Fiji Great Council of Chiefs meeting extended after no collective agreement

The two day Fiji Great Council of Chiefs meeting to discuss Fiji's future has been extended for today after failing to reach a collective agreement yesterday afternoon.

Today's meeting is expected to be wrapped up around midday with drafted resolutions agreed upon by the highest legal social authority in the country.

The Fiji Great Council of Chiefs comprise three confederacies known as Burebasaga, Kubuna and Tovata. Yesterday members of the Great Council of Chiefs have broken up into the three confederacies of Fiji to discuss critical issues affecting the country.

It is understood the Burebasaga and Kubuna confederacies want an end to the current crisis through the constitution and want deposed Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, to resign and ousted President Ratu Josefa Iloilo to return to office. They also want an interim government to be formed as soon as possible. However, there is still a split on that matter in the Tovata confederacy. The chiefs also could not reach a consensus on whether the military should be granted immunity as of yesterday.

Meanwhile, Army spokesman Major Neumi Leweni has said that the GCC does not have the legal powers to decide on immunity for the commander and the soldiers. He said the army would continue with their plans despite opposition.

"There is no turning back now, what's done is done and the proposals they are coming up with is too late," Leweni said. Leweni reiterated that what the GCC was doing was irrelevant and should not be taken seriously. "We are in charge here and we make the rules," he said.

Source: FijiLive