“ The Methodist Church is set on a path of hypocrisy and a backward looking policy for Fiji,” says Jone Dakuvula of the Secretariat of The National Council for Building a Better Fiji (NCBBF).

He was responding to an article (Fiji Sun 2 Oct) saying that thirty divisions of the Methodist Church had already signed forms opposing the draft of the Peoples Charter for Change, Peace and Progress.

“Last month at the annual Methodist Conference held in Suva, we made a special effort to supply them with copies of the draft Peoples Charter for their members to read.  They refused to accept these copies. They also refused our offer to explain it to their conference members.

“This is not in keeping with the present viewpoint expressed by their General Secretary that the Methodist Church leaders are giving members the freedom to choose for themselves whether they support or oppose the Charter. Methodist Church leaders directed their members to oppose the draft People Charter and to sign the petition of opposition.

Jone Dakuvula says the NCBBF Secretariat is receiving progress reports from the Divisional Commissioners on public responses to the draft Peoples Charter.

“In the Northern division over 70% of the responses to the draft Peoples Charter are positive.

“In the Central division more than fourteen thousand people have already signed response forms, of these, fewer than three thousand people oppose the charter, while nearly twelve thousand support it. 

“The Western Division shows a huge 95% support for the draft Peoples Charter from the twenty two thousand people who completed the NCBBF response forms.

“In some villages, people who had already signed the Methodist Church forms later decided to change their minds, and to express support for the draft of the Peoples Charter after it was explained to them.

“Our task for the next two months is to reach the rest of the population of Fiji, and let them choose for themselves whether they are for or against the draft Peoples Charter for Change, Peace and Progress.”, said Mr. Dakuvula.

“People who think for themselves, who take the initiative to find out what is in the draft Peoples Charter will realize that there is nothing to fear. The fear being instilled in the minds of ordinary people by the Methodist Church leaders and others is totally without justification.”

Mr. Dakuvula urged everyone to get informed on the facts, to be involved and to stand up for what is good for them and for Fiji.