Daily Post – The Efate Vaturisu Council of Chiefs has mandated itself to review all its customary laws in 2019.
It says this is a priority task for the Council of Chiefs of Efate, during 2019 and will endeavor to accomplish it.
In a statement to the local media, the Vaturisu Council of Chiefs Chairman, Chief Henry Manlaewia, said the newly elected executive of the Vaturisu, had approved the full review of all Efate Customary Laws, during its recent meeting at the Shefa Provincial Council headquarters in Port Vila.
The customary laws of Efate also include all the offshore islands, their customs and traditions.
Once the full review is completed by the Vaturisu Executive Committee, it will be presented to the full Council to be formerly adopted and then presented to the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs of Vanuatu.
Some of the customary laws highlighted by the Vaturisu Council of Chiefs to be reviewed include; Efate customary land laws, custom governance, marriage, birth, adoption, death, and the related customary laws and various Efate customs, cultural and traditional ways of life.
“We encourage the Chiefs of Efate and the offshore islands to submit proposed reviews they wish to make in the overall review of the Efate Customary Review by the end of March 2019.
“These will be included on the agenda of the Vaturisu Council of Chiefs Review Meeting, scheduled to be held on the Island of Pele in May 2019,” Vaturisu Chairman Chief Henry Manlaewia, urged.
The Vatrurisu Council of Chiefs was the first Chiefly Council in Vanuatu to write and document customary laws, eleven years ago, in 2007.
Vaturisu has a new Secretary General, Chief Jimmy Meameadola, who has been instrumental in the past in assisting both the Vaturisu and the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs on many customary matters in Vanuatu.
