Methodist Church decision a dismay: NCBBF

The National Council for Building a Better Fiji (NCBBF) is dismayed that the Methodist Church Conference has rejected the draft Peoples Charter without giving it an opportunity to explain it to the conference participants. 

Ratu Epeli Ganilau offered to explain the draft Peoples Charter in a letter to the former President of the Methodist Church, Rev. Laisiasa Ratabacaca.  There was no response to the offer.

The General Secretary of the Methodist Church, Rev. Tuikilakila Waqairatu,  talks about the need for democracy but he does not follow an important principle of democracy which is that the church members must have the opportunity to hear both sides of an issue before deciding to take positions. 

The NCBBF would also like to point out that many of the indigenous Fijians, who have responded positively to the ideas in the Peoples Charter, are Methodists.  They have expressed support for the draft Peoples Charter because they see it as a basis for their personal, communal and national development. 

Many people too are amused by the new moralistic and legalistic tone of the Methodist Church leadership.  People will remember that the Methodist Church leadership had supported the illegalities associated with the coups of 1987 and 2000, and also the abrogation of the Constitutions resulting from these coups.  Many people are asking: why the difference of position this time?  The NCBBF, however, accepts that the Methodist Church has the right to take this view, but it should be consistent in its exposal of democracy and the rule of law by listening to both sides of the issue.

The draft Peoples Charter has been put out as the way forward to return Fiji to constitutional democracy and the rule of law and to end the coup culture. 

Rev. Waqairatu has not substantiated his belief that the draft Peoples Charter, when implemented, will be the cause of racial conflict and future coups.  He has not said how the Methodist Church and the SDL Party will foster peaceful ethnic relations and stop future coups without the support of the RFMF and the Police.

The 11 Pillars of the Peoples Charter are about addressing poverty and improving how the decisions of future governments can improve our standard of living and lift many people out of poverty. 

The Statement recognized that the draft Peoples Charter “proposes some noble principles” but then claims the Charter is “not worth the paper they are written on” because “they are not written in the hearts of the people”.  The draft Peoples Charter reflects the aspiration the many people that have been consulted. 

Most of the draft Peoples Charter is not about legal changes but about improving human relations and conduct.  That is what the Methodist Conference should have focused on.  The statement by Rev. Waqairatu does not explain his belief that the Peoples Charter is a dangerous document. 

Members of the Methodist Church should not be misled by the claim that the draft Peoples Charter will be imposed on the people.  The draft Peoples Charter is being taken to the People of Fiji to discuss and for them to indicate their opinion on whether they will support it or not.  They must decide in terms of their own free will their responses to the Peoples Charter.  That is in direct contrast to the position taken by Rev. Tuikilakila Waqairatu and his colleagues.  They forced their minority views upon the members of the Church, without allowing the Conference to hear directly from the NCBBF that produced this draft Peoples Charter.

The draft Peoples Charter does not “sacrifice any Christian tenets of beliefs”.  Rev. Waqairatu has not pointed out which parts of the draft Peoples Charter sacrifice the “essence of the Christian faith”.  The NCBBF is willing to correct any parts of the draft Peoples Charter that are offensive to the Christian faith.

On the issue of “Fijian” as a common name for all people of Fiji, this will not have any effect on the indigenous Fijians ownership of land which is fully protected under the Constitution.  Rev. Waqairatu is again misleading the indigenous Fijians, as it is clearly stated in the draft Peoples Charter that indigenous Fijian land ownership is not the issue.  The issue is access to productive use of land.  This is a national concern that needs to be tackled in a constructive, inclusive and consensual way that will benefit the interest of the nation in the elimination of poverty and the development of the country.

 It is inconsistent for the new leadership of the Methodist Church to call for a dialogue with the interim Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, when they had rejected the President’s invitation to be part of the NCBBF and, recently refused to allow the Methodist Church Conference to hear directly from the NCBBF on the issue of the draft Peoples Charter. 

The NCBBF calls on the members of the Methodist Church in Fiji to respect the  view of the current leaders of the Methodist Church, but exercise their individual freedom to get copies of the draft Peoples Charter, to read them, attend meetings that are being organized and make their own decisions. 

Adi Finau Tabakaucoro
[Member of the Media Committee]
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR BUILDING A BETTER FIJI