The Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission (FTRC) plans to appoint a neutral international expert as its chairperson, with committee members chosen for their non-political backgrounds. Sashi Kiran, the chair of the FTRC steering committee, discussed this strategy in response to questions about maintaining impartiality in public interest cases.
The steering committee is currently engaging in public consultations nationwide to collect input that may shape the draft bill for parliamentary approval. Kiran emphasized that the proposed draft bill includes the appointment of an independent chairperson from abroad.
She highlighted that the commission will function independently, with its decisions made solely by the committee, free from external influence. At a recent public consultation in Labasa, some attendees raised concerns that a local chairperson might introduce bias in specific cases. To alleviate these apprehensions, several participants suggested a candidate with expertise in Transitional Justice, such as Ruben Carranza.
Fiji Labour Party member Surendra Lal and other participants stressed the importance of having qualified members on the commission. Kiran responded to these suggestions, noting that, besides the chairperson, the four local commissioners will also be required to have no political connections.
“This is to ensure people have confidence in the process’s fairness and transparency,” Kiran stated. The President of Fiji, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, will endorse the appointments of the commission’s leadership.
According to the draft, the commission is set to operate for 18 months, after which the President will assess any potential extensions. The commission will also appoint additional staff, including translators, counselors, and support personnel, who will travel to various locations to facilitate reconciliation efforts and collect cases and opinions.
The commission will focus on addressing issues of abuse and violence stemming from historical events that have caused trauma within certain communities, particularly relating to the 1987 and 2000 coups, which inflicted significant damage, violence, and suffering on the Indo-Fijian population.
Ruben Carranza, a senior expert at the International Centre for Transitional Justice in New York City, stated that the commission aims to resolve these issues and work toward preventing similar occurrences in the future.