Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Major General Jone Kalouniwai says nearly four decades of constitutional immunity have weakened Fiji’s moral foundations, contributing to corruption, drug problems and growing public distrust in the justice system.
In his submission to the Parliamentary Committee considering the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, Major General Kalouniwai warned that protecting powerful individuals from accountability had sent a damaging message to ordinary Fijians, particularly young people.
“For almost forty years, immunity has made the needle of our national compass spin. It taught our people that the law is strong against the weak and weak against the strong,” he said.
“Our young people learned that lesson well. When those at the top are seen to stand above the law, why should anyone below believe in it?”
The Commander linked the erosion of public trust to some of the country’s most pressing social challenges.
“We see the fruit of that lesson today: in corruption, in the drugs reaching our children, and in a quiet despair among families who no longer believe the system is for them.”
Major General Kalouniwai said Fiji needed to restore what he described as its national moral compass, where the law applied equally regardless of political influence, military rank or social standing.
“A nation also needs a compass: a shared sense of what is right, which no title, no rank and no majority can move.”
He said the military’s research had identified two opposing approaches to governance.
“At one end is governance by fear: secrecy, threat, and protection for the powerful. At the other is governance by covenant: truth, accountability, and protection for the vulnerable.”
The Commander warned that the proposed constitutional changes would determine which direction Fiji takes.
“Every nation stands somewhere on that axis. Every law moves it one way or the other. This Bill, Mr Chairman, will move Fiji. The only question is which way.”
He also called for greater recognition of families who suffered during Fiji’s troubled political history, particularly widows, mothers and children whose experiences had often been overlooked.
“In Fiji, too, the widows, the mothers and the children of our troubled years have too often been spoken about, but rarely heard.”
Major General Kalouniwai reiterated the RFMF’s proposal for a Truth, Accountability and Reconciliation Commission to give victims an opportunity to share their experiences and seek accountability.
“A Truth, Accountability and Reconciliation Commission would let them speak at last. Their testimony, more than any statute, is what will set our needle back to true north.”
The Commander has also called for the removal of constitutional immunity provisions, saying the military was prepared to surrender its own protections and cooperate with lawful accountability processes.
