Kenneth Zinck - Political Views

Political Views

Zinck, who is of Samoan, German, and Fijian descent, has called for increased representation for ethnic minorities in the House of Representatives. On 10 August 2005, he complained that the 8 seats allocated to minorities (Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders, and others) under the 1970 Constitution had been whittled down to 5 in 1992 and 3 in 1997. If the trend continued, they might lose their parliamentary representation altogether, he said. He called for constitutional amendments to raise the number to at least 5.

He also called for minorities to be accorded the same status as Rotuman Islanders, who were entitled to affirmative action as well as special scholarships and Fiji Development Bank loans.

Zinck's calls for greater minority representation in Parliament were immediately criticized by former Cabinet Minister Tomasi Vakatora, who said that the 3 seats allocated to them were already more than their population numbers warranted. When they had been allocated 8 seats in 1970, their contribution to the economy had been much more significant, he said.

On 15 December 2005, Zinck called for Pacific nations to form a bloc to present a united front to represent common interests before international organizations, such as the World Trade Organization.