Fiji's leader has expressed defiance, a day after the Pacific Islands Forum threatened it with expulsion if no elections were held by 2009.In an interview with Radio Tarana, Bainimarama said he felt under no pressure to set a date for elections.
He said the forum should not hold its breath waiting for instant action."It is going to be a long wait. We have already given our explanation, right now I don't think we need to explain anymore," said, repeating his comment that elections could take up to 10 years. He described the summit's ultimatum as unprecedented. "I have never come across a situation where a country gives an ultimatum to another country unless, of course, there is a declaration of war", he said.
He also described NZ's Prime Minister as being very rude and uninformed. "I don't think, from the explanation that was given to me by the attorney general, that NZ's Prime Minister completely understands what is happening in Fiji because during the discussion yesterday he was very rude to the attorney general -he was very personal in his questions to him" he said.
Fiji's attorney general Aiyaz Saiyed Khaiyum has said Fiji was not in crisis. "You have a government in place that's been held to be legally and validly appointed by His Excellency our president by a 3-member panel of the High Court. So we do not understand what the crisis is". The country wanted "long-term and sustainable" democracy which "seems lost on some people" he said.
Fiji's deposed former leader Qarase said the ultimatum was unlikely to persuade Bainimarama to change his position. Bainimarama "has become addicted to political power... he likes the power and that is why I feel it will be very unlikely that he will hold elections by the end of the year" Qarase said.
Academics based outside Fiji concurred, saying the military man was not the sort of person to react well to outside pressures.
Fiji's attorney general Aiyaz Saiyed Khaiyum has said Fiji was not in crisis. "You have a government in place that's been held to be legally and validly appointed by His Excellency our president by a 3-member panel of the High Court. So we do not understand what the crisis is". The country wanted "long-term and sustainable" democracy which "seems lost on some people" he said.
Fiji's deposed former leader Qarase said the ultimatum was unlikely to persuade Bainimarama to change his position. Bainimarama "has become addicted to political power... he likes the power and that is why I feel it will be very unlikely that he will hold elections by the end of the year" Qarase said.
Academics based outside Fiji concurred, saying the military man was not the sort of person to react well to outside pressures.
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