Son of 2000 coup victim urges removal of immunity provisions
Selesitino Kalounivale says his family’s loss during the 2000 coup remains painful as he urges constitutional change.
Wednesday 28 October 2026 | 07:30
Selesitino Kalounivale (in red) during consultations on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 at Somosomo, Taveuni, on October 27, 2026.
Photo: Parliament of Fiji
The pain of losing his father during Fiji’s 2000 coup remains with Selesitino Kalounivale, who is calling for immunity provisions to be removed from the proposed 2026 Constitution.
Speaking during consultations on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 at Somosomo, Taveuni yesterday, Mr Kalounivale urged the special committee to remove Chapter 14, which retains immunity protections.
“My father died during the 2000 coup, we still in pain, please remove the Immunity Clause,” he said.
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Mr Kalounivale said his father was a former Republic of Fiji Military Forces officer. He said the issue was personal and argued that people who had not directly experienced the effects of immunity might not understand its impact on families who had lost loved ones.
“Tagi ni yalo oqo se mosi tu mai ena rua sagavulu ka ono na yabaki,” he said.
The statement means: “The pain within my heart still hurts, even after 26 years.”
In his submission, Mr Kalounivale said he supported the proposed 2026 Constitution but wanted the immunity provisions removed from the final document.
His concerns centre on Chapter 14, particularly Sections 204 to 207 of the proposed Constitution, which retain existing immunity protections and provide further immunity for specified people and events.
Section 206 proposes immunity for people who held certain public offices, including the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, members of the military, Police and Corrections, the Judiciary and the public service, in relation to a specified period beginning on December 5, 2006.
The proposed provisions also retain protections linked to earlier constitutional arrangements and legislation.
Mr Kalounivale argued that the judicial system should not favour any group and that everyone should be subject to investigation over past events.
“Please consider my submissions when finalising the proposed Constitution,” he said.
Several submissions in recent weeks have called for the removal of immunity clauses from the proposed Constitution. The special committee will consider the submissions before the proposed amendments proceed further.
Mr Kalounivale said his submission reflected the loss his family continued to carry and his plea for accountability to be considered in Fiji’s constitutional future.
