The Fiji Labour Party has sharply criticised what it says are divisive and regressive elements in the Great Council of Chiefs’ submission to the Constitution Review process, singling out proposals to reserve the common name “Fijian” for iTaukei people and to remove provisions declaring Fiji a secular state.
Labour leader and former prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry described the chiefs’ call to reserve the name “Fijian” for iTaukei as discriminatory, saying it rebuffs other races who are equally citizens of Fiji. “The Chiefs’ call to reserve the common name ‘Fijian’ for the iTaukei only is divisive and discriminatory. It is a rebuff to the people of other races who also are citizens of Fiji,” he said, signalling the party’s strong opposition to any constitutional change that would narrow national identity along ethnic lines.
Chaudhry also warned that a proposed removal of the section of the Constitution proclaiming Fiji a secular state would be “alarming”. He pointed out that past Constitutions enshrined freedom of worship and religion and argued that those protections must be retained. “All previous Constitutions… provided for freedom of worship and religion and this should be maintained,” he said.
Framing the response as part of the wider Constitution Review, Chaudhry reiterated Labour’s call for a modern, inclusive, republican constitution that serves the entire population rather than what he termed “vested interests”. He said that a forward-looking charter is necessary not only to safeguard rights and freedoms but also to strengthen democratic governance and social cohesion.
Chaudhry further linked the debate over constitutional identity and protections to Fiji’s history of political instability, noting that the country has experienced four coups and four Constitutions — developments he said have left Fiji “four decades behind in development.” He insisted the time had come to move away from constitutional disruption. “It’s time to stop planning coups and abrogating constitutions,” he said. “It’s time to start building the nation under a government truly dedicated to the wellbeing of all the people.”
The Labour Party indicated it would address other concerns raised in the Great Council of Chiefs’ submission when it makes its own presentation to the Constitution Review Commission. The GCC’s recommendations are among a range of submissions being considered as the Review Commission prepares proposals for a new constitutional framework.
The chiefs’ proposal to reserve the name “Fijian” for indigenous iTaukei has surfaced periodically in national debates about identity, language and entitlements. Labour’s public rebuttal marks the latest flashpoint in the review process, and underscores tensions between calls for recognition of indigenous customary rights and wider demands for an inclusive civic identity that embraces all citizens regardless of ethnicity.
As the Review Commission continues to receive and assess submissions, the Labour Party’s objections signal that any recommendations touching on national identity, religious status and civil liberties are likely to provoke robust contestation from political parties and civil society groups across the country.
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