LONDON, Dec 8: The Commonwealth on Friday suspended Fiji with immediate effect after a military coup there earlier this week that it condemned as showing “total disregard” for the island's elected government.
Following an emergency meeting in London, Commonwealth ministers and high commissioners (ambassadors) expressed their support for the Fijian people, who are planning peaceful protests against the takeover, according to the deposed prime minister Laisenia Qarase, who remains defiant.
The Commonwealth suspension added to the international outcry over the coup. The United Nations Security Council, the United States, the European Union and several nations have condemned the takeover, while regional powers Australia and New Zealand have announced measures.
“The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) unanimously and unequivocally condemned the military takeover of Fiji's democratically elected government, in total disregard of the authority of the prime minister and parliament,” the ministers and high commissioners said in a statement.
“Fiji's military regime should forthwith be suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth pending the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in that country.” The suspension means that representatives of the military regime are excluded from participation in all inter-governmental Commonwealth meetings and from all other inter-governmental Commonwealth activities.
Fiji's army chief Voreqe Bainimarama seized power in a bloodless coup on Tuesday and has tightened his grip since then by dismissing senior police chiefs and other government department heads.
The former British colony's fourth coup in two decades capped months of confrontation between Qarase and Bainimarama, who accused the government of corruption and demanded it withdraw legislation which included an amnesty to the plotters of a 2000 coup.Qarase said on Friday that anger among Fijians was likely to lead to passive protests and civil disobedience.—AFP
