‘I believe we are all Fijians’ — Rabuka calls for national debate on use of term

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the use of the term “Fijian” should remain open to national debate, pushing back on a proposal to reserve it exclusively for iTaukei people.

“I believe we are all Fijians,” Mr Rabuka told reporters yesterday.

Responding to submissions by the Great Council of Chiefs, he said the issue required broader discussion.

“I think Fijian should be debated. But iTaukei, I believe, is one that belongs to all of us. (Fijian) is not an iTaukei word anyway,” he said.

Mr Rabuka also suggested that if iTaukei people wanted a distinct identity, alternative labels could be considered.