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New Fijian Vice President Ratu Epili Nailatikau - Source: ONE News -
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Fiji's military regime has installed a colleague of Commodore
Frank Bainimarama as the nation's new Vice President.
Officially sanctioned images of Ratu Epili Nailatikau show his
swearing-in ceremony - the only fresh pictures from the island in
three days.
Despite all the formality, critics are unconvinced the government is legitimate and claim it is just another move to strengthen the military's grip on power.
The new VP is a strong supporter of Bainimarama and has already held three senior posts in his interim government.
During Nailatikau's swearing-in, the new Vice President vowed to be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Republic of Fiji, according to the law.
And many say those words don't ring true for them.
Last week the Fiji's Court of Appeals ruled Bainimarama's regime was illegal under the 1997 constitution.
In response President Ratu Josefa Lloilo sacked the judges, dissolved the constitution, ruled out any election for five years and removed Bainimarama only to reappoint him again.
Dorsami Naidu, Fiji Law Society President and one of the critic's of the regime, says there is great concern for the people of the country.
"It is going to affect the type of access to justice and the system that the people receive here. It is a downward spiral really," Naidu said over the appointment of the new VP.
Two years ago, Kiwi businessman Ballu Khan felt the full force of Bainimarama's self imposed regime.
In 2007 he was arrested and beaten by soldiers under the commodore's command.
Khan says the commodore is nothing more than a thug and a common criminal.
He also accuses Bainimarama of being involved during the time of the George Speight coup and says soldiers were killed under his soldiers.
ONE News put that to the commodore's official spokesperson but so far there has been no answer to the allegations.
