Truth and Reconciliation Commission to invite Prime Minister Rabuka

The Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission (FTRC) will invite Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to appear before it, FTRC Commissioner Sekove Naqiolevu confirmed.

“Yes, we will be inviting him,” Mr Naqiolevu told this masthead during a media briefing at the Suva Civic Centre on Tuesday.

“As I say again, we can’t summon him – that’s not in the law or the mandate that we have.

“We will invite him and if he’s willing, certainly we will ensure that he appears.”

Mr Naqiolevu said the Commission welcomes any leader who wishes to share their story.

“Likewise, any other leader who wishes to appear before us, we will also be willing to hear their story,” he said.

“There’s a lot of people who suffer through these upheavals.”

The confirmation comes after Mr Rabuka publicly committed earlier this year to voluntarily appear before the Commission, even without being summoned.

Mr Naqiolevu stressed that the Commission’s focus remains on survivors rather than categorising individuals.

“There’s no provision in the Act for perpetrators and victims. More survivors, as I’ve said before, is the important part of our process,” he said.

FTRC Commissioner Ana Laqeretabua clarified that the Commission cannot disclose names of anyone engaging in their process until they appear at hearings.

“Under the Act, we are not at liberty to disclose names of anybody who engages in our process until they’ve come to hearings,” Ms Laqeretabua told this masthead.

“People can say that they would like to come before the commission, but the commission itself, our mandate and what guides our work is clearly outlined in the Act.”

Mr Rabuka led the 1987 coups and has previously indicated willingness to participate in the reconciliation process.

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