SUVA, Fiji (8 Mar 2001) -- A week after the Court of Appeal declared the military-backed government illegal, it has offered to quit. "We have agreed and we have tendered our resignation after the meeting today and it has been taken up by the president to decide," interim Attorney-General Alipate Qetaki told reporters. The final decision will be made by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo who is meeting with the influential Great Council of Chiefs today. The president was instructed by the Court to reconvene parliament and to step down before March 15, 2001. Ousted Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has called for new elections to return Fiji to democracy. "In moving forward to resolve our constitutional crisis--we cannot forget the nation has been through 10 months of painful and traumatic upheaval," said Chaudhry. "This is not the time for political posturing and point scoring ... the national interest would best be served if we were to go for fresh elections." | | Military-installed government There is considerable pressure from within Chaudry's own party that the aggressive and controversial prime minister abandon hopes of finishing his term. Many also fear that elections could spark more racially motivated violence. After last year's May 19 coup, ethnic Fijians went on a nation-wide rampage of violence against Fiji's minority Indo-Fijian community who dominate commerce. "There is an ongoing danger of violence. At present, it has been contained by the military," said Phil Goff, New Zealand's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
