Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji]

The Bill for an act to amend the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act has been passed today following a robust debate in Parliament.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama while contributing to the debate clarified that the amendment does not have any consequences in the registration of i-Taukei in the Vola ni Kawa Bula.

Bainimarama adds that the VKB is not under attack from this amendment.

“Registration of new births under the BDM Registration Act is separate and different to the registration in the VKB under the i-Taueki Lands act 1905.”

Opposition MP Anare Jale [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji]

Opposition MP Anare Jale while contributing to the debate in Parliament says there are issues with women being able to register their children.

“If we are giving them the power to a woman to register her child under the registrar of birth she can name the father in that registration without the knowledge of that particular person.”

Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji]

Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in response says that such comment can be seen as sexist.

“What honorable Jale was saying is fundamentally many feminists would argue and say that it is very sexist because there is an assumption that women who give birth have a proclivity to lie about who the father is.”

The Prime Minister expressed disappointment on the wrongful interpretation of the act by the Opposition.