Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Fiji's Military Grabs Power, New PM Named
Adjust font size:

Fiji's military took over running the country in a bloodless overthrow Tuesday after confining the elected prime minister to his home in the South Pacific island nation's fourth coup in 20 years.

Military Commander Frank Bainimarama said he had temporarily stepped into President Ratu Josefa Iloilo's role as head of state and dismissed the government of Laisenia Qarase after a power struggle that had simmered all year.

Promising that the takeover would not be permanent, Bainimarama said he had appointed little known Jona Senilagakali Baravilala, a former military doctor and political novice, as interim prime minister before fresh elections are called.

"The stalemate has forced me to step forward and the military has taken over government," Bainimarama said, adding that the chief executives of government ministries would run their departments until Baravilala appoints an interim government.

Bainimarama had repeatedly threatened to topple Qarase's government, which won a second five-year term in May, calling it corrupt and too soft on those behind Fiji's last coup in 2000.

"We trust that the new government will lead us into peace and prosperity and mend the ever-widening racial divide which currently besets our multi-cultural nation," he said.

Fiji's three earlier coups, the first in 1987, were racially motivated with indigenous Fijians who make up 51 percent of the 900,000 population fearing they would lose political control of their nation to minority ethnic Indian Fijians who already dominate the economy.
 
Qarase said he was still prime minister. "I have been removed illegally," he said by telephone from inside his home as soldiers blocked off the street outside.

Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes, an Australian, thought Bainimarama's coup would spark a popular uprising that he hoped would be non-violent.

"He doesn't have the support of the government, of the president, of the police, of the churches, or the chiefs of the people of Fiji," Hughes told Australian television.

International response

Fiji's political crisis has alarmed its neighbors.

Australia sent three warships in case it needed to evacuate holidaying nationals.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Qarase telephoned him Tuesday morning to seek help, but he declined saying: "The possibility of Australian and Fijian troops firing on each other in the streets of Suva was not a prospect that I, for a moment, thought desirable."

Bainimarama has warned that his soldiers will oppose any foreign intervention.

Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon said Tuesday Fiji was likely to be suspended from the Commonwealth.

Britain said it was suspending military assistance. Australia and New Zealand said they would impose sanctions on Fiji's military.

(China Daily December 6, 2006)

 

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read

Related Stories
Fiji Coup Confirmed as Military Takes Over
Fiji Troops Remove Police Weapons
Fiji Capital Quiet After Coup Deadline
Fiji Military Underplays UN Warning
NZ Hosts Talks for Fiji Political Crisis
Pacific Ministers to Discuss Fiji Situation
Fiji PM: Coup Will Not Happen

Product Directory
China Search
Country Search
Hot Buys
SiteMap | About Us | RSS | Newsletter | Feedback
SEARCH THIS SITE
Copyright ? China.org.cn. All Rights Reserved ????E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-88828000 京ICP證 040089號
主站蜘蛛池模板: 少妇无码太爽了不卡视频在线看 | 男女一边摸一边脱视频网站| 国产剧情AV麻豆香蕉精品| 2020国产精品永久在线| 大陆一级毛片免费视频观看| 三级黄色小视频| 日日躁夜夜躁狠狠躁超碰97 | 美女内射毛片在线看3D| 国产人成视频在线视频| 久久五月天综合| 国产精品久久国产精麻豆99网站| 99久热只有精品视频免费观看17 | 亚洲婷婷第一狠人综合精品 | 国产欧美日韩精品丝袜高跟鞋| 91av国产精品| 在线免费观看a级片| jizzjizz日本护士| 婷婷六月丁香午夜爱爱| 中国明星16xxxxhd| 新婚娇妻倩如帮助三老头| 久久亚洲中文字幕精品一区| 日韩精品久久久久久免费| 亚洲人成影院午夜网站| 欧美大荫蒂毛茸茸视频| 亚洲欧美一区二区三区日产| 欧美大bbbxxx视频| 国产精品无码一区二区三级| 91麻豆精品国产自产在线| 大香大香伊人在钱线久久下载| xxxxwwww中国| 小小视频最新免费观看| 一本到中文字幕高清不卡在线 | 精品日本一区二区三区在线观看| 国产-第1页-浮力影院| 色碰人色碰人视频| 国产乱人伦偷精品视频免下载 | 人妻少妇精品视频专区| 精品一区二区三区在线成人 | 亚洲精品无码乱码成人| 渣男渣女抹胸渣男渣女在一起| 人人妻人人澡人人爽精品欧美|