SUVA (Fiji), Dec 5: Fiji's military commander overthrew the elected government and seized control of the country on Tuesday, staging the troubled Pacific nation's fourth coup in two decades.
After months of threatening a takeover, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said drastic action was needed because Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase was corrupt and had been conducting his own “silent coup” against the people.
He ignored warnings from the world community not to topple an elected government and ordered troops to set up roadblocks across the capital Suva and lay siege to Mr Qarase's office and home, before announcing the coup.
Saying he was acting with “great reluctance”, the commander suspended some provisions of the constitution, took on the role of president and appointed an interim premier and government.
“The military has taken over the government, its executive authority and the running of this country,” he said at a press conference announcing Qarase's government had been sacked seven months after its re-election.
“I request you to remain calm and support the (military) in this process of political readjustment to pave the way for a new Fiji,” Bainimarama said.
He pledged the takeover would not be permanent, and said the military had no intention of arresting former ministers.
The deposed Qarase was holed up with several former ministers at his residence, which was surrounded by troops, prompting the premier to predict earlier he would be arrested.
Mr Qarase said on Tuesday's military coup had “raped the constitution” and made Fiji a “laughing stock”.
Speaking to reporters after Bainimarama's announcement, Mr Qarase said the new military regime was “illegal and unconstitutional”, according to Fijilive Internet news service.
Mr Qarase made appeals to Fijians to stand up and “fight for our democracy” through peaceful means. “I don't think that we should take this lying down,” he said.
No curfew was imposed, but the military imposed censorship on the country's media -- sending soldiers into newsrooms to vet the news -- and banned “propaganda” against the new regime.
Commodore Bainimarama said he acted after Qarase failed to listen to the military's concerns, did not resign as ordered and failed to show up at a meeting with the president on Tuesday.
“This stalemate has forced me to step forward,” he said.
He named a doctor with no political background, Jona Baravilala Senilagakali, as caretaker prime minister, and said elections would be scheduled for a date yet to be set, when the country was stable.—AFP
