Fiji ruler ends chiefs council, 130-year tradition

SUVA, Fiji (AP) ? Fiji's military commander has disbanded the Great Council of Chiefs, a leadership tradition on the Pacific island nation that dates back more than 130 years.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama had greatly reduced the power of the council before eliminating it entirely on Wednesday. His latest move may be an attempt to prevent the council from being written into the new constitution he has promised to help produce within the next year.

The council was established under British colonial rule in 1875. Its 55 chiefs had refused to endorse Bainimarama's rule.

Bainimarama says the council perpetuated elitism, but an expert on Pacific politics says the Fijian people should have been allowed to decide its fate.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fiji-ruler-ends-chiefs-council-130-tradition-061142309.html

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