Fiji's president has dissolved parliament and sanctioned the
removal of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, New Zealand Prime
Minister Helen Clark said on Tuesday.
"I have been advised this morning that the president of Fiji has
acted outside his constitutional powers and supported the removal
of the democratic prime minister by the military," Clark said in a
statement to the New Zealand parliament.
Military commander Frank Bainimarama has repeatedly threatened to
topple Qarase's government, which won a second five-year term in
May, claiming it is corrupt.
Heavily armed troops set up roadblocks throughout Suva on Monday,
including around Qarase's office, and other towns like Nadi, the
tourism hub in the west of the main island of Viti Levu.
Qarase was left isolated in his Suva residence when troops surrounded his home. There was high drama at the residence when soldiers turned up to arrest him, took away keys then returned to drive away in his official car.
They had been confiscating ministerial cars all morning but their ultimate prize is Qarase who at this stage is still in his home.
He was meeting there with senior ministers having cancelled a scheduled special Cabinet meeting.
Earlier in the day, Qarase said a coup was underway, as the
military raided key installations and set up roadblocks throughout
Suva.
About 40 troops armed with M16s cut off the road leading to
Qarase's residence and positioned themselves at the rear of his
home.
"There is virtually a coup taking place. They have strangled the
police force, they have neutralised them and now they are
strangling the government machinery," Qarase told Radio New
Zealand.
The Fiji Times newspaper said on Tuesday the country was witnessing
a "coup by strangulation". The country has had three coups since
1987.
Military commander Frank Bainimarama has repeatedly threatened to
topple Qarase's government, which won a second five-year term in
May, claiming it is corrupt.
Heavily armed troops set up roadblocks throughout Suva on Monday,
including around Qarase's office, and other towns like Nadi, the
tourism hub in the west of the main island of Viti Levu.
Soldiers also raided key police installations and removed the
weapons of the police's only armed unit on Monday and disarmed the
bodyguards of Qarase and other government ministers.
Fiji's fight
The crisis has alarmed Fiji's neighbours, with Australia sending three warships towards Fiji in case it needs to evacuate holidaying nationals. Bainimarama has warned that his soldiers will oppose any foreign intervention.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Qarase telephoned him on Tuesday morning and asked for Australian intervention.
Howard declined.
"I did not think it was in Australia's national interest to become involved. The possibility of Australian and Fijian troops firing on each other in the streets of Suva was not a prospect that I, for a moment, thought desireable," Howard said.
"I exhort those responsible for this coup not to do any physical harm to anybody in the properly elected government of Fiji. There will be long international memories about this if that occurs," he told reporters in Canberra.
Sanctions
Australia issued an upgraded travel advisory on Fiji on Tuesday, saying: "The security situation could deteriorate without warning. If you are in the capital Suva and concerned for your safety, you should consider leaving. Political tensions could lead to mob violence and civil disorder."
Clark said New Zealand would implement a series of sanctions
against Fiji military officials. Australian Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer said Australia would also impose sanctions on the
Fiji military and anyone the military puts into power.
Power struggle
Qarase and Bainimarama have been embroiled in a power struggle all
year. Bainimarama gave the government a list of "non-negotiable"
demands a fortnight ago and threatened a "clean-up campaign".
Bainimarama believes Qarase's government has been too soft on those
behind Fiji's last coup in 2000 and wants certain government
members removed from office.
The military chief made a short visit to President Ratu Josefa
Iloilo on Tuesday, but there was no news on the outcome of the
talks, with some media speculating he was seeking presidential
support for his actions.
Qarase said he had been summoned to Government House to see the
president on Monday night and drove to the sprawling harbourside
estate but was told by soldiers at a roadblock outside he would
have to walk the rest of the way. He refused.
"I know what he wants of me and I do not agree to his proposition
(which is) to accept all the demands or resign. I can't do either
of those," he said.
"It is impossible to accept their demands because then we will be
breaking the law and we cannot allow government to break the law,"
Qarase told New Zealand radio.
The crisis has alarmed Fiji's South Pacific neighbours, with
Australia sending three warships towards Fiji in case it needs to
evacuate holidaying nationals. Bainimarama has warned that his
soldiers will oppose any foreign intervention.
The United States, Britain and the United Nations have all warned
Bainimarama not to attempt to take over the government, with
concerns that another coup would devastate the fragile economy
based on tourism and sugar.
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