Fiji Risks New UnrestFiji is risking a new unrest as a quarrel arose on its constitution. According to Australian media, a hearing of the Court of Appeal in the pacific island nation is taking place and will decide in the next few days whether the 1997 constitution is legal.The 1997 constitution gave the ethnic Indians for the first time in Fiji a chance to compete in general elections. Fiji's first ethnic-Indian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry was toppled last May by nationalist George Speight who demanded that the 1997 constitution be abolished with the excuse of protecting the interest of original inhabitants. Last November, an Indian farmer won the High Court ruling that said the 1997 constitution was still in force. However, the interim government stood up to challenge the riling and handed over a submission to the Court of Appeal. Canberra expressed its concern over it Thursday. The Australian Associated Press reported that Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary for the South Pacific, Greg Urwin, said security in the Pacific nation depended on what emerged from the court case. "In the event of the original judgment being upheld, there is a significant risk of some disturbance from three areas on the main island which are known for support for Speight," he told a Senate estimates committee. As the hearing of the Court of Appeal is taking place under heavy security, rumors spread over the capital city of Suva saying that if the court tried to restore the 1997 constitution, another coup might be staged. |
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