Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has urged careful, nation-wide debate after the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) submitted a proposal to the Constitution Review Committee seeking to reserve the designation “Fijian” exclusively for indigenous itaukei. Rabuka told reporters yesterday that while indigenous identity must be respected, the term “Fijian” should remain a shared national identifier for all citizens.
“I think Fijian should be debated,” Rabuka said, acknowledging the term’s contested meaning. “I believe we are all Fijian.” He proposed using more specific labels to recognise indigenous identity without eroding a common nationality, suggesting the phrase “Fijian itaukei” to identify indigenous Fijians, and noting there would remain other descriptors such as “Indo-Fijians.”
The GCC submission is one of multiple inputs being considered by the Constitution Review Committee as Fiji continues its review of the 2013 Constitution. Rabuka emphasised that any change to naming or identity in the constitutional context must be approached carefully, pointing to Section 5(1) of the 2013 Constitution which states that “all citizens of Fiji shall be known as Fijians.”
By responding publicly, Rabuka has placed himself at the centre of what could become a broader national conversation about identity, language and rights. Reserving “Fijian” for the itaukei, as proposed by the GCC, would represent a significant shift from the current constitutional wording and could have implications for legal and social frameworks that rely on the term to denote citizenship.
Rabuka framed his stance as balancing the protection of indigenous heritage with the maintenance of a unified national identity. “If itaukei want to have an itaukei identity or label, it can be Fijian itaukei,” he said, underlining his view that indigenous identity is both distinct and part of the national fabric. He did not, in his remarks reported yesterday, outline next steps for how the Government or the Constitution Review Committee might handle the GCC’s recommendation.
The GCC, historically a senior forum of indigenous chiefs, has periodically made submissions on matters affecting itaukei culture and rights. Its latest recommendation adds a high-profile cultural dimension to the constitutional review process, which continues to collect submissions and public input. With the Prime Minister calling for considered debate, the issue is likely to move into public and parliamentary discussion as the Review Committee assesses proposals against the existing constitutional guarantee that all citizens are Fijians.
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