Fiji’s military leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama has added to tensions in the Pacific by again threatening to overthrow the Fijian Government as the nation prepares to host regional leaders next week.
Commodore Bainimarama has given the Fiji government three weeks to drop policies he doesn’t like or the armed forces will force its resignation, with his threat potentially casting a shadow on the Pacific Islands Forum in Nadi.
He also said that the armed forces were within their rights to confront Fiji’s Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, adding, “We don’t have to take over because the military will walk into the office of the Prime Minister and demand his resignation.” “If the people want us to do this, we will do it and at this stage Fiji needs good governance and the military will demand their resignation”. “There’s nothing illegal about this.”
Bainimarama is demanding that Qarase withdraws an indigenous coastal rights bill and legislation which could forgive perpetrators of Fiji’s 2000 coup.
The military has given conflicting signals about the three week deadline being imposed on the government as of Monday, with the same spokesman reportedly neither either confirming or denying the time limit by different media outlets.
Qarase did not comment on the demand, but he did say that the Minister nominally responsible for the military had no right to dictate to the Government.
The Bill has also been criticised by tourism operators as a threat to their industry, but a coup would potentially devastate Fiji’s currently very strong tourism industry.
Report by The Mole
