The 18 hostages were released after much hugging and waving
of goodbyes and handshakes after a traditional ceremony of
forgiveness was performed by Ilisoni Ligairi, the rebel
security-in-charge.
The first bowl of yaqona was presented to the former prime
minister Mahendra Chaudhry.
A FM 96 reporter who was in parliament said Speight and
Chaudhry hugged each other before the hostages were taken to
the Red Cross centre in trucks. The reporter said Chaudhry was
already showing signs of relief.
Deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry he has no
ill-feelings towards coup leader George Speight.
"I have no animosity towards him. I have no ill-feelings. I am a
forgiving person," Chaudhry told the media outside his home a
short while ago. Chaudhry and 18 other members of his
government were released from Parliament earlier this afternoon.
He, son Rajendra, and wife Virmati arrived home to banners
saying ‘Welcome Home Prime Minister".
He said there were some anxious moments in Parliament. "We
were our own therapists. We read and prayed and took one day
at a time."
He said he had been fasting and was eating only one meal a day
for the past six weeks.
Chaudhry said he was beaten once ? on the day after the coup.
"But I am a tough guy. I can take it."
He said his government had a vision for Fiji. "Unfortunately we
were not allowed to fulfil it."
Asked what it felt like to not be Prime Minister, Chaudhry did
not say anything. However a group of supporters gathered
outside his home shouted: "He is the PM".
Chaudhry said he will continue to work for the people. "We
need to work for reconciliation and put the country back on its
feet. A lot of people have suffered because of the recent events. I
believe the situation outside is pretty alarming."
"For now I need a bit of rest. I am an optimist.
"Fiji is a great country."
We must guard freedom at all cost, says just released hostage
and former minister for housing and urban development,
Ganesh Chand.
Describing his captivity as "very painful", Chand says the
hostages were deprived of news and he needed to catch up with
what was happening before he could make further comments.
But he did say that freedom was to be valued, to be guarded at
all cost.
"When a nation goes to the level we have gone to in the past
three weeks, then obviously we need to search our soul, our
hearts to ask where the people have gone wrong," Chand told
Radio Fiji.
The former prime minister's son and private secretary, Rajendra
Chaudhry, says people must remain calm and focus on the
all-important task of nation building.
"The country is above everyone," said Chaudhry Jnr shortly
after his release this afternoon.
"What has been done in May 19, I think God will judge for he
is a god of justice."
While in confinement for the last 55 days, Chaudhry said the
hostages had been denied access to all news and the next week
will be spent going through what has happed since May 19.
"I think its important that everyone remains calm and focuses on
the task of nation building instead of looking at exploiting the
situation for their own ends.
"The best thing we can all do is to see that our lives go back to
normal and reconstruction of this country starts to take place.
The issue of politics will have to come in line too but right now
that’s the farthest from my mind. At the moment I'm just
relieved to be back home."
On Speight, Chaudhry Jnr said it was not necessary for him to
take over government as there were appropriate forums to
discuss the grievances he used to justify the events of May 19.
He said the very people Speight wanted to empower politically,
economically and otherwise will be worse off as a result of his
actions that has left the economy in tatters.
"Speight thought he was doing the right thing but people of this country
will have their own thing to say in
time to come."
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