Rabuka: My

a rmy's new role

WHAT role will the army play in Fiji this decade? According to army Commander Major General Sitiveni Rabuka, the Fiji Military Forces will return to the role it played before the 1987 military coups. But “as long as there is a threat of disruption against the interim government, we have to maintain a state of alert,” says Rabu ka. “After that . . . the military will have to perform its normal roles as support ing the civil authorities when and where required.”

In an interview with Amalaini Ligalevu last month, Rabuka said there was “mixed reaction” from his officers when he announced his decision to return to barracks in favour of an extended term for the interim government of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

Excerpts of the interview: • On efforts to modernise the army: I

have been trying to get government sup port for the purchase of new equipment and weapons for the military and the development of a naval base to improve the efficiency of our navy. The base they’re operating from at the moment is rather congested and the base they were given a few years ago is not really a naval base as such, but more of an office accommodation for their land-based un its. I’m also trying to get government support for the purchase of a piece of land to set up an engineering mainte nance base for the forces. • On the possibility of a third coup: That is a view that is not only shared by a lot of people overseas but it’s also shared by some people here in Fiji, par ticularly those who are opposed to the coup and the interim government. But I’d like to assure everybody that I have no intention of staging a third coup. In fact there is no need to stage a third coup. If you look at the economic recov ery of the country, we look at the draft constitution that’s now being worked out and that the final say will come from the

Great Council of Chiefs anyway. If the Great Council of Chiefs rejects the draft then that’s it, we go back to square one and start drafting a new one. There will be no need to stage a third coup. • On the possibility of resistance cam paign, armed or using civil disobedience against a biased Constitution: It would be naive to say that the constitution with the Fijian dominance in Parliament will be generally accepted. However, I feel that once the constitution is promulgated and it’s properly explained to the people that it guarantees basic rights and the fun damental freedoms, it ensures that your property is safe, etcetera etcetra, that the people will slowly begin to accept it.

There are those radicals who will try and upset the applecart by starting some re sistance campaigns but the army is pre pared to meet them if the police cannot handle it. • On whether he will stand in future elections: I will not rule it out. I will listen to the land, I will listen to what’s going on around me and when I leave the army, I will make a decision. □