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Fiji coup leader dissolves Parliament

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: Fiji's coup leader, Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, on Wednesday decreed "emergency" to reinforce his hold on power and declared in Suva, the capital, that the military would stay the course set a day earlier and run the country.

Significantly, however, the High Court judges, who assembled in Suva, issued a statement of "reassurance" that they "remain committed to their judicial oaths to uphold the Constitution" and the "rule of law."

Without referring to the High Court's statement that was "leaked" by those still loyal to the deposed Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, Cmdr. Bainimarama asked such people "not [to] interfere with the process" now under way. The military, he told reporters, would not hesitate to quell any uprising. There was no point in debating the legality or its absence behind the military takeover, he was quoted as saying.

On the political front, he sought to consolidate his position by dissolving Parliament and taking charge of the police force, which had earlier in the day held out an "assurance" of staying "operational" as before.

Travel curbs

Australia, Fiji's main neighbour, led the international community in condemning the coup and ordering military-related sanctions and travel bans. However, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer emphasised that the chances of forcing Cmdr. Bainimarama to back down "are pretty close to zero."

Canberra had earlier turned down Mr. Qarase's request to intervene militarily in Fiji on behalf of its elected government.

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