Military opposition to the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill

Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, has been a vociferous and uncompromising critic of the government's proposal to establish a Reconciliation and Unity Commission, with the power to grant compensation to victims of the 2000 coup, and amnesty to perpetrators of it. Among other objections, the Military claimed that its integrity and discipline would be undermined if soldiers who mutinied in the 2000 upheaval were to be pardoned.

The military's opposition to the Bill culminated in a coup d'état in December 2006.

On 13 May 2005, Bainimarama spoke out against the proposal, calling it "Reconciliation bull" and vowing that he and the military would oppose the legislation, which detractors say is a sham to grant amnesty to supporters of the present government who played roles in the coup. His attack on the legislation, which continued unremittingly throughout May and into June, further strained his already tense relationship with the government.

Bainimarama was supported by Army spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni, who said on 16 May that a meeting of senior officers had resolved to try to prevent the passage of the legislation. "We are not in favour of the Bill that proposes to offer amnesty for coup perpetrators in 2000, and will do all we can to oppose it," Leweni said.

Bainimarama said on 1 June that having undergone three coups in eighteen years, Fiji could not be compared to other commonwealth countries. He said this in response to claims by Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola that Fiji was the only country in the Commonwealth of Nations whose Military commander dared to oppose government policy. Bainimarama revused refused to say what the military would do if the government insisted on passing the bill, saying that they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

Tensions escalated after 4 June, when Bainimarama publicly accused Prime Minister Qarase of having snubbed a military parade the previous day, in honour of Fijian soldiers returning from peacekeeping missions in East Timor.

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Wikipedia