By Netani Rika
FORMER Prime Minister and Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA), leader Major-General Sitiveni Rabuka has called for calm after armed troops arrested a chief today.
Rabuka also called for respect for traditional protocols.
His comments came after the detention of Ratu Epenisa Cakobau in a dawn raid.
Ratu Epenisa was to have been installed as Vunivalu, head of the Kubuna confederacy.
But Native Lands Commissioner Ratu Vananalagi Vesikula halted the proceedings after claiming correct selection procedures had not been followed.
“I note with dismay the series of unfortunate events, where a High Chief was arrested today by armed military and police personnel, Rabuka said.
“Since the State of Emergency was lifted in 2012 with the repeal of the Public Emergency Regulations(PER), there is no place for participation of the military in policing matters, in a peaceful family and traditional setting.
“I urge the Prime Minister to respect Vanua protocols, respect our traditions of veirokorokovi, veirorogoci and the Vanua’s own problem-solving and mediation processes.I caution the Government to consider a peace-promoting and problem-solving approach to the Vanua, rather than the opposite.”
