Mosese Bulitavu, a crossbench member of parliament from G9, has expressed his support for the release of 2000 civilian coup leader George Speight. Bulitavu is the first G9 MP to comment on Speight’s release, which was granted following a review by the Mercy Commission.
Speight received presidential immunity on Thursday, having completed his sentence. Bulitavu remarked, “He (Speight) has served his time! We need to move away from our past and seek restoration through reconciliation.” He emphasized that the Republic of Fiji Military Forces is facilitating the reconciliation process and that Speight’s release marks a significant step in the right direction.
Bulitavu noted that few politicians who have also served prison time can truly understand the necessity of giving a fully rehabilitated prisoner a second chance. “For those of us outside prison, we must also address the second prison, which is society’s perception of the crimes they committed, and embrace them back into the community after undergoing rehabilitation,” he stated.