 |
Fiji President Dismisses Govt., to Appoint Caretaker PM
Fiji's President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara Saturday moved to take control of the Pacific country with the dismissal of the government and the appointment of a caretaker administration.
He said he would appoint a caretaker prime minister to replace Mahendra Chaudhry, currently being held hostage in the parliament building at Suva.
"I will run the country in the coming months," Mara told a news conference. He said he would invoke section 106 of the constitution which allows for the appointment of caretaker ministers if existing ministers or prime ministers are absent or unable to perform their duties. He said he would probably announce who the caretaker prime minister would be in the next two days.
"I hope that I can clarify this by Monday. I am considering immunity for the leader and six others who took part in the initial takeover of parliament. It's highly likely," Mara said at the news conference in government house close to the parliament building and overlooking Suva.
Coup leader George Speight has been holding democratically elected Chaudhry, the country's first ethnic Indian prime minister, and about 30 others hostage in the parliament complex since May 19. Speight has claimed power on behalf of indigenous Fijians and has called for Mara to stand down himself.
Fiji's traditional chiefs on Thursday provoked international concern by urging Mara to remove the prime minister and pardon the gunmen.
In This Section
|