SODELPA MP Niko Nawaikula’s motion to refer a petition to stop the Village By-Law consultations and to take it to a Parliamentary Standing Committee, has been defeated in parliament.
Nawaikula said that nearly 400 people have signed the petition and he was also sitting at the bus stand asking people to sign the petition to stop the government’s proposed village by-law consultations.
He says SODELPA wants the village by-laws but not the one being taken around for consultations.
Nawaikula says the ethos and ideals of villagers have been lost as village by-laws were not enforced since 1966.
He also highlighted that he disagrees with people who say that there should a law for everyone as Nawaikula says the iTaukei still need to have laws that only apply to them.
Nawaikula says these village by-laws should be initiated and agreed to by the iTaukei, not by the government of the day.
He says the government has no right to say that a person is lazy if the iTaukei landowner does not want to touch the forest.
Speaker Doctor Jiko Luveni had earlier highlighted that although the petition was signed by people all over Fiji, it does not mean that the petition was taken all over Fiji.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said that this was a bus stand petition and majority of the villagers have asked for the village by-laws.
Bainimarama says the by-laws put in by the colonial government restricts the iTaukei in their current setting.
The Prime Minister says SODELPA is trying to stop the voices of the iTaukei in the villages as the proposed village by-laws have been mooted by the iTaukei.
He also says the consultations continue around the country.
Nawaikula then raised with the Speaker that the Prime Minister should withdraw his comments that he was lying about the petition.
Bainimarama maintained that Nawaikula was economical with the truth as he said that Nawaikula did not take the petition around the country.
