Fiji opposition leader Sitiveni Rabuka wants to encourage greater use of the Fijian language using New Zealand Language Weeks as a guide.
SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka at party HQ on Saturday 17 November Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Last week, the Speaker of Parliament decided not to allow a petition to declare this year the Year of Indigenous Language.
Mr Rabuka said he accepted the Speaker's ruling that parliament did not have authority to consider the petition.
But he said he would now approach the Ministry of I-Taukei Affairs to see if it could do something to recognise the Year of Indigenous Language.
Mr Rabuka said he had experienced first hand the interest in language sparked by New Zealand Language Weeks and wondered if something similar could be done in Fiji.
Bad pronunciation of indigenous I-Taukei in parliament had inspired him, he said.
"I find it sometimes amusing when members of parliament pronounce wrongly some I-Taukei names," Mr Rabuka said.
"Not only does it not sound right it also sounds like similar vulgar words."
Meanwhile, Mr Rabuka had a second petition turned down in Parliament last week that called for travel bans to be lifted from a group of prominent individuals.
On behalf of 539 citizens, he submitted the petition pertaining to academics Brij Lal and Padma Lal, newspaper publishers Russell Hunter and Evan Hannah, and the former President of the Fiji Court of Appeal, Gordon Ward.
The Speaker said the petition was inadmissible as parliament should not be ruling on decisions made by the Minister of Immigration.
Mr Rabuka said he may approach the minister directly.