The Great Council of Chiefs

Great Council of Chiefs (Fiji)

The Great Council of Chiefs is a now dormant 1997 constitutional body in the Republic of the Fiji Islands. In April 2007 the council was suspended, due to an unworkable relationship with Frank Bainimarama, leader of an "interim government" which came to power through a military coup in December 2006...

(Bose Levu Vakaturaga in Fijian

Fijian language

Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...

) is a formal assembly of Fiji

Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

's senior hereditary chiefs

Ratu

Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...

, along with some representatives of the national government and provincial councils, who may or may not be hereditary chiefs themselves. It also has a constitutional

Constitution of Fiji

The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 coup d'état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama....

 role in functioning as an electoral college to choose the President of the Republic, as well as 14 of the 32 Senators

Senate (Fiji)

The Senate of Fiji is the upper chamber of Parliament. It is the less powerful of the two chambers; it may not initiate legislation, but may amend or veto it. The Senate's powers over financial bills are more restricted: it may veto them in their entirety, but may not amend them...

.

Following the adoption of the ministerial system

Westminster System

The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....

 of government in 1967, the Minister for Fijian Affairs

Minister for Fijian Affairs

The Minister for Fijian Affairs is the Cabinet Minister responsible for the preservation of Fijian culture and for the economic and social development of indigenous Fijians. Prior to 1999, the Minister for Fijian Affairs also presided over the Great Council of Chiefs, but since then the Great...

 (the Cabinet Minister

Cabinet (Fiji)

Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...

 responsible for indigenous cultural and economic development) presided over the Great Council of Chiefs. This arrangement continued until the constitutional

Constitution of Fiji

The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 coup d'état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama....

 changes of 1999, when the Great Council chose its own Chairman for the first time.

The following tables list the Fijian Affairs Ministers from 1967 to 1999, and Chairmen of the Great Council of Chiefs since that date.

Ministers for Fijian Affairs (1967 - 1999)

Ministers of Fijian Affairs since 1999 are not included, as they no longer preside over the Great Council. If the Minister was simultaneously the Prime Minister, this is indicated by an asterisk.

Order	Minister	Term of Office	Prime Minister served under
1.	Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau Penaia Ganilau Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu Ganilau, GCMG, KCVO, KBE, DSO was the first President of Fiji, serving from 8 December 1987 until his death in 1993...	1967–1970	Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara Kamisese Mara Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
2.	Ratu Sir George Cakobau George Cakobau Ratu Sir George Kadavulevu Cakobau, GCMG, GCVO, OBE was Governor General of Fiji from 1973 to 1983. A great-grandson of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the King of Bau who had unified all the tribes of Fiji under his reign in the mid-1800s and subsequently ceded the islands to the United Kingdom in...	1970–1972
3.	Ratu William Toganivalu	1972–1977
.	Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau Penaia Ganilau Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu Ganilau, GCMG, KCVO, KBE, DSO was the first President of Fiji, serving from 8 December 1987 until his death in 1993...	1977–1983
4.	Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara Kamisese Mara Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...	1983–1985	*
5.	Ratu David Toganivalu	1985–1987	Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara Kamisese Mara Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
6.	Timoci Bavadra Timoci Bavadra Timoci Uluivuda Bavadra was a medical doctor who served for one month as the second Prime Minister of Fiji in 1987 and who founded the Fiji Labour Party....	1987	*
7.	Ratu Josua Toganivalu	1987	Governor-General Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau Penaia Ganilau Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu Ganilau, GCMG, KCVO, KBE, DSO was the first President of Fiji, serving from 8 December 1987 until his death in 1993...
8.	Ratu Meli Vesikula	1987
9.	Vatiliai Navunisaravi	1987–1992	Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara Kamisese Mara Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
10.	Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Rabuka Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...	1992–1994	*
11.	Adi Samanunu Cakobau Talakuli	1994–1995	Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Rabuka Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...
.	Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Rabuka Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...	1995–1997	*
12.	Ratu Finau Mara Finau Mara Ratu Alifereti Finau Mara is a Fijian lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He is best known as the eldest son of former Prime Minister and President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Since December 2001, he has held the official position of Roving Ambassador and High Commissioner, representing Fiji's interests...	1997–1999	Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Rabuka Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...

Chairmen of the Great Council of Chiefs (1999 - present)

Since 1999, when the Council chose its own chairman for the first time, the following individuals have held the office. In April 2007, the Council was suspended by "interim prime minister" and military leader Frank Bainimarama

Frank Bainimarama

Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...

, who had taken power in a coup in December 2006. In February 2008, Bainimarama announced that he was appointing himself chairman of the Council. In early August 2008, it was announced that the Great Council of Chiefs was ready to reconvene. It would be chaired by the Minister for Fijian Affairs - namely, at that time, Commodore Bainimarama. In October 2008, Ratu

Ratu

Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...

 Epeli Nailatikau

Epeli Nailatikau

Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, CF, LVO, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is a Fijian chief and the current President of Fiji. He has had a long career in the Military, diplomatic service, and government...

 was named Minister of Indigenous (Fijian) Affairs, and therefore also Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs.

In April 2009, Nailatikau was appointed Vice-President of Fiji

Vice-President of Fiji

The Fijian vice-presidency is a mostly ceremonial office. The position was created in 1990, to provide a constitutional successor to the President, in the event of the latter's death or resignation, or of his otherwise being unable to carry out his duties...

. As he is no longer Minister for Indigenous Affairs, it is not yet clear whether he remains Chairman of the Council.

Order	Chairman	Term of Office
1.	Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Rabuka Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...	1999–2001
2.	Ratu Epeli Ganilau Epeli Ganilau Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Ganilau, MC, MSD, is a Fijian soldier and statesman, who currently heads the National Alliance Party of Fiji. His career has previously encompassed such roles as Commander of the Fiji Military Forces and Chairman of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga...	2001–2004
3.	Ratu Ovini Bokini Ovini Bokini Ratu Ovini Bokini Ratu was a Fijian chief and political leader. Bokini, who held the chiefly title of Tui Tavua, succeeded Epeli Ganilau as Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs on 21 July 2004, and was reelected to this post for a full three-year term on 27 July 2005.A formal gathering of...	2004-April 2007
4.	Frank Bainimarama Frank Bainimarama Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...	February 2008-October 2008
5.	Ratu Epeli Nailatikau Epeli Nailatikau Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, CF, LVO, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is a Fijian chief and the current President of Fiji. He has had a long career in the Military, diplomatic service, and government...	October 2008 – present