Bainimarama quits Fiji military to prepare for election

(Transcript from World News Radio)

Fiji's new military commander Brigadier Mosese Tikoitoga says the Fijian army will respect the outcome of this year's national election, whatever the result.

Commander Tikoitoga has replaced Frank Bainimarama as the chief of the Fiji Military Forces who has stepped down from his military post to focus on forming a new political party and campaigning ahead of the election.

Under Fiji's new laws governing political parties, members of the military forces are not permitted to be members of political parties and must not engage in political activity.

Amanda Cavill reports.

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Frank Bainimarama has relinquished his military command in a move welcomed by Australia and New Zealand as vital for the Pacific nation's return to democracy.

His resignation means he will contest the elections scheduled for September as a civilian, not as the leader of an armed force that has been involved in four coups since 1987.

The 59-year-old, who used the army to seize power in late 2006, says it is difficult to end a military career spanning almost four decades.

But he says Fiji's new constitution, adopted last year, bars soldiers from political life, meaning he had to stand down in order to run in the long-awaited polls.

"You should all ensure that whoever you elect into parliament will do a good job in government. It should be clear to all of us in the military that what we did was right and will unify all of Fiji."

Australia and New Zealand, which led international efforts to isolate Fiji diplomatically when Mr Bainimarama tore up the constitution and limited basic freedoms have both welcomed his latest actions.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Mr Bainimarama's resignation is the latest in a series of positive developments in Fiji's election preparations and its return to parliamentary democracy.

She says the government remains remained committed to normalising relations with Fiji, including defence ties that were cut in the wake of the 2006 coup.

"This is an important millstone in Fiji's return to democracy. The Prime Minister handed over the military command to another military commander and on that basis we are pleased to see that another step has been taken towards democracy and the holding of elections. So we see it as an important milestone and we have also congratulated the Prime Minister on this move and we take it at face value."

New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key also says Mr Bainimarama's resignation from the military is a positive step.

"All New Zealand has wanted to ensure is that they are free and fair elections. So the fact that he is essentially indicating he is moving towards that electoral process is welcomed."

The new military commander, Commander Mosese Tikoitoga, has told Radio New Zealand the army will accept the results of the upcoming election.

But he says it is up to New Zealand and Australia to make the first move to improve relations between the military forces.

"Look it's not my call to do so. It's not really. It's not my call to do so. We have never had any bad relationship with New Zealand neither with Australia. It was them that stopped the relationship. So I think the onus is on them to restore the relationship. My initial task is to ensure that we are for the constitution that we put in place in 2013. And also ensure that we provide security and safety for all fijians"

However human right groups say the Fiji regime can not pay lip service to democratic ideals while it appears the military is rewarding officers who perpetrate serious human rights violations.

Frank Bainimarama will remain as interim Prime Minister until the election.

There's been no news so far on the the name or the makeup of the political party that he will lead to the election.

Four parties have been registered so far, three of which have contested previous elections and have been in government, one of which, the People's Democratic Party, is new, emerging from a strong trade union background.

Mr Bainimarama could be in a strong position to win, with an opinion poll in the pro-government Fiji Sun putting his support at 79 per cent.