The opposition demanded that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission be composed of independent and apolitical members to ensure impartiality and credibility in handling issues of national interest.

This was highlighted during deliberations on the TRC Act in Parliament, with Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu emphasizing the need for truth as the foundation of the commission’s work.

The Opposition Leader highlights the crucial role truth plays in the reconciliation process, as truth before reconciliation will ensure the authenticity of the entire process.

“So that’s the whole point made by the 16-member group. Certainly people need to tell the truth about what happened, and then it’s the process already planned that will resolve this issue, whether they are perpetrators, survivors or otherwise.

Leader of the Opposition, Inia Seruiratu

Viliame Naupoto, an opposition member of the Group of Nine, supported this position, stressing that it was necessary for independent people to join the commission and that there were enough highly qualified people outside, who do not not part of politics, who could enter and become members of the Commission.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who introduced the bill for debate, highlighted the spiritual dimension of reconciliation, noting that a framework alone is not enough for meaningful change.

“It has to happen in the hearts and minds of people and workers. In the iTaukei o vanua tradition, when trying to reconcile, one must have a genuine aspiration for change, for forgiveness and also for forgetting. I understand that we are humans and that is very difficult to forget.

The final implementation of the Commission’s recommendations will depend on the government’s ability to allocate the necessary resources, ensuring that the work of the commission translates into tangible results for the nation.