Methodist Church stands by Bill
Friday October 06, 2006

The Methodist Church in Fiji has fully supported the Qoliqoli Bill saying the Government should not be swayed easily by parties opposing the Bill.

In its submission, the church believes that the Bill will give back to landowners what is rightfully theirs.

"Over the years, landowners have lost their fishing grounds to hoteliers and resorts restricting them from utilizing their own resources," the church said.

The church claims that the ever expending tourism industry in Fiji has given landowners no access to their fishing grounds whatsoever.

"It's time that rightful owners are compensated or given back their resources because we cannot be deprived of what we rightfully own," it said.

The church also claims that indigenous leaders over the years have done nothing to push for the implementation of such bill.

"Since independence nothing has been done to protect the rights of the Fijian people who have been suffering silently."

The church, with over 200,000 members around the country, says it will do everything in its capacity to support the bill.