Sainiani Boila 
Ratu Viliame Seruvakula
The Great Council of Chiefs will not be moving towards independence in the near future, according to Chair Ratu Viliame Seruvakula.
Ratu Viliame says it is too early to pursue such a shift.
He says while the idea was considered, the practical and legal challenges make it unlikely in the short term.
“We thought it’s a bit too early to try and create that. One, not only because of the legal aspect of the way, we can’t simply revert to the old system because there is a constitution in place.”
Ratu Viliame also pointed out that the council has only recently been reestablished after a 16-year gap, making it premature to consider such a significant shift. ‘
“The council is still in its early stages. We don’t even have a secretary yet. When I started, I was basically working alone, speaking to myself in my office for about six months.”
He explained that while the council is moving forward, any move to increase its independence will require changes to legislation, which will take time to achieve.
Ratu Viliame emphasized that while the idea of greater autonomy for the council remains a topic for future discussion, the current priority is to stabilize the organization and continue its rebuilding process after years of inactivity.
