19 Jul 2013

Fiji UN deployment criticised by politicians

3:58 pm on 19 July 2013

The political group, the United Front for a Democratic Fiji, has criticised the regime's decision to send more soldiers to the Golan Heights to serve as UN peacekeepers.

More than 500 troops are to be deployed which the Front describes as another example of the many irresponsible decisions taken by the government during the last six and a half years.

It says the increasing trend in military expenditure is alarming and getting out of control, suggesting that Fiji cannot afford this.

The group, which is made up of politicians ousted in the 2006 military coup, says for the sake of accountability, the government should publish some essential statistics for the information of the public.

It says the decision to put the troops in harm's way was made by one person, the Commander, and then rubber-stamped by a weak unrepresentative cabinet.