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Issue No: 559; 7 March 2001
Uncertainty surrounds the fate of the Qarase regime. Fiji's media provide conflicting reports on its stand. One media outlet states that the Qarase group decided to resign because it was declared illegal. Another printed a picture of one of its ministers saying that the minister was on his way to the last meeting of the regime. Another states that the advice to the regime from its own Attorney General is that the regime is illegal and must resign. Yet another states that the legal advice was rejected and that the regime will stay on. Another report states that the regime is recommending to the Acting President that Parliament be dissolved and that the regime be allowed to take the country to the next election, which in effect is a rejection of the Court decision. What is clear is that the regime met the Acting President yesterday. Today's Fiji Times reports that the regime informed the Acting President that it was appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs and it would be disrespectful of the GCC if the regime resigned. It further states its regime source as saying that one reason why the regime does not want to resign is that "traditionalists could use [the resignation] as an opportunity to start stirring trouble". This is despite the assurances to the Qarase group from the military and the police that they are ready to handle any likely trouble. What is clear is that a section of the regime has no wish to adhere to the Court decision and wants to cling to power at any cost to Fiji. There, however, is another section which wants to abide by the rule of law, but their view has been muzzled by the more radical of the lot which was behind the May 19 terrorism. |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
