Rabuka’s call for military intervention in vote recount bid a preposterous idea

What on earth was Sitiveni Rabuka thinking of when he called on the Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai, to help facilitate a proposed vote recount?

For a vote recount to go ahead there are processes and legal protocols that must be followed. There is no requirement there for a military role. So, when Mr Rabuka mentioned the military intervention, it was obvious he had not seen the law.

More serious was that he got people talking about the dark part of our history when the military was used to stage coups and usurp the authority of democratically elected governments since 1987. Since our return to democratic rule in 2014, we have successfully allowed the military to focus on its core role and responsibility over national security instead of interfering with civilian rule.

The Police have been tasked to ensure that we have a free and fair election and they have done it admirably given the resources they have.

Mr Rabuka has been insensitive to the feelings of many Fijians who resented the military’s role in the coups. He should know. He led the 1987 military coups. His proposal conjures up a negative perception of the military and reminds victims of a grim past.

Maybe his military mentality has got the better of him again. To resolve this vote recount request, let’s keep the military out of it and comply with the law. To involve the military would suggest that we have a serious security breach that even the Police cannot handle. The Police have proved that they have the capacity to keep the peace and stability and allow the democratic processes to take their own course as stipulated by law.

It is unlikely that Major-General Kalouniwai will accept Mr Rabuka’s request. He has previously reassured the nation that he will respect the outcome of the election and the processes involved.

Mr Rabuka and his opposition cohorts need to respect the electoral law also.