Jone Kalouniwai Says Fiji’s Military Is Giving Up Its Claim to Constitutional Immunity

Fiji’s military has told Parliament it does not want the constitutional immunity proposed for it, and its commander says the provision should be removed. Major General Jone Kalouniwai made the position clear while presenting the Republic of Fiji Military Forces’ submission to a parliamentary committee considering the Constitution Amendment Bill 2026. According to the report, the RFMF is calling for Chapter 14 to be replaced with a Truth, Accountability and Reconciliation Commission. Kalouniwai said the military was not taking a position on a referendum or on any political party, describing those matters as decisions for the Government, Parliament and Fiji’s people. He said he was addressing the committee not only as commander, but as a soldier who believed the institution he leads owed the public a debt. In his remarks, he turned attention to people affected by the country’s difficult past, including families who lost sons, husbands and fathers and have waited years for answers. He also invoked the everyday struggles of vulnerable people, saying the Constitution matters most to those who rely on the law for protection. Kalouniwai said the RFMF did not seek the immunity set out in section 206 of the bill. The article reports that he signed a declaration on constitutional immunity on October 16, 2026, on behalf of the force, and said it would accept civilian authority and cooperate with any lawful accountability process. He referred to a Supreme Court advisory opinion from August 2025, which he said recognised that immunity could weaken the rule of law and risk encouraging future coups. According to Kalouniwai, immunity had been retained partly on the understanding that it was needed for the military’s return to civilian rule. He argued that the RFMF’s decision to decline the protection changes the case for keeping it. The commander’s submission presents the military’s position as an acceptance that its members should answer to the law.