Options offered on supremacy of Fijians

Press, 11 June 1987, Page 4

Options offered on supremacy of Fijians

NZPA special correspondent Suva A discussion paper prepared by the Great Council of Chiefs on proposed changes to the Constitution offers three options which would ensure Fijian supremacy in a new parliament. In all three proposals, Fijians would have 75 per cent of the seats in a 52member House of Representatives, the “Fiji Times” reported yesterday.

The “Times” said that the first proposal suggested representation based on the traditional system of choosing representatives to Fijian district and provincial councils.

The second sought the election of the Prime Minister on a popular

vote, similar to the United States presidential election.

The third proposes communal representation linked with land ownership.

The “Fiji Times” said that the discussion paper had been sent to the Gov-ernor-General, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, and his council of advisers for discussion.

The Governor-General has not yet announced the committee that will review the constitution. In a radio broadcast last Sunday, Ratu Sir Penaia announced that all sections of the community would be invited to give their views on the proposed changes to the Constitution.

He had reaffirmed that the Constitution would be changed to strengthen the rights of the ethnic Fijians

and those changes would be done legally. The discussion paper of the Great Council of Chiefs says the present system of election and representation has enabled the Indian population to gain political control in Fiji (population 700,000), where the ethnic Fijians are outnumbered by Indian migrant workers.

The discussion paper says the Constitution should be changed to meet the demands of the ethnic Fijians to retain, in perpetuity, the political leadership and control of Fiji.

It wants the position of the Governor-General to be held forever by a Fijian of chiefly rank. It also wants the senate, or upper house to be renamed the House of Chiefs and be made up of

chiefs. The Prime Minister, At-torney-General, the Secretary to the Cabinet, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the chairman of the Fiji Public Service Commission (who governs civil service appointments) and the Commander of the Royal Fiji Military Forces should all be Fijians.

The Great Council of Chiefs, the supreme deci-sion-making body of the ethnic Fijians, also wants Fiji to become a sovereign State with the word "democracy” removed from the Constitution.

The first option of a system of representation based on choosing representatives of Fijian district and provincial councils should be adopted to elect members of Parliament, depending on the

size and geographical location.

An electoral system should be developed for Fijians living in towns and cities, but their membership should be restricted to prevent a recurrence of the urban swing which helped to topple the Fijian-dominated Alliance Party in the April general elections.

The chiefs’ first option says that in a house of representatives with 52 members, membership would be: the 14 Fijian provincial councils, 32 members; Fijian urban representatives, seven; Vasu I Taukei (non-Fijians with Fijian mothers) one (Fijian origin depends on the race of the father); Europeans (whites) and part-Europeans, one; Chinese and part-Chinese, two; Pacific Islanders, one; Hindus, four;

Muslims, three; others, one.

The second proposal says that the election of the Prime Minister should be made on a popular national vote and the candidate must win 60 to 75 per cent of the Fijian votes.

Once elected, the Prime Minister would have the power to select from all either elected members or non-politicians his own Cabinets — at least twothirds of whom would be Fijians.

This is similar to the United States presidential election.

The discussion paper recommends that 50 to 60 per cent of the seats should be set aside for Fijians and the remaining seats shared among the rest of the community. Law-making, as at present, would originate from

the two houses of Parliament, but with two modifications.

The senate must be given power to reject a bill, and not simply, as at present, be a house of review.

The Prime Minister and his Cabinet must approve all bills before the Gover-nor-General’s consent is sought.

The paper says this proposal is a compromise between the United States and Westminister models.

The third option, the “Fiji Times” says, is to combine the concept of communal representations with land ownership. Fijians will be elected by the 14 provinces. The people of Rotuma and the people of Rabi will each elect a representative. The Indians will elect some members based on their present communal V

constituencies. The general electors (non-Fijians and Indians) will elect members according to their present communal constituencies.

In addition, the balance of members will be elected on the basis of land ownership, that is 83 per cent Fijians and 17 per cent non-Fijians.

This third proposal says the distributions of the 52 seats, all elected communally, should be: Fijians: 16 provincial representatives (includes Rotuma and Rabi), 17 elected on basis of land ownership. Indians: 12 elected on present communal constituencies, two elected on basis of land ownership. General electors: three elected on present communal constituencies, two elected on basis of land ownership. > I