Lenora Qereqeretabua's Very Good Question

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Fiji has three official languages under the 1997 and 2013 Constitutions,  English, Fijian and Hindi, but only English is allowed in Parliament.  

Yet the Bainimarama government has made the teaching of all three languages compulsory in primary schools, and examinable in secondary schools. Why then not all three languages in Parliament? If you really want to keep a language alive, you use it.

 National Federation Party parliamentarian Lenora Qereqeretabua has a very good question: "Why are parliamentarians not allowed to speak in their iTaukei dialects and Fiji Hindi in parliament?"


In most other multi-language countries, all official languages may be used in Parliament. In Switzerland, French, German and Italian (but not Romansch); in South Africa, Afrikaans, Zulu, English and more; in Canada English, French and Pujabi (sic!), and in NZ English, Maori and Sign language. 

There's the lovely story of  one Maori MP speaking Māori in the early 20th century as a way to send messages home to his wife who was listening on the radio. Translation services were only made available from 1997.

Imagine the same in Fiji.  With no translation services immediately available, Lenora speaking in the Kadavu dialect to relatives watching TV in Vunisea.

Locals say that Kadavu is the most beautiful island. It grows the best and strongest kava, biggest dalo, largest fish, sweetest mangoes, has the prettiest girls,and the largest number of Hibiscus Queens, who include .two current MPs,  Lenora Qereqeretabua and Lynda Tabuya.


-- ACW