Fiji’s Minister for Public Works and Transport, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, recently made a significant address to Parliament, highlighting the necessity of evaluating constitutional discussions within the historical context of the nation. He underscored the importance of advancing beyond the dominant legacy of the 2013 Constitution, which he characterized as a framework imposed in accordance with a specific ideology.
Tuisawau traced the evolution of Fiji’s constitutional landscape, which began with the 1970 independence Constitution and evolved through various versions in 1992, 1997, and the major upheaval of 2000. The journey culminated in the 2013 Constitution, which followed the ousting of the SDL government in 2006. He positioned the current constitutional review by the coalition government, which includes the proposed Referendum Bill, as a corrective measure against the prior administration’s ideologically motivated policies.
Concern was expressed regarding the past government’s approach, which he claimed centralized power and restricted cultural freedoms, especially in relation to indigenous traditions and institutions. Tuisawau pointed to the dismissal of the Great Council of Chiefs as a symbolic expression of this ideology, arguing that such views treated cultural bodies as potential challenges to state authority.
He emphasized that mutual respect and the protection of cultural heritage are essential, clarifying that traditional entities like the Great Council of Chiefs and provincial councils do not aspire to dominate the state or pursue independence. Tuisawau also criticized the former government’s exclusion of ethnic data from the national Household Income and Expenditure Survey, arguing that this omission undermined the integrity of statistical analyses and distorted the true socio-economic landscape.
In response to concerns that recognizing indigenous identity and traditional decision-making might lead to separatism, Tuisawau assured that existing legal structures, such as prior and informed consent in matters of land leasing and development, are in place to safeguard these processes. He reaffirmed that cultural practices, including meke and various traditional gatherings, continue to hold a vital place within community life.
Tuisawau’s statements highlight a transformative shift towards acknowledging and valuing the contributions of indigenous institutions, promoting a more inclusive governance model that respects and integrates traditional decision-making into the broader societal framework of Fiji. This perspective offers a hopeful outlook for the future, aiming to foster a harmonious balance between modern governance and cultural heritage.