“Fijians understand that unless their sovereignty is reinstated their status is subject to the manoeuvre of politicking. They feel that their status is devoid of its proper authority and spirit. When Fijians continue to feel this way, its impact on the longer term stability and security of our country is a matter that should be addressed and resolved amicably.”

— Josefa Vosanibola

Speech to the House of Representatives, 12 August 2005

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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Josefa Vosanibola 7

Fijian politician

Josaia Waqabaca Fijian politician

Interview, 11 January 2006

“The status quo is not good for the ordinary Fijians. It is good for the elites in society but not for the ordinary Fijians. This is why you have not seen the ordinary Fijians progress much in the last 35 years since independence. It needs a change in policy and strategies for the development of the grassroots Fijian people.”

Mahendra Chaudhry (1942) Fijian politician

Interview with Fiji Live, 22 August 2005

“"I believe that the chiefs of Fiji have relevance for all our citizens not just the Fijians, they still represent stability, order and continuity. If the chiefs were diminished, the entire nation would be weakened and be vulnerable"..”

Laisenia Qarase (1941) Prime Minister of Fiji

Excerpt from speech to mark the week of Ratu Sukuna Day celebrations, 24 May 2005

“In 2000 Fiji experienced the greatest crisis in its contemporary history … Fiji came close to complete collapse and anarchy; some form of civil war was a real possibility. This would not only have pitted Fijians against Indians but Fijians against Fijians, and Province against Province. But the country did not fall. It stepped back from the brink. It drew on its inner strength and a vein of tolerance and restraint and began the task of remaking Fiji.”

Laisenia Qarase (1941) Prime Minister of Fiji

“…I would now say something, which I never said before … It is the international convention, if it is not a law, that when independence is granted to a people of a country by a deed of cession, the sovereignty of that country is transferred to the people of the country that assigned the deed. If I were not the Leader of the Opposition and if I was not born in Fiji … and held a brief for the Fijian people in the 1965 London Constitutional Conference, I would have made the Britishers sit up and think what they were doing to the Fijian people in this country. It was their country in 1874, it was their country in 1965 … what was there to stop the Fijian people saying, 'Your Majesty give the country back to us.”

Sidiq Koya (1923–1993) Fijian politician

The immigrant races - Europeans, Rotumans, Chinese, et cetera, would be looked after by us. They are our guests.
Parliamentary speech, 17 June 1970

“It is these double standards that have and are still keeping the ordinary Fijian shackled to a now outdated system of feudal control, thus contributing to their poverty and misery, whilst certain chiefs and a large number of Fijian elites continue to substantially increase their wealth at the expense of their poorer subjects.”

Mahendra Chaudhry (1942) Fijian politician

Reaction to Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in Nadi, 31 August 2005

“So many things compete for our attention and action as we address what must be done to take the Fijian race forward.”

Josefa Iloilo (1920–2011) President of Fiji

Opening address to the Great Council of Chiefs meeting, 27 July 2005 (excerpts)

“In view of what has happened to other indigenous groups, the fear and insecurity of Fijians should be easy to understand.”

Laisenia Qarase (1941) Prime Minister of Fiji

Excerpts from a parliamentary speech, 3 June 2005

“The leader of any country should be aware that in scientific matters there is no authority above the sovereignty of science.”

Ricardo Galvão (1947) Brazilian physicist and engineer

Ricardo Galvão. Ousted Head of Science Agency Criticizes Brazil’s Denial of Deforestation Data, 2019-08-20, 10.1029/2019EO131399, Showstack, R. https://eos.org/articles/ousted-head-of-science-agency-criticizes-brazils-denial-of-deforestation-data,

“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.”

Laurence J. Peter (1919–1990) Canadian eductor

Source: Peter's Quotations: Ideas for Our Time (1977), p. 83

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Josefa Vosanibola 7

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