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Issue No: 953; 19 July 2001
Elected Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has called on the people of Fiji to accept the results of the August elections. Chaudhry was responding to a Daily Post article yesterday which stated that the military will not accept a victory for Chaudhry. The Post article was based on an affidavit sworn by the military commander Com. Frank Bainimarama that the military will not let Fiji "revert to the pre-19 May 2000 status". The affidavit was submitted to support the President Ratu Josefa Iloilo's dismissal of the elected Prime Minister. Chaudhry condemned the AFP wired article saying it was "sheer mischief making by the agency Agence France Press." He said that the AFP article had taken the extract from Army Commander Frank Bainimarama's affidavit out of context to give it a completely different meaning. "Nowhere does the Commander say in this quote that he will not have me back as Prime Minister if re-elected", Chaudhry said. The Commander's affidavit was in response to the situation after May 19. It does not refer to the August elections. "As far as I am concerned the military has given its assurance that it will stand by the constitution and we accept that." Mr Chaudhry condemned the AFP article as irresponsible journalism tantamount to voter intimidation. "The people of Fiji are entitled to elect a government of
their choice without any form of intimidation", he said. |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
