The Fiji Labour Party claims that there are clear indications that some elements in the Coalition government are still pursuing the same old course and are jockeying for political positions to achieve their aim through the Great Council of Chiefs.

This has been highlighted by party leader Mahendra Chaudhry, who urges those closely associated with other political parties and those nominated for the Great Council of Chiefs chair positions to be disqualified.

Chaudhry, in a statement, says the Great Council of Chiefs should pursue a development agenda for the indigenous community and protect itself from becoming a platform for those seeking political dominance over other communities.

He claims that the GCC made that mistake three times by supporting military coups that forcibly removed democratically elected governments in 1987 and 2000, which have seriously damaged relations between the two major communities in Fiji.

Chaudhry claims that treasonous acts by those involved have largely gone unpunished because of the constitutional immunity granted to the perpetrators of the coups.

He further claims that Fiji’s depressed economic and social conditions, with high unemployment and poverty, are directly the result of those tragic events.

We are trying to obtain a comment from the coalition government.