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PM says it could be an option if commission outcome is that principal actors of coups are to be barred from political leadership

PM says it could be an option if commission outcome is that principal actors of coups are to be barred from political leadership

By Vijay Narayan
28/11/2025

If it was the outcome of this national reconciliation commission that those of us, the principal actors who carried out the coups were to be barred from political leadership, that could be an option, and it would mean you cannot go to the top by carrying out the illegal act.

Those are the comments of Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as he spoke about graduating from illegal actions in 1987 and benefitting from it.

Rabuka says he accepted when his pension was taken away by former Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama and former Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum because he had earned the pension after the 1987 coup when he became the Prime Minister.

He also said that we need to seek forgiveness through action, not just words.

Rabuka shared that he was thinking about the issue this morning that he is still benefitting from the changes based on the national circumstances.

When questioned by fijivillage News after the commission hearing on barring principal actors of coups from political leadership, Rabuka says this can be considered in a future constitution.

The immunity section in the 2013 Constitution, as stated in the Supreme Court ruling, will not be up for amendment.

However Rabuka says there should not be any section that allows future coup makers to get immunity.

He says that would be leaving that door wide open for people who may have the same sort of plans he had going through and risking it.

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