Fiji's interim military government expects to conclude an accord with rebel
leader
George Speight today and make an announcement this afternoon on the imminent
release of the hostages.
Military government spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini said last
night
that military negotiators and Mr Speight's group would meet at 10am at the home
of
Vice-President Ratu Josefa Iloilo.
The Speight group, through its media spokesman, Jo Nata, gave conflicting signals
about the likelihood of a settlement.
Mr Nata said the Speight group would like to have a resolution to the crisis
and that "it
can all be hammered out and we can be home for the weekend".
But he said the release of the hostages, comprising about 30 former MPs who
have
been held under armed guard at Suva's parliamentary complex for 34 days, was
low on
the list of priorities for his group.
He said the Speight group was still holding out for guarantees regarding the
future of
soldiers who had supported the coup and those who had taken part in it.
Colonel Tarakinikini said last night: "If everything goes according to
our optimism, we
should be ready to make a statement tomorrow afternoon, but nothing has been
signed yet.
"We did not meet with the Speight group today because there was some wording
in the
draft agreement we needed to work on.
"I cannot answer when the hostages will be released. It is all contingent
on getting the agreement signed."
Mr Nata said Mr Speight was prepared to be flexible on the issue of whether
two ethnic Indians included in a list for an
interim civilian government by the military would be accepted.
Mr Speight was quoted yesterday as saying he would be prepared to accept Indian
participation on "national" issues,
but it was noted in the local media that Mr Speight had not defined what he
meant by "national".
Mr Nata said the participation of the two ethnic Indians in an interim government
was "a moot point".
He said the military's inclusion of the pair was "their choice and they
will have to live with the consequences".
Mr Nata said: "If that is the only way forward, I suppose we have to accept
it.
"But I think they, the military, have to be sensitive to the feelings
of indigenous Fijians that gave rise to the coup.
"If the military is appointing its interim civilian government or its
council of advisers and appoints Indians, I imagine
there will be a backlash from the indigenous people who supported the coup."
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