[File Photo]

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces has made an unprecedented call for constitutional reforms to remove protections that have shielded past unconstitutional actions from accountability.

While making submission to the Constitutional Review Commission, Commander Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai says the military is voluntarily stepping away from legal protections that have covered the institution for decades, arguing that Fiji cannot achieve lasting stability without truth and accountability.

The RFMF called for the dismantling of what it described as a “culture of impunity” and urged reforms to ensure the law applies equally to everyone, regardless of rank or position.

Kalouniwai acknowledged the military’s role in Fiji’s history of political instability, saying the institution was not only a witness to events that fractured the nation, but at times contributed to them.

“The systemic, institutionalised pattern of political instability that has fractured this nation since 1987 was not merely witnessed by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. At points, it was built and maintained by our own hands.”

Kalouniwai says the RFMF is calling for an end to constitutional provisions that provide blanket immunity for past extra-constitutional actions.

He says stability should not be used as a reason to avoid accountability, stressing that sustainable peace can only be achieved when justice is addressed.

“We must reject the false choice between justice and peace. Justice is a precondition for stability, not a threat to it.”

The RFMF has also recommended the establishment of a truth and reconciliation process, similar to United Nations principles, to allow Fiji to confront its past and rebuild trust between the state, the military and the people.

Kalouniwai says the proposed reforms are not intended to harm soldiers or the institution, but to secure a future where democratic principles and the rule of law are strengthened.