Page 34 - IB December 2023

Opinion Opinion

THE FIJI MILITARY AND THE 2013

CONSTITUTION

By Jon Fraenkel in the wake of the Speight coup in May 2000. Towards the
middle of that decade, that earlier provision was revived
The view that the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) by Director of Army Legal Services, Lt Colonel Mohammed
plays an important and necessary role as the guardian of the Aziz, in order to justify then RFMF Commander Frank
2013 Constitution and as a keeper of the peace within Fiji has Bainimarama’s efforts to overthrow the 2001-2006 Qarase
recently been expressed by several leading politicians. government. Constitutionally-guaranteed RFMF authority to
In October, Home Affairs Minister, Pio Tikoduadua indicated protect the ‘well-being’ of the Fijian people could, after all,
some support for the RFMF Commander’s criticism of the mean just about anything, but in the aftermath of the Speight
constitutionality of the proposed cabinet reshuffle saying, “I coup—owing to the external and internal threat the RFMF had
would like to thank the Commander for the role that the RFMF faced down—it came to be interpreted as giving the military
and he has played in the way that we are now in terms of the carte blanche to intervene in the country’s political affairs to
security that we enjoy.” combat ethno-nationalism.
In November, SODELPA General Secretary, Viliame Takayawa During those years, the RFMF often gave voice to
outlined his party’s support for the 2013 constitutional legitimate grievances. There were concerns that the Qarase
provision granting the RFMF the role of ensuring “the security, government’s flagship Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity
defence and well-being of Fiji and all Fijians”. Such claims Bill could be used to set free the 2000 coup perpetrators and
were regularly made by politicians representing the former that, in the name of Indigenous rights, the Qoliqoli Bill would
FijiFirst governments over 2014-2022, but now they are damage the tourism industry. Today, it is anxieties about the
being made by those opposition parties that assumed office new government’s refusal to sign a United Nations resolution
in December 2022. Some commentators, such as economist on the Israel/Gaza war and about the botched handling of the
Wadan Narsey, sensibly worry that history may be repeating cabinet reshuffle that are the focus of RFMF attention.
itself, with insufficient recognition of the negative role played Whatever the rights and wrongs of these criticisms, these
by the RFMF in orchestrating coups in 1987, 2000 and 2006. need to be handled by elected authorities, not by soldiers.
The 2013 Constitution’s rehabilitation of the 1990 provision If the RFMF is able to build up a new coalition of support for
granting the RFMF responsibility for safeguarding the its interventions in Fiji politics, as it did over 2005-6, it will
‘wellbeing’ of the Fiji people arose because of developments ultimately use that legitimacy to serve its own corporate

34 Islands Business, December 2023