Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Commander, Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai has brushed off rumours of tensions arising ahead of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s visit to Queen Elizabeth Barracks (QEB) in Suva today.
He said the visit was a normal process for the RFMF.
“We have always done this, we’ve always accorded these visits by the Prime Minister, by the President, it is something that is part of the traditions and protocols of the RFMF. Nothing new,” Maj-Gen Kalouniwai said.
He said the relationship between the RFMF and Government was “very good”, as everything seemed to be working well.
“Social media has its impact. We’ve always tried to maintain our professionalism as an institution, we’ve continued with our routine within the RFMF.
“We’ve just completed the two parades from the Navy and the Land Forces, those are all indicators that things are working quite smoothly within the RFMF.”
Meanwhile, Minister for Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua said there was nothing to be concerned about.
“I think there is a lot of fake news out there,” he said.
“When a government comes into power, we look for the right time to get the leader of government to go and visit.
“Now I can assure you that out of all the government departments, the Prime Minister is visiting officially, a department of government for the first time, and that is the military. This is an official visit, not to open or commission something. For the military, this is normal.”
