Litia Cava 
Chairperson Ratu Viliame Seruvakula [file photo]
The Great Council of Chiefs states the 2013 Constitution lacks cultural legitimacy and undermines Fiji’s democratic capacity, even as the Supreme Court confirmed its continued legal validity.
Chairperson Ratu Viliame Seruvakula said unamendable provisions limit Fijians from adapting the constitutional framework to changing societal needs.
He said resilience requires a structure that protects but also allows reform, stressing that a lasting constitution must be rooted in lived values and communal consensus.
Ratu Viliame said the GCC respects the Court’s conclusion under the rule of law but stands as the voice of the iTaukei vanua and the broader Fijian identity.
He urged leaders to open pathways for inclusive constitutional review involving chiefs, grassroots communities, civil society, the business sector, women, youth, the elderly, people with disabilities and others.
The GCC said the ruling reinforces the 2013 Constitution as Fiji’s supreme law under common law but exposes a deep democratic fissure.
Ratu Viliame said this demands a national effort to shape a constitutional future that is legally sound, culturally grounded and responsive to the most vulnerable
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