Remain calm and do not be swayed - PM

Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka says people should remain calm and not be swayed by a 50 page letter circulating on social media calling on the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to intervene and remove the coalition government.

Rabuka has tweeted that there is no author to the document so how can anybody be expected to do anything about it.

He also says nobody wrote it, nobody has signed on it to say this is my recommendation.

The Prime Minister says the normal thing for us to do when we get writings like this is that don’t bother and don’t do anything about it.

While speaking during the Commander’s Parade at Queen Elizabeth Barracks at the end of last week, Commander of the RFMF, Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai said any suggestions of taking extra constitutional steps to preserve constitutional structures goes against the very democratic principles they at the RFMF have sworn to uphold.

Major General Kalouniwai says as members of the RFMF, they must and will commit to upholding the security, defence and well-being of Fiji and its people by supporting and strengthening the existing democratic processes.

He also urged the Government, Members of Opposition and all independent entities to recommit to the constitutional process and uphold the values and principles laid out.

Major General Kalouniwai says they believe that by respecting the processes outlined in the constitution, the stability, trust and credibility of our institutions will be maintained.

He says any non-adherence to the constitution could lead to civil, political, social and economic strife.

The Army Commander says they believe it is therefore crucial that our civil affairs today is addressed through lawful means in order to foster a culture of democratic accountability.

He says for that, the RFMF calls on the nation's leaders to constructive dialogue to rectify current challenges and reaffirm their commitment to democracy, the rule of law and the well-being of our citizens.

The Commander urges them to trust the constitutional process that whatever decisions they make is done for the people, by the people.

The Commander's statement came after the leaked unsourced seditious document was circulated on social media.

Minister for Home Affairs, Pio Tikoduadua has confirmed that Police are investigating the leaked document.

Following the confirmation by Tikoduadua, Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations (ACP/O) Livai Driu says the Fiji Police Force would like to ask members of the public not to be easily swayed by rumours or information circulating on social media about purported plans aimed at destabilizing the security of our nation.

ACP Driu says Police are looking into the matter and he calls on people to be calm as Police are committed to their safety and security.

ACP Driu says Police operations are focused on providing safety and security and there is nothing to be concerned about in as far as national security is concerned.

He also stresses for people to continue to source information from trusted reliable sources such as news media outlets or verified social media pages.

fijivillage News also contacted Leader of the Opposition, Inia Seruiratu last week, and he had rejected the allegations against the FijiFirst circulating on social media.

Seruiratu says “the simple answer to your question is No, this is not an official FijiFirst document.”