Narsey proposes women and commoners join Great Council of Chiefs

Economist and academic Professor Wadan Narsey has proposed expanding the membership of the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) to include distinguished commoners and more women.

He said the institution must evolve to remain relevant in modern Fiji.

In a submission to the 2026 Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) in Suva on Monday, Mr Narsey said the traditional chiefly system had largely elevated men into leadership positions while offering limited opportunities for women.

He said, apart from chiefly figures such as Ro Teimumu Kepa, there were few women in leadership roles within the GCC.

Mr Narsey also questioned why the GCC had not considered appointing accomplished Fijians to leadership positions.

He compared the GCC with the United Kingdom's House of Lords, where hereditary peers sit alongside appointed members recognised for their contributions to society.

"The GCC has got a lot of hard searching to do to know what its role should be," Mr Narsey said.

"The GCC should continue to play a role in Fiji's governance, but should not have overriding authority in a proposed upper house of Parliament."

Instead, he proposed allocating the GCC a limited number of seats in a Senate alongside nominees from the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and representatives of minority communities, including Rotumans, people of Chinese descent and other ethnic groups.

Supporting continued representation for religious organisations, Mr Narsey said they had leaders who demonstrated integrity and made significant contributions to national life.

He cited Archbishop Peter Loy Chong as an example of a religious leader who had contributed meaningfully to national discussions.