Clinging on to an old relic that has become irrelevant and is best consigned to history books makes no sense

At least four major political parties have declared that they want to bring back the Great Council of Chiefs. They are SODELPA, Unity Fiji, National Federation Party and the Fiji Labour Party. SODELPA and Unity Fiji have got it in their manifesto.

The NFP and the FLP have supported similar sentiments in the past but we have yet to see their manifesto whether it is expressly written there.

The People’s Alliance has not released its manifesto but its public knowledge that its stalwarts including its leader, Sitiveni Rabuka, support the same idea.

Mr Rabuka himself, had declared publicly when he was party leader for SODELPA that within 100 days of the party becoming Government if it won the 2018 election, it would reinstate the GCC.

Secondly, Mr Rabuka said he would revert the equal distribution of lease money to the old way, where the chiefs received the lion’s share.

Already the party has said this will not happen and it will stick to the equal distribution of lease money, a FijiFirst Government initiative that is popular among many iTaukei landowners. Many chiefs would support a return to the old way because it benefits them the most.

The restoration of the GCC could be seen as a step in that direction.

It should not be a tough choice for The PA.

The pro-indigenous lobby in The PA including Mr Rabuka and his cohorts of defectors from SODELPA would push for the return of the GCC, especially if the NFP is lending its support.

It does not want to be left behind in the battle for iTaukei votes when two of its major rivals, SODELPA and Unity Fiji want to bring back the GCC.

SODELPA plans to rewrite the role of the GCC to ensure that it plays a more meaningful part in nation building and be consistent with one of the major pillars of its policies – the economic empowerment of iTaukei in relation to their land and natural resources.

Unity Fiji seems to be echoing the same sentiments by trying to give iTaukei more power to decide on the lease and development of their land and natural resources for commercial purposes.

Until all the manifestos are released, speculations will continue on what the parties have up their sleeves as the countdown continues to December 14 polling day.

The spotlight is on The PA over its policies, especially on the GCC.

Only one party, the FijiFirst, which abolished GCC because it became a hotbed for politics, raising the question of its relevance of it’s supposedly core role as the voice of reason, peace, unity and stability.

It could not stop the iTaukei agitation and street demonstrations that led to the 1987 and 2000 coups and the devastating economic impact of the ensuing civil unrest.

Its existence was a token one and it was obvious that it did very little to enhance the economic position of the iTaukei. Since its abolition, we have not heard any protests from ordinary iTaukei, except from those with vested political interest.

Whether the push by some political parties to have the GCC restored means they could be out of touch with the ordinary iTaukei, it looks like a desperate attempt to win votes.

At least for SODELPA it is looking at amending the GCC role to justify the cost of bringing it back. Otherwise, it makes no sense.

The GCC is an old relic of a bygone era, used by the British colonialists to entrench their power and influence in Fiji, has become irrelevant and is best consigned to the history books. nemani.delaibatiki@fijisun.com.fj