Govt explains 504,609 iTaukei GCC figure in Constitution Review Commission
Government says the CRC received 1,220 submissions and 3,873 people attended face-to-face consultations at 105 venues.
Saturday 26 September 2026 | 11:00
The Government says 278 chiefs represented 504,609 iTaukei through submissions to the Constitution Review Commission (CRC).
The Office of the Attorney-General has clarified that the figures should not be taken to mean every individual endorsed every aspect of the submission.
The figure was highlighted by the Government in response to questions about participation in the constitutional review process.
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The Office of the A-G said the CRC received collective and representative submissions, in addition to individual submissions and contributions from people who attended face-to-face consultations.
The GCC submissions included figures from provinces across Fiji.
Macuata was represented by 32 chiefs representing 30,759 iTaukei, while Bua had 26 chiefs representing 13,216.
Ba had 16 chiefs representing 122,825 iTaukei, Rewa had 17 chiefs representing 71,777, and Nadroga/Navosa had 47 chiefs representing 39,359.
Tailevu had 21 chiefs representing 49,915, Naitasiri had 21 representing 110,123, and Namosi had 15 representing 7,224.
Kadavu had 12 chiefs representing 10,750, while Lomaiviti had 26 representing 14,827.
Lau was listed as representing 9,403 iTaukei, while Rotuma had seven chiefs representing 1,583 people and Ra was listed as representing 22,848 iTaukei.
Together, the figures accounted for 504,609 iTaukei, with 278 chiefs identified where chief numbers were supplied.
However, the Office of the Attorney-General stressed that the figures should not be interpreted as meaning every individual represented personally endorsed every aspect of the submission.
“These figures should not be interpreted to mean that every individual represented personally endorsed every aspect of the submission,” the statement said.
“Rather, they demonstrate the representative structures through which collective views were brought before the Commission.”
The Government also cited the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma as an example of institutional participation.
The Church made a submission through its legal representative. The Government said the Church had reported a membership of approximately 190,000 in 2026.
However, it stressed that this did not mean all 190,000 members individually made or endorsed the submission.
The Government said such submissions demonstrated the scale of the institutions through which collective submissions were presented.
The CRC received 1,220 submissions, while 3,873 people attended face-to-face consultations at 105 venues.
