Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Fiji’s ousted opposition leader not confident in imposition of national roadmap

Posted at 01:45 on 15 June, 2009 UTC

Fiji’s ousted opposition leader says a national roadmap for the country’s political future will not last if it is imposed without consultation.

The interim government told FijiLive the roadmap will be launched in a couple of weeks at a political leaders’ meeting

Mick Beddoes, the leader of the United People’s Party, says an imposed solution won’t work and the only way forward is through inclusive political dialogue.

“The nation can only be united if the leaders adapt an inclusive approach to the problem and that’s pretty fundamental and that’s the way all our previous coups and problems of the past have been resolved. It’s been resolved through dialogue and discussion and this coup is no different.”

Mick Beddoes’ United People’s Party was one of four major political parties excluded from a political forum which had been planned to discuss a time frame for democratic elections.