SUVA: Coup leader George Speight today rejected the military takeover of Fiji and demanded the resignation of armed forces chief Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
Mr Speight also refused to release hostage Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and up to 30 hostages being held at Parliament House but said they were safe and well.
Fijian President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara was believed to be safe off the country's
coast after stepping aside to allow martial law to be
imposed, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.
Commodore Bainimarama took executive power in Fiji last night declaring military
government and martial law following the
resignation of Ratu Mara.
Today he issued a decree revoking the Constitution, although he said existing laws and regulations were still in place.
Mr Speight told a news conference he rejected Commodore Bainimarama's seizure of power and said the Fijian military forces were divided into two rival factions.
"I think Commodore Bainimarama is a lost cause. I think he is so blinded by
his allegiances to Ratu Mara that it clouds his ability to
take the right decisions - socially, culturally and morally," he said.
Mr Speight said he was instead dealing with a group of four military officers
headed by Colonel Tara Kinikini who he said wanted a
speedy political solution to the crisis.
His reaction appeared to lessen the chances of an early release of the hostages
who've been held at gunpoint by Speight supporters
since May 19.
Mr Speight said he would prefer to negotiate with officers he thought had the interests of indigenous Fijians more at heart.
Mr Speight accused Commodore Bainimarama and Sitiveni Rabuka of working together to retain power.
"It is an orchestrated plan to ensure (my) crusade does not proceed," he said.
"They are still trying to hang on to what little chance of
power they have - but it's fast eroding."
Mr Speight said an amnesty for him and his men was the least of his concerns.
"We want an abrogation of the 1990 Constitution and we want to put in place a Taukei (indigenous) civilian government to rule by decree," he said.
Mr Speight said four of his senior supporters had been detained overnight by the army at a military checkpoint.
He claimed all had been assaulted and one was in hospital.
The four included one of his self-proclaimed interim ministers, Simione Kaitaini, and his media spokesman Jo Nata.
Despite the imposition of martial law there were no soldiers surrounding the parliamentary compound where the hostages are being held.
A short time ago a truckload of Speight supporters dressed in blue boiler suits
arrived and joined hundreds of others already in the complex.
This text may have been edited to protect the writer.
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