Fiji day is a great opportunity to review our progress as a nation, to consider its current state, and also to think back, with gratitude, of those people and events that have made us, what and who we are today.
This is the sentiment of Former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, the Leader of the Social Democratic Liberal Party on the commemoration of the 47th anniversary of the independence of Fiji and the 143rd anniversary of Fiji’s cession to Great Britain.
Rabuka says today we celebrate the strength and indomitable resilience of our people, all peoples of our nation, in the face of the many challenges that we have gone past since independence in 1970, since cession in 1874 and since we became a republic 30 years ago in 1987.
Rabuka also pointed out that it is a sad anomaly to be celebrating the anniversary of Fiji’s cession, our independence and our republican status without the Bose Levu Vakaturaga which has been in abeyance for the past 11 years given that the Council of Chiefs approved Fiji’s cession to Great Britain in 1874 and consented to Independence in 1970.
Rabuka says a more consultative approach must be followed by the government to bring people together.
Rabuka also says we have to learn and teach each other and work together to bring national unity and progress.