2022 General Election: Commission for peace and reconciliation

A Unity Fiji government will establish a Commission for Peace and Reconciliation to help the country move forward by healing the wounds of the past.

Party leader Savenaca Narube said this in a statement issued yesterday.

“Unity Fiji believes that to empower the entire nation to move forward towards hope and freedom, we must look back and heal the wounds of our past,” the former Reserve Bank of Fiji governor said.

“We believe that if these wounds are not addressed, our future roadmap for hope and freedom may be bumpy and rough.

“Fiji has come through a tumultuous past that have deeply fractured our people.

“Unity Fiji will start to heal these wounds which will liberate the country and facilitate our efforts to unite the nation.”

Mr Narube said to heal Fiji’s wounds of the past, a Unity Fiji government would establish a Commission for Peace and Reconciliation soon after coming into government.

He said the commission could address the injustices that people received in the 1987 to 2006 coups; and the injustices on people that were prevented by law to seek redress from Government.

Mr Narube said they would review the compensation given to tenants and landowners when land leases expired in 1999/2000 to ensure the compensations were properly based and adequate.

He also said they would honour communities with historical contribution to Fiji including the Melanesians from Solomon Islands and Vanuatu who helped construct many landmarks in Suva and built roads across Fiji.

Mr Narube said they would review the field allowances that were not paid to soldiers on peacekeeping duties in the Middle East from 1978 to May 2002 and address the concerns of striking workers at the Vatukoula Gold Mines and find solutions acceptable to most.

“We must heal the nation if we are to be successful in building a Fiji that we can all be proud to call our very own”.