Prime Minister and Army Commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama will resign as Army Commander in March this year.
Commodore Bainimarama has confirmed this to people during the talanoa session in Nakorovatu, Wailevu, as he continues his Northern Division tour.
Commodore Bainimarama confirmed that he will resign from the Commander’s post in March to concentrate on his new political party for the general elections to be held later this year.
He also revealed that in eight months time, Fiji will have the first genuinely democratic election in our history.
The Prime Minister said he will soon lead a new party to the general elections.
Meanwhile, under the 2013 Constitution, the Army Commander is appointed by the President after advice from the Constitutional Offices Commission.
In the transitional period, the Prime Minister will recommend the name of the new Army Commander to the President for appointment.
Under the Political Parties Registration Decree, any member of the RFMF is classified as a public officer.
It states that a public officer shall not be eligible to be an applicant, an official or a member of a proposed political party or a political party registered under the Decree.
Based on this, Commodore Bainimarama has to resign from the Commander’s post.
The decree makes it clear that a public officer must not engage in political activity that may compromise or be seen to compromise the political neutrality of that person’s office; or publicly indicate support for or opposition to any proposed political party or a political party or candidate in an election.
Public officer means anyone holding any office in, or as member of, a statutory authority, a commission, an office of a judge, a magistrate or an office of any court or tribunal, public service, the Fiji Police Force, Fiji Corrections Services or the Republic of Fiji Military Forces; or a person who is an elected or appointed officer of a tradeunion or of any federation.
Story by: Vijay Narayan & Mohammed Feroz
PM to resign as Army Commander in March
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