It is scary and you feel disempowered as an indigenous person to have the Great Council of Chiefs demolished - Rabukawaqa

It is scary and you feel disempowered as an indigenous person to have the Great Council of Chiefs demolished however there is now an opportunity for us as young people of Fiji to collectively rise to the challenge to become leaders.

These were the comments of Civil Society representative, Alisi Rabukawaqa who was a panelist at the CCF Forum on the Role of Elections In Democracy at the University of the South Pacific while replying to the question on whether the demolition of the Great Council of Chiefs is an act of democracy.

Rabukawaqa explained that chiefs become chiefs through birth, and there was a process whereby they were put into chiefly positions to become chiefs among the Great Council of Chiefs who made decisions for the Itaukei.

Rabukawaqa highlighted that from within the GCC the President was selected, who was Itaukei and who was a chief.

She says now it has become possible for young women to dream of the possibility of becoming the President of Fiji.

Rabukawaqa says it becomes possible for a young person from any other ethnic group to be born in this country and say I can go up to that position and lead this country.

She stressed that it should be something that we should embrace because any young person who has the dream to become a leader in this country is taking up a big challenge.

She says we should stop ourselves from looking back at the good old days and look forward to new possibilities and new ways of leadership and governance in Fiji.