Background To The

London Conference

On Fiji's Future

From the British Information Services

London

A conference will open in London on July 26, to discuss changes in the constitution of Fiji. The talks will seek to fur ther Fiji’s progress towards in ternal self-government while preserving a continuing link with Britain. The British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr.

Anthony Greenwood, has invited all 18 unofficial members of the Fiji Legislative Council to take part in the conference.

FIJI first became a British Colony by a Deed of Cession in 1874.

It consists of two large and some 840 small islands and islets in the south-western Pacific. The multi racial population of nearly 500,000 comprises Indians (50 per cent.), Fijians (41 per cent.), Europeans and part-Europeans (5 per cent.), and small communities of Chinese and of immigrants from other Pacific islands.

The Indian population is descended mainly from indentured labourers brought into the colony before 1917.

Present Constitution

An Order-in-Council made pro vision in early 1963 for a new con stitution, including an expanded Legislative Council and a greatly extended franchise. The Legislative Council, consisting of a Speaker, up :o 19 official and 18 unofficial

members, came into being after elections in April 1963.

The unofficial element consists of four directly elected Fijians and two Fijians elected by the Council of Chiefs—the apex of the system of local administration for the Fijians and formerly an electoral college for the election of all Fijian members of the legislature—four directly elected Indians and two nominated by the Governor, and four directly elected Europeans and two nominated by the Governor.

A further change, not involving any amendment to the constitution, took place on July 1, 1964, when the six unofficial Members of the Executive Council—two Fijians, two Indians

and two Europeans—accepted coi lective responsibility for decisions of that Council. In addition as a pre paration for the later introduction of a full ministerial system, three of the unofficials in the Executive Council— one of each race—were directly as sociated, as “Members”, with the supervision of groups of Government departments, and consequently with the formation and presentation of Government policy for particular subjects.

The Governor continued to preside, and there were four official members —the Chief Secretary, the Attorney- General, the Financial Secretary and the Secretary for Fijian Affairs.

At the same time the Governor

reduced the number of officials serv ing in the Legislative Council to 10, thus creating an unofficial majority there. He retained the right to nominate a further nine members if necessary.

The main problem affecting the pace and method of constitutional development in Fiji derives from the Colony’s racial pattern.

Political Background

The indigenous Fijians, now out numbered by the immigrant Indian community, are concerned at the im plications of constitutional advance without safeguards for their essential interests. They regard Fiji as their country, given by them to Britain under the Deed of Cession of 1874 and held in trust for them by Britain.

They have stated their view that the Deed of Cession created a special relationship between Fiji and Britain and their wish that the link between the two countries should be main tained.

However, subject to this proviso, and to adequate constitutional safe guards for their interests, they are prepared to consider further progress in the direction of internal self government.

The Indian community, for their part, expect to be treated in Fiji as equals with the Fijians, and have made it plain that they would like to see advance to internal self-govern ment on the basis of “one-man one vote” democracy and a common roll.

While, therefore, both the principal communities have agreed to work towards internal self-government, there are substantial differences as to the extent and pace of progress.

The function of the conference will be to attempt to reconcile these differences and to provide as large a measure of advance as possible while retaining appropriate constitutional safeguards and the constitutional link with Britain.

UN Discussions

All communities have made plain their agreement that the conference should not discuss independence.

An assurance on the question of preserving the link with Britain was given by the Governor in a statement to the Legislative Council in August 1963, when, in announcing the British Government’s intention of holding a conference, he said that the con stitutional framework to be worked out would “preserve a continuing link with Britain”.

The United Nations Special Com

mittee of 24 (the Committee on Colonialism) in 1963 and 1964 passed by a majority, resolutions calling on Britain to take imediate steps to hand over power unconditionally to the people of Fiji.

On both occasions the British representative, Mr. Cecil King, affirmed that Britain’s policy towards Fiji was based on the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular on the obligation laid down by Article 73 (b) to “develop self-government, to take due account of the political aspirations of the peoples, and to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions, according to the particular circumstances of each territory and

its people and their varying stages of advancement.”

He stressed that Britain did not intend to impose a particular form of development on Fiji “merely because this has been followed successfully in other territories, far larger, far re moved geographically and with a fai different racial composition.”

It was clear, he said, that there was at present no desire in Fiji for the constitutional links with Britain to be removed: on the contrary there was a strong desire expressed in all quarters that this link should be preserved.

“My Government would certainly not stand in the way of ultimate in dependence for Fiji if this was whal

the people of Fiji wanted; but this Is not the issue at present,” he said.

Commenting on the 1964 resolution, Mr. King said: “It is for the repre sentatives of the people of Fiji, not [or this committee, to decide what lew constitutional arrangements they vish to have for themselves.”

In both 1963 and 1964 the Fiji Legislative Council reacted strongly igainst the UN resolutions. During i debate in November, 1964, a 7 ijian member, Ratu Penaia Ganilau, aid: “What they (the Committee of -4) are concerned with is indepen lence, and they keep on demanding hat independence must be forced on icople regardless of whether they are eady for it or whether they want it.

Ve in Fiji are going quietly on our wn towards the development of the ind of Government we want and ft neither need nor welcome any utside interfence . . . We are proud hat Fiji is a British Colony and rateful for the unity and loyalty lat the British Crown has brought ) Fiji.”

'reparations For Conference

Discussions in preparation for the ondon conference have been going n in Fiji for the past few months, articularly between the Governor nd the unofficial members of the egislative Council and in the ouncil of Chiefs.

In March, the Under-Secretary in large of the Pacific and Indian cean Department of the British olonial Office, Mr. Trafford Smith,

visited the Colony for talks with as sociations and individuals about the future constitution.

His visit was followed, at the end of April, by one from the Under secretary of State for the Colonies, Mrs. Eirene White, who went pri marily to hear the views of indivi duals and groups who would not be directly represented at the conference.

Both Mrs. White and Mr. Trafford Smith spoke of the wide measure of goodwill, understanding and tolerance they had found among the various races in Fiji, despite differences of view on particular issues.

The Fijian economy, which has been steadily expanding in the past few years, is almost wholly agri cultural. Its main exports are sugar and coconut products, which together account for about three-quarters by value of all domestic exports. There is a small, but valuable, gold-mining industry; and the number of agri cultural processing and servicing in dustries is increasing. Tourism is be coming a major source of income and is growing at a rate of 30 to 40 per cent, a year. [ln late July the world sugar position was gravely threatening Fiji’s major industry, but rapidly expanding tourism promises some compensation].

The current five-year development plan, covering the years 1964-68, envisages total expenditure of about £16.9 million, and is being financed from local revenue, loans and British Colonial Development and Welfare grants (averaging about £1.4 million a year).

High Born

Twins

Leading Fijian Ratu K. K. T. Mara (the Member for Natural Resources), who will be in London for the Constitutional con ference, recently be came the father of twins—a boy and a girl. Their arrival means that Ratu Mara and his wife, Adi Lala, now have eight children —five girls and three boys. Adi Lala is holding the twins.

Photo: Stan Whippy.