Amendments To Fiji Letters Patent
p. 74 · Read in the full issue
Amendments to the Fiji Letters Patent of 1937 were published in the Fiji Royal Gazette of February 14.
One amendment gives male European and Indian Civil Servants the right to be registered as voters in Legislative Council elections, provided they are otherwise qualified. Other amendments deal with the electoral qualifications of European and Indians of mixed descent and of illegitimate children and their descendants.
A further amendment removes the existing right of the Governor to dis allow any vote or resolution of the Leg islative Council.
A minor change is the substitution, in the Letters Patent and in the Royal In structions, of “Financial Secretary’’ for the formerly used term “Treasurer” of the Colony.
THE amendment concerning civil ser vants removes the proviso that no person “holding any office of emolu ment under the Crown in the Colony” shall be qualified to be registered as a voter.
Male Europeans and Indians of mixed descent may now be registered as voters (if otherwise qualified) so long as they can trace descent in a direct line on the male side to a male European or Indian ancestor respectively. Formerly, Indians of mixed descent could not be registered and the previous wording left room for doubt in the case of part-Europeans. Ap plicants for registration as European electors must be able to read, write and speak English.
Illegitimate children and their descen dants may now be registered as voters (if otherwise qualified) provided that the identity of the father can be proved either by an order of a competent Court (for instance in affiliation proceedings) or by the father’s signature to the birth registration form. This provision is new.
It should be noted that although Civil Servants may now vote in Legislative Council elections they are still not able to become elected members of the Coun cil. -From a Fiji Public Relations Bulletin.