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SUVA: Fiji's Citizens' Constitutional Forum today appealed to the
military regime to appoint an interim government of national unity from
56 members of the democratic Parliament who are not being held captive.
Rev Akuila Yabaki, executive director of the CCF, called on military
chief Commodore Frank Bainimarama to agree such a government comprising
members of both the lower House of Representatives and the Senate.
He also called on the military to hand over responsibilty for the
negotiation for the release of the 27 remaining hostages to the elected
political leaders in such a government.
"It is obvious that the Republic of Fiji Military Forces negotiating
team and [rebel leader] George Speight's people have not been able to
agree on the composition of the cabinet and the person to be appointed
as President," Rev. Yabaki said at a media conference.
He said the only issue they were able to agree on in the proposed
Muanikau Accord was the reference of the appointment of a president to
the Bose Levu Vaka Turaga.
The President would then apoint a cabinet from the two lists of the RFMF
and Speight's group.
"The Muanikau Accord is not a solution to our present impasse. Neither
will it bring about the lifting of trade bans and sanctions that have
been or will be imposed on Fiji by the Commonwealth countries, the
European Union and other nations," he said.
However, he believed an interim unity government, picked from all
political parties that have been members of Parliament, would put Fiji
in a stronger position to ask for the lifting of the bans and therefore
speed up the movement towards normalcy.
Rev Yabaki reiterated the Commonwealth Ministerial Action for Changes
(CMAG) call to quickly reinstate a constitutional government if Fiji was
to retain membership in the Commonwealth.
The question of the President and Vice-President's appointment by the
Bose Levu Vakaturaga could then be left until normality was restored by
the civilian interim government.
This would be in line with the military government's original position,
which was to convene a meeting in three months time, Rev. Yabaki said.
"Negotiations with George Speight should be abandoned because the
Muanikau Accord will never bring about any economic recovery."
He believes the country could not afford to have these "on-off"
negotiations drag on too much longer because people were losing their
job as businesses were being adversely affected by the situation.
Rev Yabaki said Parliament should be convened under Section 68(3) of the
1997 Constitution to elect an interim government or by decrees.
"The RFMF should confine itself only to guarding the elected interim
government, policing the curfews and guarding public installations after
it hands over power," he said.
Rev. Yabaki said there were 56 members of Parliament available at large
to make a quorum for a joint meeting of both houses of Parliament for
this purpose and the Speaker, Dr. Apenisa Kurisiqila, is reported as
willing to convene the Parliament.
Jone Dakuvula, of the CCF, who was also at the press conference, said
Speight was not willing to accept anything other than the full list of
demands they wanted - "only then would they release their hostages."
"Recognising that situation, we've got to look after the interests of
the nation and we've got to put in place an interim government that will
be able to have credibility internationally, that stays within the
constitution and that will also be able call on other foreign
governments and unions overseas to lift the ban and the sanctions,"
Dakuvula said.
"As for the parliamentarians [hostages] in there, that becomes the
responsibilty of the interim government," he said.
+++niuswire
Title -- 2829 FIJI: CCF appeals for government of national unity
Date -- 26 June 2000
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pasifik Nius
Source -- USP Journalism, 26/6/00
Copyright -- USP Journalism
Status -- Unabridged
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