SUVA, Fiji (15 Mar 2001) -- Just hours after the army-installed prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, was forced to step down to comply with a court decision, he has been reappointed. Since March 1, when Fiji's Court of Appeal declared the interim government illegal, President Ratu Josefa Iloilo and Fiji's powerful Great Council of Chiefs have been trying to find a way to resolve the political crisis before the March 15 deadline. On Wednesday, Qarase stepped down when Iloilo named his nephew, Ratu Tevita Momoedonu, as the new prime minister. But Momoedonu resigned on Thursday after dissolving parliament so that Iloilo could legally reinstate Qarase. "Laisenia Qarase has proved during these trying times that he has the confidence of the people to take the country through." Iloilo said Qarase would name a new cabinet on Thursday and new elections would most likely be held in August. Iloilo said he could not reinstate democratically elected Mahendra Chaudhry, who faces serious challenges from within his own People's Coalition. | | Military-installed government Mr Chaudhry, who was elected in May 1999 only to be toppled a year later, described the move as unconstitutional and illegal. "I have consulted my legal counsel on my purported dismissal and have been advised that the acting president's decision is badly advised and unlawful," he said. "I urge his excellency [Mr Iloilo] to reconsider his decision," he added. Mr Chaudhry did not say if he would mount a legal challenge to his dismissal. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
