Coup leaders 'should face death penalty'

Any future Fiji coup leader should be charged with treason and face the death penalty, says the Fiji People's Party.

This will stop future coups which a developing nation like Fiji cannot afford and "would be disastrous", says party leader Charan Jeath Singh.

"Everyone is sick and tired of coups hence any person involved in the future coups of either by way plotting, executing, aiding or abetting should be charged for treason and the if that person is found guilty of this offence then the sentencing handed down by the courts should be no less than a death penalty. This should be enshrined in this new constitution," he added.

Making his submission to the Constitution Commission in Labasa this week, Singh said Fiji could also do without a constitution like New Zealand.

"In fact if everyone’s thinking was alike in Fiji, we could have done away with an unwritten constitution just like that of our closest neighboring country New Zealand, which as we all know, does not have a written constitution."

"However in Fiji I suppose a constitution would help bring about discipline and guidance to all future elected governments on what to deliver and how to deliver to their citizens without favoring one particular race, creed or colour."

Singh also said Fiji should remain a secular state and no single religion should be of dominance and every religion must be protected and guaranteed their existence.

He said all citizens of Fiji should be called Fijians irrespective of their background and ethnicity.

He, however said the Indigenous populations could be classified as Kai-Viti’s to distinguish them from other Fijian communities.

Commenting on the formulation of the country's new Constitution, Singh said "We should not get bogged down on our petty personal and racial issues but instead let’s all have an inclusive approach to elect and run a fair and transparent Government for our future generations."

"Let’s set a solid foundation now by formulating a Constitution so that our children, our grand children and our great grand children could live harmoniously in this multicultural and diversed country without fear and favour."

 "As we always have referred to the Hibiscus festival as the mother of all festivals in Fiji , may I say that we should refer to Commodore Frank Bainimarams 2006 coup d’état as the mother of all the coups in Fiji whereby the Commodore had assured this nation that 2006 will stop all the future coups. Let’s hope this word of his becomes a reality."

By Reginald Chandar