The Citizens Constitutional Forum believes that any new affirmative action programmes in Fiji should be made available to poor people of all races rather than restricting it to the indigenous Fijian population.

Executive Director Reverend Akuila Yabaki's comment comes in response to the discussion at the Fiji Indigenous Business Council Forum.

Yabaki said people from all ethnic backgrounds are facing economic hardship and to single out indigenous Fijians for affirmative action will be unfair and an act of racial discrimination and social injustice to other ethnic groups.

He added that minority ethnic communities are largely landless and do not have qoliqoli rights and rather looking for affirmative action, the indigenous population need to appreciate the majority of land and sea resources they own and consider ways of utilizing them for business and advancement of the country.