” All Fijians (despite their ethnicity) upon hearing the anthem be it at rugby match, school or event would rise to their feet and stand straight with their chest out feeling proud of their motherland.
How much we have fallen. People are being brainwashed and unfolding of all this nonsense makes me really sad. Anyone who works towards dividing people than uniting them is not #myleader nor worthy of any respect. Cry our beloved country cry!
D4DEADLY says
I do not see anyone in that picture who represents my interests as an iTaukei.
Just the same old, grog-doped-looking people with no vigour, vitality or vision.
Gobsmacked says
Some of the folks pictured barely had money for bus fare and now all of a sudden are people of ‘affluence’ – remarkable how one’s luck can change. Have the wrong crowd govern and you see how dead-weights are being put on pedestal, regardless, if they have pea-brain, lack credentials, have demonstrated bad judgement, criminal record, no experience of the commercial world – pretty much out of touch with reality. Yup, you’ll be wiped out of oblivious in no time and you’ll be responsible for your own destruction. Sadly, you will take down all the good that has been done with you, yet you will never learn.
Real Estate dealer says
It was the chiefs who sold off taukei lands to Europeans, it was the chiefs who drove off taukei inhabitant from these lands, and it was the chiefs who sold the occupants of these lands into servitude in the cotton plantations prior to the Deed of Cession. The Tui Cakau was one of the worst, selling off islands in northern Lau and flat fertile lands in Taveuni and along the coast of Vanua Levu mainly to feed his alcoholic habits. People like Paula Raqeukai refuses to see that and acknowledge that the biggest problems to the ordinary itaukei through history have been the chiefs themselves.
Nakauvadra says
Where was Rt Vuniani Navuniuci, one of the claimants to the disputed Tui Nadi title who was photographed on the Day 1 opening of the GCC sitting confidentially in the front row two places down from Prime Ministe, Rabuka. He is, however, no where to be seen in the official group shot above taken on the final day of the GCC. Did he leave quietly? Or was he asked to because in customary and regular law only those chiefs confirmed in their positions can attend the GCC and other official functions. To do so would be in contempt of the Supreme Court where the dispute over the Tui Nadi title currently resides. Rt Vuniani is currently President of the PAP Party. His case was being represented in the Supreme Court by Simione Vakawaletabua lawyers, whereas the other claimant to the title Rt Asiveni Dawai is represented by lawyer Isireli Fa. On Day 1 Rt Meli Saukuru, the Tui Navo, the longest serving chief of his Vanua in Fiji (47 years) was voted in as First Deputy Chairman of the GCC. It’s noticeable that all chiefs with past political involvement we’re not nominated to any position. Though on the other hand, the Vanua of Navo is considered tributary to the Tui Nadi and it could of been maybe too painful for the claimant to watch to see an underling elevated to a position that would place him above him in the pecking order of traditional protocol. Getting drawn in to a chiefly title dispute is truly a time consuming and costly exercise. The good thing about this GCC though is that chiefs have learnt that using chiefly titles to get into political positions can also prove costly as well.
Annoyed says
GCC another waste of time. They not going to do anything for the I taukei. Just a body of idiots thinking they know best for they people. What a waste of taxpayer dollars. Let’s not worry about the basics like roads, hospitals, etc..let’s build them a castle so they can talk shit. ..
GuyFawkes says
“……..The Power To Veto….”
Isn’t that unconstitutional.
What are the guardians of our constitution doing ???
JayCee says
The children of Fiji today have so many other issues to contend with concerning their immediate future than the ramblings of a generation holding on desperately to maintain some semblance of relevance and influence in the political, social and especially the economic spheres of our beloved country.
The developments occurring around the world as of right now have greater influence on the choices people are making concerning whether they remain in Fiji or not than whatever any political party or institution does or doesn’t do.
Ordinary hardworking people are beginning to realise things and one of the things that heads the list is that ruling governments that are made up of people just like themselves only truly care about their self-interests and those closest to them. More importantly is that part of this realization includes knowing that all the freebies that are thrown about by governments are paid for by hardworking people who just want to make and have an honest living.
Anonymous says
“Kalavata and Austerity”
[FBC news 3rd Sept 2023:
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has urged people to steer clear of materialistic lifestyles, considering the alarming number of Fijians living in poverty.
He stressed the issue during his address to the people of Navatu in Savusavu earlier this week and applauded their men and women who have opted to forego finer things such as “KALAVATA” during celebrations.] End.
Obviously the PM’s message has not got through ! Or it’s only meant for the serfs !!