Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Fiji military restates opposition to Qarase politics

Posted at 03:35 on 03 September, 2007 UTC

Fiji’s military commander and interim minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, says the ousted prime minister, Laisenia Qarase should stop calling for elections as soon as possible because the military council believes that Mr Qarase and his ministers should never be part of any government.

Commodore Bainimarama says the military had been offering Mr Qarase the olive branch for the last six years but he closed the door on the army.

The interim prime minister says Fiji will not go to general elections until the administration completes the President’s mandate which includes the People’s Charter for Change and Progress so that there are no more coups.

He says the military council and the interim cabinet believe that for Fiji to move forward, Mr Qarase and his former cabinet ministers should never ever be part of the government.

He says there is no point in having elections which will bring back people like him.