4 Jan 2006

Fiji military commander calls on government to resign

11:21 am on 4 January 2006

Fiji's military commander has called on the Qarase government and its home affairs minister, Josefa Vosanibola, to resign.

The call follows Commodore Bainimarama's earlier statement that the military no longer recognised the authority of the home affairs minister because Mr Vosanibola did not recognise him as the government's advisor on military issues.

Commodore Bainimarama said at the time that the army was "now on its own and was not answerable to anyone."

Today Commodore Bainimarama is quoted in the Fiji Times as saying it seems the government has no intention of closing the events of 2000 in which soldiers died in vain in a coup that was not for the indigenous cause.

The military commander says the government has come up with racist legislation like the Reconciliation and Unity Bill, the Indigenous Fishing Rights Bill and the Fijian Court System, and let people out of jail on one excuse or another.

Commodore Bainimarama says the government is incompetent and it is better that it resign.