Voreqe Bainimarama [Source: FijiFirst/Facebook]

FijiFirst Party leader Voreqe Bainimarama says Fiji’s vote at the United Nations in favor of war contradicts our nation’s long-standing legacy as peacekeepers.

In a statement on the Party’s official Facebook page, Bainimarama says Fiji has a legacy upon which both the country’s reputation and that of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces have been founded.

He adds that the vote was not to support either side of the conflict but a resolution to save thousands of innocent people, including women and children, many of whom have lost everything.

Bainimarama says it was a vote for peace, for a diplomatic resolution, for the end of the suffering of innocent civilians, and most importantly, to send critical humanitarian aid to women and children, which, unfortunately, our current leadership has seen fit to vote against.

He adds that Fiji’s vote goes against the fundamental principles of humanity, peace, and justice that should guide our nation’s international policies.

He adds that the country’s stance has been to keep peace, and now, for the first time, this stance has been broken, which is an insult to the memories of generations of peacekeepers who have always protected the innocent.

He has commended the other countries which voted in favor of the resolution for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.