Issue No: 965; 24 July 2001

An affidavit sworn by the CCF's Executive Director Rev. Akuila Yabaki states:
"I believe that senior Methodist church leaders have their own agenda against the 1997 Constitution. This was evident in a conversation I had with Rev Laisiasa Ratabacaca and the President of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, Rev Tomasi Kanailagi in the Office of the Methodist Church on March 1, 2001. On that occasion I submitted to Rev Kanailagi that I saw the 1997 Constitution as based on a vision which is inclusive of all citizens, protects indigenous interests and with respect for human rights. I suggested to them that this was a vision which I believed to be in accordance with Christian values of love and justice for all communities in Fiji today. The President then reacted and "rubbished" the 1997 Constitution saying that members of the BLV had been "bribed" into approving it. He had uttered the same sentiment before on the occasion of my visit to his office with my colleague Jone Dakuvula when we met with the President and Viliame Gonelevu on 9 th November, 2000. I know that the views expressed by Rev Laisiasa Ratabacaca seem a departure from that expressed by his predecessor Rev Dr Ilaitia Tuwere in May 2000."

Yabaki also states: "I believe that the talk of bloodshed, anarchy and the collapse of rule of law is only a smokescreen used by leaders of Church to hide their opposition to the 1997 Constitution. I say this because at the meeting of March 1 st , 2001 I was told by Rev Kanailagi and Rev Ratabacaca that senior ministers of the Methodist disagreed with my commitment to the 1997 Constitution. In my attempt to seek to educate these leaders I then wrote on March 8th, 2001 to the Rev Tomasi Kanailagi copied to Rev Lai Ratabacaca asking the Church Office if I could be given a list of the names complete with their addresses of ministers and lay leaders who might benefit from a workshop training run by CCF to educate them on the provisions of the 1997 Constitution in order that they might be better informed….
8. To date this offer has not been taken up which indicates to me a deep-seated unwillingness to learn which I as a senior Methodist minister believe to be highly inconsistent with a principal function of the Methodist Church which is to educate members of the church as regards their role as informed citizens of Fiji..
9. I met with Rev Tomasi Kanailagi again on June 15 th , 2001 and asked him about my letter of March 8 t to run several Workshops on the Constitution. He bluntly stated that they were opposed to the Constitution and not interested in my offer. Rev Kanailagi went on to accuse CCF for instigating bloodshed by taking the President to Court."

Rev. Yabaki stated:
"I concluded from these meetings with Rev Kanailagi and other Church named officials that "they are totally opposed to the 1997 Constitution which is why the church leaders have come up with affidavits to support the action by the President and the talk of bloodshed and anarchy is merely a diversion."

12. Rev Kanailagi's opposition to the 1997 Constitution was further shown in the letter of 16 June 2000 that he wrote to the "Domo ni Taukei", the name of a series of racist propaganda pamphlets printed in Parliament and distributed around the country by supporters of George Speight last year at the height of the political crisis. "Domo ni Taukei " was a communiqué espousing extreme pro-nationalist political views. Rev Kanailagi using Methodist Church official letterhead supported the cause of George Speight. He congratulated George Speight supporters who carried out the overthrow of parliamentary democracy and encouraged them to press on towards getting rid of the Constitution altogether."

"13. In this letter of 16 June 2000 Kanailagi did three things:
1. Advised the abolition of the 1997 constitution and the move to have a new constitution
2. Distanced himself from the initial conciliatory message of the Methodist Church he
had co-signed with the General Secretary, Dr Tuwere
3. Committed himself to work with the "Domo ni Taukei "towards achieving exclusivist Taukei interests."
(see: http://www.ccf.org.fj for the full set of affidavits filed to support its case against the President)