The commander of the Fiji military has told political parties campaigning for next month's election to refrain from promoting discriminatory policies.
Brigadier General Mosese Tikoitoga says otherwise the military will have difficulty in balancing its role.
He says under the constitution, the military has to ensure at all times the security, defence and wellbeing of Fiji and all Fijians.
Brigadier General Tikoitoga has told the Fiji Sun in all the places where the Fiji forces serve as peacekeepers, the problems started with some sort of discrimination.
He also says the military will accept the outcome of next month's election.
Brigadier General Tikoitoga says the military won't favour any individual or political party and he has reminded those soldiers who had not read the constitution to familiarise themselves with the document.
The commitment is in contrast to his predecessor, Rear Admiral Frank Bainimarama, who removed the last elected government half a year after the polls.
During the counting process in 2006, he said he hoped the two newly elected independent MPs would side with the Fiji Labour Party to give the country stability.
However, the SDL Party of Laisenia Qarase emerged as winner and was then ousted in a military coup - Fiji's fourth in two decades.
Photo: RNZI / Sally Round
