Methodist Church Urges Return to Constitution with Stronger Chiefs Council

The Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma has submitted proposals for significant constitutional reforms, advocating for the reinstatement of the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) with enhanced powers. Church lawyer Simione Valenitabua presented the submission to the Constitutional Review Commission, emphasizing the need to restore key elements of Fiji's previous governance structures. Valenitabua argued that the GCC's removal from constitutional status lacked sufficient consultation. "The inclusion of the Great Council of Chiefs in the 1997 Constitution through wide consultation and to be removed unilaterally without wide consultation like what we are currently doing as a nation, in the Church’s view, requires the Commission to consider proposing to Parliament that the GCC be elevated from the current regulation or subsidiary legislation enactment to the Constitution," he stated. Furthermore, the Church backs the re-establishment of a bicameral parliamentary system, including a Senate. They believe this would strengthen checks and balances in law-making, particularly concerning issues affecting the iTaukei (indigenous Fijian) population. "The bringing back the Senate will ensure that laws that govern affairs of the iTaukei are guarded or go through rigorous checks and balances in Parliament," Valenitabua added. These proposed changes are part of the Church's broader recommendations aimed at bolstering governance, representation, and traditional leadership structures in Fiji.

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The inclusion of the Great Council of Chiefs in the 1997 Constitution through wide consultation and to be removed unilaterally without wide consultation like what we are currently doing as a nation, in the Church’s view, requires the Commission to consider proposing to Parliament that the GCC be elevated from the current regulation or subsidiary legislation enactment to the Constitution.