New Zealand's Maori Party demands severance of ties with British monarchy 

New Zealand's Maori Party has said that the country should stop considering British monarch as head of the state. Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand faced oppression during colonial times.

The call for 'divorce' from the British monarchy came on 182nd anniversary of signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi, as it is called in the Maori language is the foundational legal document.

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“If you look at our founding covenant as a marriage between tangata whenua [indigenous people] and the crown, then Te Tiriti is the child of that marriage. It’s time [for] tangata whenua to take full custody,” Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi said as quoted by The Guardian.

“This won’t mean the crown is off the hook. If a couple gets divorced, you don’t lose responsibility for your child. This will be an opportunity to reimagine a more meaningful and fulfilling partnership,”

The Treaty of Waitangi recognised Maori rights on their lands and provided guarantee against their possession by the crown. However, in 100 years after sigining of the treaty about 90 per cent of Maori lands were confiscated by colonial interests.

Among New Zealanders opinion to stop considering British Queen as head of state finds backers. As per 1News Colmar Brunton Poll, 30 per cent of the respondents preferred severing ties with the queen while 47 per cent were against such a move. 20 per cent of the respondents were undecided.