Fiji’s Council of Chiefs is disbanded by army ruler

Fiji’s military ruler has disbanded the Great Council of Chiefs, a leadership tradition in the Pacific island nation for more than 130 years.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama had greatly reduced the power of the council before disbanding it yesterday. His refusal to restore democracy in Fiji has been widely condemned, and Mr Bainimarama accused the council of meddling when it refused to endorse his rule.

His latest move may be an attempt to prevent the council from being written into a constitution that he promised to help produce within the next year, ahead of elections in 2014.

The council was established as the “Native Council” under British rule in 1875. Most of its 55 chiefs inherited their positions.

In a statement, Mr Bainimarama said the chiefs had perpetuated elitism in the nation of 890,000. “The Great Council of Chiefs is a product of our colonial past, and Fiji must now focus on a future in which all Fijians are represented on the same basis,” he said.

“This is a sad day, not only for i-Taukei [Fijians] but also for Fiji as a whole,” said chief Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.

The council had overseen local Fijian chiefs, who collect taxes and provide services for villagers. Under the 1997 constitution, the council also filled nearly half the Senate’s seats.